Kayla Harrison tasted undisputed gold at UFC 316, submitting Julianna Peña to claim the women’s bantamweight title.
Many big names from sports, politics, show business, and other spheres were at the Prudential Center to watch the event live, including comedian Joey Diaz, a close friend of UFC commentator Joe Rogan.
Kayla Harrison and Jon Jones React to Joey Diaz’s Viral Moment
Diaz was in the second row from the Octagon and seemed to be paying close attention to the UFC 316 co-main event fight between Harrison and Peña. ESPN MMA caught the moment and shared it on its Instagram page.
“Comedian and actor Joey Diaz was locked in Octagon-side for #UFC316 🍿,” ESPN MMA captioned the post. The clip captured Diaz looking intensely focused while Harrison was on top of Peña, delivering short elbows.
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Harrison, along with UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, saw the clip on Instagram and reacted in the comments section using only emojis.
“☠️☠️☠️,” Harrison commented.
“😂,” Jones reacted.
Diaz is not the only one who created a viral moment with Harrison. After her victory, the 34-year-old embraced U.S. President Donald Trump, who was cageside with UFC CEO Dana White. Trump gave a short kiss on Harrison’s cheek, which delighted the new women’s bantamweight champion.
Harrison is expected to face former American Top Team teammate Amanda Nunes next, after their face-off inside the Octagon at UFC 316.
Nunes retired nearly two years ago at UFC 289 but announced her comeback during the UFC 316 promotional press conference. However, the fight may not happen anytime soon, as Nunes hasn’t been in the USADA testing pool since her retirement.
Harrison Didn’t Expect the Second Round Finish Result at UFC 316
Harrison was one of the biggest betting favorites at UFC 316. However, she didn’t expect to claim the title from the champion so early in the fight. She shared her thoughts on her recent appearance on “The Ariel Helwani Show.”
“That is not how I thought it would play out, to be honest,” Harrison said. “You know, Juliana’s tough. She’s a dog. So I really expected to go 25 hard minutes. I wanted to win by KO, TKO, or submission.”
For Harrison, the first round was always going to be a feeling-out process. Although she felt Peña looked hesitant in Round 1, Harrison didn’t go all in, considering it was her first five-round fight in the UFC. The 34-year-old saw several opportunities in the first round but decided to stay composed and go all in at the right moment.
In the end, Harrison seized the moment with a kimura submission. She had been looking for an arm-triangle choke but transitioned to a kimura after Peña defended the first attempt.