UFC 300 Win = Harrison Title Shot? ‘I Do Not Find It Fair’

Kayla Harrison could have a short climb to an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title fight should things go her way at UFC 300 next month (Sat., April 13, 2024).

UFC’s women’s Bantamweight division has gone through a dramatic face-lift since its longtime ruler and all-time great, Amanda Nunes, retired in June 2023. 10-plus year UFC veteran, Raquel Pennington, now holds the division’s title and finds herself targeted by the admittedly thin cast of challengers.

Former two-time Professional Fighters League (PFL) Lightweight champion, Harrison, will soon make her promotional debut against Pennington’s past successor, Holly Holm, at the aforementioned super show. Thanks to Harrison’s career thus far as a 16-1 former champion and Bantamweight’s lack of viable contenders, a win can land her a bout with “Rocky” sooner rather than later.

“Just from having to grind from the bottom up, never being handed anything, there’s a lot of women in this division who have been busting their ass for years and years,” Pennington told MiddleEasy of a potential Harrison title shot. “They’re wanting opportunities. I do not find it fair.

“I get the business aspect of it,” she continued. “But I do not find it fair when an athlete comes in and just because they have a big name, they get to skip the line. I’m not opposed to fighting anybody. I love the challenges out there.”

Pennington, 35, will be waiting until after UFC 300 for her next opponent at the very least. Ultimately, she expects the promotion to take the route of going with the former champion, Julianna Pena, who last fought when losing her title in the Nunes rematch via unanimous decision at UFC 277 in July 2022 (watch highlights).

“In my mind it’s Julianna Pena. That’s what me and my team are preparing for, and it makes sense.” Pennington said of her first title challenger. “It’s tough because the UFC does business how they want to do business. Obviously, you have Kayla Harrison who just signed to the UFC. They do have a habit of when someone has a big name, they like to fast-track them.

“So I wouldn’t be surprised after UFC 300 next month if Kayla wins, if a phone call is a lot different after that fight,” she continued. “But we’ll see. For me, I think it’s Julianna.”