Video: Was Raquel Pennington robbed at UFC 307? Is Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison next?

Where does women’s bantamweight go after Saturday’s UFC 307 results? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

The landscape in the UFC women’s bantamweight division changed dramatically at UFC 307.

Saturday’s pay-per-view event in Salt Lake City hosted two key bouts at 135 pounds, with a championship fight between [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] and [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag], and what many expected to be a title eliminator in [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag]. In the end, Peña regained her UFC belt in disputed fashion, and Harrison kept her undefeated status in the promotion.

Did Peña rightfully win the UFC belt, or was Pennington robbed from a decision win? Is Harrison the clear next challenger, or could [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] be lured back into competition?

MMA Junkie’s Brian Garcia, Nolan King, Mike Bohn, and host Gorgeous George analyze the updated landscape at women’s bantamweight and discuss how things could shake out in the near future.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/live/W8fowdpah74

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UFC 307 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program cracks $29 million total paid since Venum deal

The UFC has now paid more than $29 million to its athletes under the Promotional Guidelines Compliance program following UFC 307.

SALT LAKE CITY – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 307 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $407,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 307 took place at Delta Center in Utah. The main card aired on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The full UFC 307 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Iasmin Lucindo[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Alexander Hernandez[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cesar Almeida[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ihor Potieria[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Tecia Pennington[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Court McGee[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $21,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,302,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $29,039,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

UFC 307 results: Kayla Harrison bleeds for first time, still dominates Ketlen Vieira on ground for decision

Kayla Harrison experienced the first cut of her pro MMA career in the UFC 307 main card opener vs. Ketlen Vieira.

[autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] tasted her own blood for the first time in her MMA career in the UFC 307 main card opener against Ketlen Vieira.

Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) stepped into the octagon at Delta Center in Salt Lake City for her sophomore UFC appearance and dominated Vieira (14-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) when the fight hit the ground to win a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).

Harrison started the fight patiently but still controlled the action from the center. Harrison’s first clinch didn’t go anywhere, which boded well for Vieira’s prospects of keeping the fight upright. However, the second attempt to get the fight to the ground was a clean takedown, leading to heavy ground and pound strikes with less than a minute to go.

The horn sounded to signal the end of Round 1 with Harrison smashing Vieira on the ground.

The pair engaged on the feet for the first half of Round 2 before Harrison began to look for a takedown. The clinch work against the fence produced a few nasty short strikes, including a vicious elbow from Vieira that opened a cut and caused swelling.

The action stalled, prompting referee Marc Goddard to separate the two for the final moments of the round.

With the fight potentially tied going into Round 3, Harrison came out with a few aggressive strikes to set the tone. Harrison closed in and got the fight to the ground with a nice bodylock takedown with just under three minutes remaining and went to work with ground and pound.

Harrison dominated the remainder of the fight until the final horn, when she then helped her opponent to her feet, showing respect for one another.

“You’re the first person to make me bleed!” Harrison told Vieira while hugging after Bruce Buffer read the official decision.

During her post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Harrison didn’t mince words when asked about a potential title shot in her next appearance.

“Ladies, enjoy it while you can, because the queen is home, and she’s coming for that f*cking gold!”

Harrison improves to 2-0 in the UFC, and is likely next in line for a shot at the women’s bantamweight title, which is on the line later on the card in the co-main bout between Raquel Pennington and Julianna Pena.

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Up-to-the-minute UFC 307 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Kayla Harrison def. Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Kayla Harrison’s unanimous decision win over Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] at UFC 307 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. (Fight and venue photos by Stephen R. Sylvanie, USA Today Sports)

UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree preview show live stream with Farah Hannoun

Before the fights get underway, join MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun for a live-streamed preview of UFC 307 in Salt Lake City.

UFC 307 goes down Saturday night with two title fights atop the bill, and before the fights get underway, Farah Hannoun will host a live-streamed preview show right here, which kicks off at 5 p.m. ET.

