Julianna Peña has raised eyebrows just weeks ahead of her UFC 316 title defense, accusing Kayla Harrison of potentially using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) during her career.
Julianna Peña Questions Kayla Harrison’s Transformation and Testing System
Kayla Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and former PFL champion, earned her UFC title shot after just two appearances in the promotion. While her rise in the sport has been rapid, Peña is skeptical about how natural Harrison’s physical transformation has been over the years. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Peña suggested that Harrison’s muscular physique didn’t develop overnight and hinted at past steroid use.
“I cannot confirm 110 percent whether she is or is not on PEDs, but I will say that back then in the Olympics, she looked like a girl, very feminine, and now she looks super juicy and cut up.”
Peña also criticized the current state of drug testing in the sport, saying, “I wouldn’t know how to navigate that, because at this point, this drug testing is like the wild wild west… Even in the Olympics with the Russians being able to tamper with those USADA unbreakable type of bottles, and being able to switch the p*es in them.”
According to public UFC anti-doping records, Harrison has been tested twice in 2025 and underwent 13 tests in 2024, none of which have returned positive results. Still, Peña isn’t convinced, suggesting that past use might explain Harrison’s transformation and superior physicality.
Peña added, “Hopefully she cycles off of them before June 7, makes the weight, and pisses clean—because that’s what I’m going to be doing, and I want this fight to be as fair as possible, minus her being a weight bully and cutting the 50 pounds to make the weight class.”
Kayla Harrison Shares Struggles Making UFC Weight
As accusations swirl, Kayla Harrison has been open about the extreme challenges she faces cutting to 135 pounds. Having competed at 172 lbs in judo and 155 lbs in the PFL, dropping to bantamweight has proven grueling.
“It’s the hardest thing I’ve done in my career, for sure. Harrison admitted. “It’s a very lonely process. It’s a much harder mental grind than I expected. It’s definitely not healthy. Don’t do this, kids. I do not recommend. My team is dialed in. It’s not easy but I believe in the end it will be worth it.”
Despite the hardship, Harrison is pushing forward with discipline and transparency. In a recent social media post, she called the weight cut “the fight before the fight” and vowed to share more about her journey in the coming weeks.
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Harrison’s rapid rise in the UFC has been one of the promotion’s biggest talking points. She debuted at UFC 300 with a submission victory over Holm and followed up with a dominant performance against Vieira. Now 2-0 in the UFC and 18-1 overall, Harrison has positioned herself for a shot at gold in just her third Octagon appearance.