An interim women’s bantamweight title could come into play in the first half of 2025 if Julianna Pena is not ready to defend.
After Peña (11-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) reclaimed the 135-pound belt with a split decision win over Raquel Pennington (16-9 MMA, 13-6 UFC) at UFC 307 in October, all signs pointed to his first defense coming against two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC).
The champ’s health has created a hiccup in the UFC’s desired timeline, however, and according to Harrison’s manager Ali Abdelaziz of Dominance MMA, the potential of an interim title being introduced is on the table.