Olympian and MMA star Kayla Harrison’s name has been dragged through the mud more than anyone else when it comes to accusations of PED abuse. The build-up to UFC 316 has been less about handshakes and more about hand grenades, with bantamweight champion Julianna Peña tossing the latest: public accusations that Kayla Harrison, her challenger, has used performance-enhancing drugs.
Kayla Harrison Claps Back at Doping Allegations Before UFC 316
Peña, never shy with a microphone, aired her suspicions in interviews, pointing to Kayla Harrison, she said: “Somebody give that girl a band-aid because she’s cut,” Peña quipped, suggesting that such a physique doesn’t just appear overnight and hinting that Harrison’s success is chemically assisted. She didn’t stop at vague insinuations, either, claiming, “Of course at some point she was on steroids. Hopefully she cycles off of them before June 7th, makes weight and pisses clean.”
Fans, as ever, have been quick to pick sides. Some see Peña’s comments as gamesmanship, while others echo her skepticism on social media, pointing to Harrison’s years of dominance and physicality as “evidence” of something more than hard work. The chatter has kept MMA forums busy, with the usual mix of conspiracies.
Kayla Harrison, for her part, has not taken the accusations lightly. In a series of interviews, she’s made it clear that these rumors don’t just roll off her back, they get under her skin. “It pisses me off because never once have I tested positive for anything, ever, in the history of my very long drug-testing career. And don’t f*cking say things like that if you don’t have hard evidence. That’s a serious thing to talk about, to me. I take cheating very seriously and I have always competed clean.”
Harrison has emphasized her long history with anti-doping agencies, noting, “I’ve been tested by USADA since I was 12 years old. They came to my middle school … I was on the National [judo] roster and have been tested since then.” She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
According to UFC records, Kayla Harrison has been one of the most tested athletes in the promotion, with no failed tests to her name.
Her team and coaches have been equally blunt. Harrison’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, called her “the most tested athlete in UFC history,” pointing out her years under the watchful eyes of WADA, USADA, and Olympic authorities. “Anyone who claims – I’m sorry you don’t have this kind of physique, or muscle, or strong – this is God. You should talk to God about this, but to accuse someone of something who got more testing than you – I’m cool with Julianna. She’s cool, but more she talk, more punishment she will get. I promise you.”
Coach Mike Brown chimed in, suggesting Peña’s accusations might be rooted more in jealousy than evidence: “There are freaks out there, and those freaks rise to the top of sports. Just because you can’t do it, doesn’t mean somebody else can’t. … [Harrison] is 100 percent clean.”
Despite the noise, Kayla Harrison seems to have found a way to turn the accusations into fuel. “I realize that, like, damn, you don’t work hard enough to look the way I look, and you don’t believe in yourself enough to have this kind of hard work and dedication,” she told ESPN. “So, I consider it a compliment. I’m all natural and always have been. I have worked my ass off since I was 12 years old and I’m proud.”
As the countdown to UFC 316 continues, the PED debate has become its own undercard. One thing is certain: Kayla Harrison is adamant she’s never cheated, and she’s got the test results to prove it.
