“Back then in the Olympics, she looked like a girl, very feminine, and now she looks super juicy and cut up.” That was Julianna Pena, tossing a verbal grenade ahead of her UFC 316 showdown with Kayla Harrison. With a smirk and suspicion, the women’s bantamweight champ claimed Harrison had likely used steroids at some point in her athletic rise, despite never failing a single drug test. And while the UFC’s anti-doping protocols have their critics, Pena took aim straight at the heart of them, branding the system “the wild wild west”, in her appearance on ‘The Ariel Helwani’ show!
But that accusation didn’t go unanswered. Harrison’s longtime coach, Mike Brown, has now stepped in, torching Pena’s claims with firepower of his own. Not only did he defend Harrison’s spotless testing record, but he questioned the logic of even suggesting something so baseless. Intrigued? Let’s dive into what he had to say!
Mike Brown comes to Kayla Harrison’s defense after Julianna Pena’s bold accusations
During a recent conversation with MMA Fighting, a snippet of which was shared on Instagram by their official account, Mike Brown was asked his opinion on the jabs being thrown at Kayla Harrison’s physique by Julianna Pena.
Without missing a beat, the American Top Team coach responded with, “I mean, I get, she doesn’t look normal, but that’s how the world is. There are people that aren’t normal, they do not look normal. There are freaks out there, and those freaks, they rise to the top of sports, right?”
He pointed out that among top athletes, everyone has their own particular gifts. Some are born faster, stronger, with more endurance than others and he continued, “…just because you’re not like that, doesn’t mean somebody else cannot be.”
The biggest factor in his eyes? Kayla Harrison’s physique hasn’t fluctuated. Why is that important? Brown explained, “The biggest indicator for me as somebody who’s clean is somebody who is stable, their body looks the same over prolonged periods of time. [Kayla] is always the same. She doesn’t change.”
And that’s the key. While athletes who use performance-enhancing substances undergo visible changes once they stop, Vitor Belfort is the prime example of the same; Harrison has kept largely the same physique throughout her entire athletic career. The stats back him up. Harrison went through 13 tests in 2024 and 3 more already in 2025, without a single blemish.
Brown ended by stating, “You’ll see ups and downs in people taking testosterone or something like this. No, she is 100 percent a clean athlete. Always has been, always will be. Doesn’t need it. She’s a freak among freaks. Not a normal athlete by any means. A special athlete.”
Another factor that critics like Julianna Pena might be ignoring? The weight equation. Kayla Harrison competed in the Olympics at 78 kilograms, about 172 pounds, with same-day weigh-ins. In MMA, she first fought at 155 before dropping down to 135 in the UFC.
Naturally, that kind of weight shift would change her appearance. Less mass means more definition, and thus questions by people like Pena. In fact, according to Kayla Harrison’s manager, Julianna Pena may have to answer for her accusations once the Octagon door closes behind her at UFC 316!
Harrison’s manager warns Pena about “punishment” for her accusations at UFC 316
Ali Abdelaziz has heard enough. And while he isn’t fuming about Julianna Pena’s steroid claims, he’s confident they’ll come back to haunt her violently. But before he handed the bantamweight champion a warning, he decided to clear some things up.
In a conversation with MMA Junkie, the Dominance MMA CEO shared, “She’s (Harrison) been in WADA, Olympics for like 15 years, USADA, UFC program – there’s nobody got tested more.” And even claimed that those who doubt Kayla Harrison’s stunning physique, “You should talk to God about this.”
As mentioned above, Harrison’s track record of testing has been spotless all the way from the Olympics to the UFC. No red flags. No controversies. Just clean work and a relentless grind.
So, Abdelaziz warned, “I’m cool with Julianna. She’s cool, but more she talk, more punishment she will get. I promise you. Kayla’s a very petty human being. She’s very petty. The more she talk, more it’s gonna fuel Kayla and more she’s gonna smash her face.”
In conclusion, what started as a war of words is now spiraling into something far more personal. Julianna Pena fired the first shot with her steroid accusations, but instead of shaking Kayla Harrison’s camp, it only seems to have sharpened their resolve.
Coach Mike Brown stood firm. Manager Ali Abdelaziz went on offense. And now, all eyes are on UFC 316, where Kayla has the perfect stage to let her fists do the talking. So, did Pena make a smart psychological play, or did she just poke a bear that was already hungry? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Kayla Harrison’s Coach Ends Julianna Pena’s Rally Against UFC’s Drug Testing Agency in Retaliation for Steroid Accusations appeared first on EssentiallySports.
