Latest news with #KaylaHarrison
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC 316's Kayla Harrison Lived an 'Empty Life' Before Motherhood
UFC 316's Kayla Harrison Lived an 'Empty Life' Before Motherhood originally appeared on Athlon Sports. UFC 316 co-headliner Kayla Harrison (18-1) didn't realize what she was missing before becoming a mother. Advertisement Harrison appeared to have things figured out in terms of her career and her life. Having won Olympic gold twice, capturing PFL gold, and having a routine lifestyle, Harrison was fairly content with how things were going. When Harrison entered motherhood, her perspective completely changed. During an exclusive interview with Athlon Sports, Harrison discussed the lessons she continues to learn about being a mother. "Well, I mean, they never stop," Harrison said. "You learn a new one every day. It's the most rewarding, challenging, frustrating, exciting, crazy, roller coaster thing, unpredictable thing I've ever done, but it is the biggest blessing of my life. My kids actually recently went on a little trip with my mom to the other side of Florida. So, I had the house to myself for probably the first time ever. Advertisement "It was so shocking to me. I adopted my children, so before I had kids, I would wake up, I would eat, I would go train, I would come home, maybe read a book, lay out, take the dogs for a walk, go train again. Maybe have friends over for poker night or Taco Tuesday, but that was it. That was all I did. "On a Monday, I did that, and on a Wednesday, I was a mom. I couldn't believe how empty my life was and sort of just self-centered. My children have changed my life, and they've made me a better person, and they have given me a fullness and a purpose that I didn't even know I was missing until they showed." From Olympic Gold to UFC Gold? Kayla Harrison represents the United States during the Olympics.(via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports) Harrison will challenge Julianna Pena (12-5) for the UFC Bantamweight Championship on Saturday. It'll be Harrison's first opportunity at UFC gold. Advertisement The judo specialist explained the difference between how she felt going into her first chance at earning an Olympic gold medal and how she's feeling ahead of UFC 316. "I think the biggest difference is me," Harrison said. "My mentality, the wisdom, maybe, of having the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage so many times in my life. When I won my first gold medal, I was kind of young and dumb and a little bit clueless. "Now, I have just a wealth of knowledge and experience, and I'm so grateful for that because it's prepared me perfectly for what I'm about to achieve." Tuning Out Own Hype Kayla Harrison is interviewed after scoring a victory inside the UFC Octagon.(via Zuffa LLC) Harrison has long been viewed as a top athlete in MMA who is the favorite in virtually all of her bouts. She believes her competitive spirit won't allow her to fall into any outside noise. Advertisement "For sure," Harrison said about avoiding outside hype thanks to her competitive edge. "I think that, at the end of the day, I am grateful for the fans, and I love them dearly. I always say I don't have fans; I just have friends I haven't met yet, but I don't do this for them. "I do it because I feel like God has given me a gift, and it is my duty and my responsibility to give my very best. It's easy to block out the noise when you know that's not why you do it. I don't do this for applause or for money or for fame." Julianna Pena's Steroid Accusations Julianna Pena speaks to a reporter during a UFC pre-fight press conference.(via Zuffa LLC) Pena has never been shy to hold her tongue ahead of her fights. The reigning 135-pound champion has accused the challenger of steroid use. Harrison takes the trash talk in stride. Advertisement "I'm not sure," Harrison said when asked why Pena made the accusation. "I think that, to me, it speaks of fear and it screams of insecurity. Kind of like a built-in excuse, but it's also a compliment to me. If you think that I'm unnatural, thank you. I work really damn hard to be this way. "I've been drug tested since I was 12 years old. That's when I ranked on the national roster for judo. So, I can guarantee you I've probably been tested 10 times more than every UFC fighter because it's been 20-plus years of getting tested. I've never tested positive; I've never taken any substances." If you strip away the pre-fight banter, Harrison admits that she thinks Pena has the qualities of a worthy fighter inside the Octagon. Still, she thinks her skills outmatch Pena's significantly. "I think everybody's tough until you beat them," Harrison said. "You got to go out there and you got to implement your game plan and instill your will. I think her best attribute as a fighter is that she's got heart and she is a fighter. She's not going to quit, but we've seen her lose. We've seen her holes, and I'm better everywhere." Amanda Nunes Biding Her Time? Amanda Nunes holding the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship and the featherweight gold.