In the headliner, light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) puts his title on the line against challenger [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC). In the co-feature, women’s bantamweight champ [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] (16-9 MMA, 13-5 UFC) defends her title for the first time when she meets ex-champ [autotag]Julianna Pena[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC). In addition, two-time Olympic gold medalist and former PFL champ [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) takes on [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) as a huge favorite.

UFC 307 takes place at Delta Center in Salt Lake City and streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

Below is the complete lineup:

UFC 307 main card

  • Champ Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree – for light heavyweight title
  • Champ Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Peña – for women’s bantamweight title
  • Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista
  • Kayla Harrison vs. Ketlen Vieira
  • Roman Dolidze vs. Kevin Holland

UFC 307 preliminary card

  • Joaquin Buckley vs. Stephen Thompson
  • Iasmin Lucindo vs. Marina Rodriguez
  • Cesar Almeida vs. Ihor Potieria
  • Alexander Hernandez vs. Austin Hubbard

UFC 307 early preliminary card

  • Ovince Saint Preux vs. Ryan Spann
  • Carla Esparza vs. Tecia Pennington
  • Court McGee vs. Tim Means

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

UFC 307 ‘Embedded,’ No. 6: Fighters shed final pounds for weigh-ins: ‘It ain’t easy, but it’s worth it’

The sixth episode of UFC 307 “Embedded” follows Alex Pereira and other stars of the pay-per-view through their weight cut.

The UFC is back on Mountain Time for UFC 307, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 307 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

In the headliner, light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) puts his title on the line against challenger [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC). In the co-feature, women’s bantamweight champ [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] (16-9 MMA, 13-5 UFC) defends her title for the first time when she meets ex-champ [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC). In addition, two-time Olympic gold medalist and former PFL champ [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) takes on [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) as a huge favorite.

The sixth and final episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Champ Raquel Pennington reflects on her upcoming fight against Julianna Peña; athletes cut weight before official weigh-ins; Champ Alex Pereira gets his warrior face paint; The stars of UFC 307 face off one last time at the Ceremonial Weigh-ins.

Previous UFC 307 ‘Embedded’ episodes

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Ketlen Vieira vs. Kayla Harrison prediction, pick, start time for UFC 307

Both Ketlen Vieira and Kayla Harrison have judo backgrounds. What will be the difference maker at UFC 307?

[autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] and [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC 307 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 2-4
UFC main cards, 2024: 81-72-3

Ketlen Vieira vs. Kayla Harrison UFC 307 preview

Harrison (17-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) believes her UFC women’s bantamweight title reign is “inevitable.” If that’s the case, she cannot afford to lose to Vieira (14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC). … Vieira hasn’t competed in 15 months. After dropping a split decision to Raquel Pennington in January 2023, Vieira bounced back six months later to defeat Pannie Kianzad by unanimous decision for her third in her past four bouts. … Harrison’s move from dominating the PFL lightweight division to competing at 135 pounds for the first time was smooth as she finished former UFC champ Holly Holm by second-round rear-naked choke in her promotional debut this past April.

Ketlen Vieira vs. Kayla Harrison UFC 307 expert pick, prediction

In an interesting choice to kick off the paid portion of the card, Harrison will meet No. 2 ranked contender Vieira.

This is obviously an important fight given the title fight taking place in the co-main event, so I’m glad to see it on the main card.

Both fighters come from judo backgrounds but have seamlessly rounded their games since stepping onto the mixed martial arts scene. That said, I believe that Harrison will have the edge in both athleticism and urgency.

Although Vieira is officially 2-0 opposite UFC-level lefties and has the countering ability to cause some problems for Harrison on the feet, the Brazilian fighter can be a bit lackadaisical when it comes to taking the initiative in fights.

For that reason, I’ll side with Harrison to lead the dance in a fairly dominant win by unanimous decision.