(via Zuffa LLC) A big story that looms over Harrison's title shot against Pena involves Amanda Nunes. "The Lioness" has teased a return to the Octagon several times. Harrison is unsure if Nunes is waiting for UFC 316 to conclude, but she wouldn't blame her if that is the case. Advertisement "I don't know," Harrison said. "Maybe, I haven't given it a ton of thought. Probably, I would if I were her." Other Women's Bantamweight Fighters Norma Dumont lifts her opponent up for a takedown during their UFC fight.(via Zuffa LLC) In terms of women's bantamweights on the current UFC roster or even those who are waiting for their chance outside of the promotion, Harrison welcomes the best talent that the 135-pound division has to offer. "I think that there's a lot of up-and-coming fighters," Harrison said. "There is going to probably be a changing of the guard some day. There's always going to be the next hungry, young killer who's ready for their moment and ready for their opportunity. My job is to welcome them with open arms to the big leagues." Merab Dvalishvili Repeats at UFC 316? UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley meet face-to-face before UFC 316.(via Zuffa LLC) Harrison will share the same card that will be headlined by a UFC Bantamweight Championship rematch. Titleholder Merab Dvalishvili will collide with Sean O'Malley a second time. Harrison has an idea of how the second encounter will play out. Advertisement "I think that Merab is a machine, and I think that he's going to go out there and get the job done," Harrison said. "He's a tough fighter to beat." Kayla Harrison Enters G.O.A.T. Conversation? Kayla Harrison being introduced by Bruce Buffer before her UFC fight begins.(via Zuffa LLC) As far as her own fight is concerned, Harrison is shooting for the stars. She believes the headlines will be singing her praises following UFC 316. "I think they're just going to say, 'Kayla Harrison, greatest fighter of all time.'" Related: Rising UFC Star Shares Surprising Take on Islam Makhachev's Move to Welterweight This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Julianna Peña 'plagued' by injuries for Kayla Harrison fight, went in with a 'severe handicap'
Julianna Peña has fallen from the UFC women's bantamweight throne for a second time. UFC 316 was a rough night at the office for Peña, who suffered a second-round kimura loss to Kayla Harrison. The bout was Peña's second scheduled title defense of her UFC career, kicking off her second title reign after she previously held the belt from December 2021 to July 2022. Advertisement Speaking publicly for the first time since her loss, Peña revealed on Tuesday's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show" that she was far from her best self heading into the highly anticipated clash. "I've been doing this since 2008. I think I have dislocated, broken and torn every ligament in my body," Peña said. "I was plagued with several injuries leading up to that fight, and it was not a good camp for me in that sense because I knew I was going into the fight with a pretty severe handicap. "It crossed my mind [not to fight] but it wasn't bad enough to the point where I would have to not fight because I knew I was going to be able to push through, but I think it's a funny thing that my coaches probably didn't explain the severity of the situation to me. Otherwise, I probably would have thought more heavily on not competing." According to Peña, her injuries occurred late in her fight camp, starting in the second week of May when she broke her thumb "on a training partner." The thumb was so swollen that it made gripping difficult, she said, which she is still struggling with after the fight. After that, Peña claimed that toward the end of the month, she took a hard fall in the cage that resulted in a tear in her elbow and broke off several bone chips. The injury prevented her from fully extending her arm, she said, but she did her best to work on the hindrances before she left for fight week. Advertisement Peña, 35, said she's undergoing surgery on her elbow in July, along with another surgery she didn't reveal. But regardless of all the damage sustained, there aren't any regrets in toughing it out to face Harrison. "I don't regret competing," Peña said. "I put in too much time. I've taken away too much time from other people. From my daughter, from my coaches, from their families. So I don't regret competing, no. I just wish that I could have competed under better circumstances. "It doesn't matter because you're going to get locked inside that Octagon anyway. Knowing that I was going into the fight with that big of a handicap definitely sucked, but then lo and behold, that's actually the same arm that she isolated and was able to kimura, so I had no strength to be able to fight that — then hot-dog it, [the fight-ending submission happened] with five seconds left in the