Ketlen Vieira vs. Kayla Harrison UFC 307 preview odds

The oddsmakers and the public heavily favor the American fighter, listing Harrison -1100 and Vieira +600 via FanDuel.

Ketlen Vieira vs. Kayla Harrison UFC 307 start time, how to watch

Vieira and Harrison are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 10:15 p.m. ET (8:15 p.m. locally in Salt Lake City). The fight will stream on ESPN+.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree watch-along live stream with MMA Junkie Radio

Join MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” for a live-streamed watch-along of UFC 307 in Salt Lake City.

UFC 307 goes down Saturday night with two title fights atop the bill, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” will host a live-streamed watch-along right here at 8 p.m. ET.

In the headliner, light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) puts his title on the line against challenger [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC). In the co-feature, women’s bantamweight champ [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] (16-9 MMA, 13-5 UFC) defends her title for the first time when she meets ex-champ [autotag]Julianna Pena[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC). In addition, two-time Olympic gold medalist and former PFL champ [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) takes on [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) as a huge favorite.

UFC 307 takes place at Delta Center in Salt Lake City and streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

Below is the complete lineup of fights included in the watch-along:

UFC 307 main card

  • Champ Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree – for light heavyweight title
  • Champ Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Peña – for women’s bantamweight title
  • Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista
  • Kayla Harrison vs. Ketlen Vieira
  • Roman Dolidze vs. Kevin Holland

UFC 307 preliminary card

  • Joaquin Buckley vs. Stephen Thompson
  • Iasmin Lucindo vs. Marina Rodriguez
  • Cesar Almeida vs. Ihor Potieria
  • Alexander Hernandez vs. Austin Hubbard

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

UFC 307 ‘Embedded,’ No. 5: Roman Dolidze goes on a nature adventure

The fifth episode of UFC 307 “Embedded” follows Roman Dolidze on a hike through the mountains in search of a waterfall.

The UFC is back on Mountain Time for UFC 307, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 307 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

In the headliner, light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) puts his title on the line against challenger [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC). In the co-feature, women’s bantamweight champ [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] (16-9 MMA, 13-5 UFC) defends her title for the first time when she meets ex-champ [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC). In addition, two-time Olympic gold medalist and former PFL champ [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) takes on [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) as a huge favorite.

The fifth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

The athletes of UFC 307 make their media day rounds; Roman Dolidze takes a bath in a mountain river; Champ Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree Jr. get ready to head to the UFC 307 Press Conference; The main card athletes of UFC 307 meet face to face at the press conference.

Previous UFC 307 ‘Embedded’ episodes

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Kayla Harrison rips ‘jealous little man’ Henry Cejudo for breakdown of UFC 307 fight vs. Ketlen Vieira

Kayla Harrison was not pleased with Henry Cejudo’s analysis of her UFC 307 fight against Ketlen Vieira.

[autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] was not pleased with [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag]’s breakdown of her fight against [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag].

Harrison (17-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) takes on Vieira (14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC 307 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) main card at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

Although Cejudo ultimately picked Harrison to win, he thinks Vieira’s black belt in judo, as well as her striking, could pose problems for Harrison. The two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka did not hold back when returning fire at Cejudo.

“I don’t know why the hell they’re talking about a judo black belt making a difference. There are levels,” Harrison told Submission Radio. “That would be like me telling Henry, ‘Oh this kid wrestled in varsity in high school, so you’re going to struggle to take him down.’ Benign. Asinine. It’s all right. I look forward to showing once again why Henry is a jealous little man.”

Harrison doubled down on her remarks towards Cejudo during Episode 4 of “UFC Embedded.”

“Bro, you better get your boy f*cking Henry,” Harrison told Ali Abdelaziz, who represents both fighters. “I’m going to f*ck him up. After he talked all that sh*t, he was like, ‘But, I’ve got to go with Kayla.’ Oh yeah. I f*cking watched it. I’m telling you, he’s jealous because I have more gold medals than him. He can’t handle it – his little fragile ego.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.