round. It's humiliating, it's embarrassing and it sucks. Oh well. Live to fight another day." Advertisement With the injuries piling up and the accomplishments already attached to her name, it begs the question of how much longer Peña wants to fight. After the loss, she indicated she hopes to jump immediately back into a title fight and challenge the winner of an expected Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes superfight. Peña expects her recovery timetable from the upcoming surgeries to be relatively short — around six months. After that, she'll see where she's at mentally. "I don't want to do anything else," Pena said. "Fighting has been so much a part of my life that it's been a week and a half and I'm sitting here like, 'What am I supposed to do now with the rest of my time?' Obviously I'm going to Disney World, I'm going on a vacation. So that's definitely one thing, but after that, I have a lot of things to consider, and they will all come after my surgery and my healing stage. Advertisement "I've proven that you can tear four out of five ligaments in your knee and still win and compete at the highest level. I've proven that I can tear my other knee and still come back and compete at the highest level. I've proven that I can dislocate my elbows and still come back at the highest level. So I've broken it all, I've torn it all. There's really not anything I think I couldn't come back from. This is just a part of the game. This is from years of wear and tear on my body, and I'll be able to come back and feel better — which is an exciting thing, because if I'm fighting with two arms, you girls better watch out." As soon as Peña vs. Harrison concluded, the table was set for Nunes' return. If Peña does get her wish once the dust is settled again at 135 pounds, she'd ideally prefer a trilogy fight against Nunes. Regarding who she thinks wins the matchup, she thinks her former rival still has enough in the tank to get it done. "Amanda and I were 1-1, and I still feel like there's some unfinished business there," Peña said. "Kayla, I would love to compete against [her] again with a camp where I'm not going in there like a bag of bones, trying to put them together with duct tape. So that would be best-case scenario, but I'll definitely be there cageside, watching them do their thing when they get ready to go, for sure. I'm curious. "I think that [Nunes] probably more than likely will [win], but I really don't care. I'm just there to eat my popcorn and watch the show."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Here's what we know about rumor Trump wore catheter at UFC event
As U.S. President Donald Trump celebrated at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event in June 2025, a photograph of him wearing a championship belt resulted in curious claims online. The photograph in question showed fighter Kayla Harrison, who had just won the UFC women's bantamweight championship bout, putting her victor's belt around Trump's waist. Users focused on his pants leg and claiming he had a catheter on underneath. A number of posts on X, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok made this claim. One post stated: Trump is absolutely wearing a Foley catheter. It's a tube inserted into the bladder to drain urine into a bag strapped to the leg. That line down his pants? Not a crease. It's tubing. Every step he takes sounds like the sloshing of a warm Capri Sun (Instagram user oldrowofficial) We looked closely at footage of the 78-year-old president walking around at the event, as well as photographs of him alongside Harrison. At this time, we were unable to independently confirm whether he wore a catheter under his suit. White House spokesperson Steven Cheung denied the claim in an email: The President has been the most transparent president in history, and the recent medical report that was released clearly and unequivocally shows he is in peak condition. These conspiracy theories peddled by demented individuals hiding behind social media, and now being given a platform by the fake news, clearly suffer from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. These are the same people who have been caught trying to gaslight the American people for years by saying Joe Biden was cognitively fine, when in fact, he was in much worse condition than thought. On June 7, 2025, Trump attended a UFC 316 event in New Jersey. The above photograph appears to be authentic, given that the White House posted other pictures of Harrison putting the championship belt on Trump, though his pants are not visible. (The White House) In most available media images showing Trump interacting with Harrison, or standing around at the UFC event, his upper leg is shadowed by his suit jacket, making it difficult to determine whether the bulge was just a fold in the pant leg or something else. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a Foley catheter is a device that "drains urine from your urinary bladder into a collection bag outside of your body when you can't pee on your own or for various medical reasons." Images from the website show a narrow tube connecting to a bag that collects urine. The following YouTube video compiles a range of clips of Trump walking into the UFC arena and interacting with Harrison. At the 32-second mark, Harrison puts her championship belt over his shoulder. We paused at numerous moments in the clip and found there was a noticeable shadow on Trump's leg but no evidence of a bulge as he stood at that angle. It is possible the bulge was visible when Harrison wrapped the belt around Trump's waist, pulling his pants back. However, there is no way to independently verify whether this bulge is from a catheter. We also zoomed in on the image in question and found a similar shadow on Trump's other leg, indicating that the bulge is likely also just a result of the angle of the light. (Instagram user oldrowofficial) Many people online also have also claiming from other photographs at the White House that Trump was wearing a secret "leg brace" under his suit after his stumble while climbing the stairs to Air Force One. In April 2025, White House physician Capt. Sean Barbabella said Trump was in "excellent health." Trump's health has frequently been the subject of speculation. We previously covered an authentic video of him stumbling while climbing the stairs to Air Force One. We also have reported on red sores that appeared on his hand in January 2024. "DONALD TRUMP at UFC 316: BEST MOMENTS Nobody Has Seen." YouTube, Dario AS, 8 June 2025, Accessed 11 June 2025. Garrett, Luke. "White House Doctor Says Trump Is 'fully Fit' in Medical Report." NPR, 13 Apr. 2025. NPR, Accessed 11 June 2025. Ibrahim, Nur. "Strange Red 'Sores' on Trump's Hand Mystify Internet, Then Disappear." Snopes, 18 Jan. 2024, Accessed 11 June 2025. "Kayla Harrison Celebrates with U.S. President Donald Trump and UFC..." Getty Images, 8 June 2025, Accessed 11 June 2025. Liles, Jordan. "Yes, Video Shows Trump Stumbling up Steps to Air Force One." Snopes, 9 June 2025, Accessed 11 June 2025. "President Trump Attends UFC 316." The White House, Accessed 11 June 2025. "Social Media Speculates Trump 'Is Wearing a Leg Brace' after Air Force One Fall." The Independent, 11 June 2025, Accessed 11 June 2025. "US President Donald Trump and UFC CEO Dana White Attend a UFC 316..." Getty Images, 8 June 2025, Accessed 11 June 2025. "What Is a Foley Catheter?" Cleveland Clinic, Accessed 11 June 2025.
Al Jazeera
5 days ago
- Sport
- Al Jazeera
Dvalishvili crushes O'Malley in UFC bantamweight fight; Usman beats Buckley
Merab Dvalishvili has effortlessly defeated Sean O'Malley in the main event of the Mixed Martial Art's (MMA) Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 316 night in New Jersey, United States (US), securing a third-round modified choke win in their rematch to retain the bantamweight championship. With United States President Donald Trump watching from cageside on Saturday, Dvalishvili (win-loss record of 20-4 MMA) emphatically displayed his wrestling base to tire out the former champion and make an argument as one of the sport's best bantamweights, perhaps of all time. Dvalishvili, who won at 4:42 of the third round for his 13th consecutive victory, said he would welcome his next title defence against Cory Sandhagen (win-loss record of 18-5 in MMA), a winner of four of his last five fights. 'You're the man, let's go,' Dvalishvili said, indicating that he would be interested in fighting Sandhagen next. O'Malley confirmed the loss is a minor setback, reassuring of a steady return. '100 percent, thank you guys for coming out,' he said. The women's bantamweight title changed hands in the co-main event, as Kayla Harrison submitted Julianna Pena with a second-round kimura. Harrison and Pena embraced in the Octagon afterwards, showing utmost class for one another after Harrison controlled every aspect of the fight. Harrison said during her post-fight interview that her weight cut was so draining on Thursday night that she 'wanted to quit', but it would have been a mistake in her eyes, given that most fighters in MMA do not win a UFC title. Former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt fell short against Raoni Barcelos in a lacklustre affair by unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28. In middleweight action, Mansur Abdul-Malik earned a technical decision over Cody Brundage 30-27, 29-28, 29-28. Abdul-Malik nearly had a third-round total knockout 36 seconds in, but an accidental clash of heads changed the direction of the fight, thus needing the judges to intervene. Later, at UFC Fight Night in Atlanta, Kamaru Usman returned to winning ways as he defeated Joaquin Buckley 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 in a unanimous decision in the main event. 'Those knockouts will come,' Usman said after his win. 'I just needed to get that monkey off my back.' The first two rounds of the headline welterweight attraction saw Usman (win-loss record of 21-4 in MMA) pitch the equivalent of a shutout, effortlessly taking Buckley (win-loss record of 21-7 in MMA) down and utilising his ground-and-pound to outstrike the St Louis, US, native 16-0 in the significant strikes category. Round 3 started strong for Buckley as he found his striking range before Usman achieved his third takedown in four attempts. Round 4 was primarily on the feet, as Buckley landed his best combinations of the fight but could not secure a comeback finish. Usman took Buckley down again, securing the back mount position as the round ended. Round 5 saw both men trade blows, but it was too little, too late for Buckley, who had a six-fight unbeaten streak snapped. It was Usman's first win since he held the title in November 2021. Buckley was gracious in defeat, suffering his first loss at welterweight. 'We're just getting started, baby,' Buckley said. 'We'll be back.' The co-main event also needed the cards, as former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas earned a highly competitive unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 over Miranda Maverick. In middleweight, Edmen Shahbazyan nearly finished Andre Petroski with a would-be third-round total knockout before walking away with a unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. The win marked Shahbazyan's first stretch of back-to-back wins since 2019, his first decision win since 2018. The UFC's schedule goes international with a Fight Night instalment a week from Saturday in Azerbaijan, headlined by a light heavyweight non-championship five-rounder between former champion Jamahal Hill (12-3 MMA) and ex-title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr (14-6 MMA).
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Amanda Nunes vs. Kayla Harrison: Biggest Women's MMA Fight Ever?
Amanda Nunes vs. Kayla Harrison: Biggest Women's MMA Fight Ever? originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After Kayla Harrison's dominant UFC 316 victory over Julianna Peña, the Olympic gold medalist called out Nunes in the Octagon. When Nunes entered the Octagon to face off with Harrison, the narrative of the greatest women's MMA fighter of all time returning to face the relentless newcomer seeking to stamp her own legacy in the sport was officially set in motion. Advertisement The MMA world is buzzing with anticipation for this fight, and retired UFC legends Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen have declared on ESPN's Good Guy/Bad Guy show that the potential superfight between Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison is the biggest women's MMA fight ever. UFC CEO Dana WhiteGetty Images Cormier, a UFC Hall of Famer who has trained with Harrison in the past, emphasized the historic stakes of the matchup, stating, 'It feels, truly, like it is the biggest fight that we can make in women's MMA history.' Watch the full Good Guy/Bad Guy episode here: Sonnen, never one to underhype a bout, agreed with Cormier's sentiment, saying, "I'll tell you this, I think they could break into the top ten [fights of all time]. I think the fight is this big, Daniel.' Advertisement The former UFC heel claimed the fight's significance outweighs the usual pre-fight hype and theatrics of other major bouts. 'I watched them face off, and it was a very organic face-off. They said something that was very sweet, it was very sportsmanlike, but it was the truth,' Sonnen added. 'Nothing in promotion works as well as the truth, and they simply said, 'We both knew it was going to come to this.'' Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas also weighed in during UFC Atlanta media day, expressing excitement for the fight. When asked about her opinion about the future matchup, she told reporters, 'Man, that was really good for women's MMA. I was very happy and very proud to see the way that the athletes handle themselves.' Advertisement While she has no official prediction for the future bout, she was intrigued by how it would potentially play out, saying, 'It'll be interesting to see how Kayla Harrison deals with Amanda's striking. I think that's probably mostly what everybody might be thinking, or might be the big question... but Amanda's got great jiu-jitsu, and she's super strong.' While the UFC world is anticipating the matchup, logistical hurdles remain before the fight is close to official. CEO Dana White revealed in the UFC 316 post-fight press conference that Nunes must re-enter the UFC Anti-Doping testing pool for six months before competing, pushing the earliest possible date to 2026. With fighters like Namajunas rallying behind it and industry voices like Cormier and Sonnen amplifying its importance, this bout is poised to be a landmark moment that could redefine women's MMA for years to come. Advertisement Related: Heavyweight Drama: Jones vs. Ngannou 'Biggest Fight in UFC History' Related: Dana White Confirms Jon Jones 'Agreed to Fight' Tom Aspinall, But What Happened Next? This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
