When USADA was handling the UFC’s drug testing, several fighters accused the agency of invading their privacy on a daily basis. This controversy eventually led the UFC to cut ties with USADA, replacing it with DFSI (Drug Free Sport International) on January 1, 2024. A year has passed since the switch, but has anything really improved? When asked about it, women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Peña gave a rather troubling update.

The women’s bantamweight champion recently sat down with Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, and when she was asked about the differences between USADA and DFSI, her response was rather unsettling. “I feel like it’s not that great. I felt more comfortable actually with those Icarus bottles, peeing into those Icarus bottles than I do now,” said Pena.

She further added, “I mean, honestly, it’s just this little plastic cup that you just barely flip the tab on, and it would be so easy, you know. So, I mean, I’m not saying I can only focus on myself, right, and I can only, you know, speak in “I” statements and what I know that I’m doing. But I don’t like the way that the testing system is now. I think that it’s a lot more lax than ever before.”

Apart from Julianna Peña, none of the other UFC fighters have raised their voices against the new drug testing agency. However, it’s important to note that none of them have been asked about it either. Peña’s discord with the agency stems from her ongoing criticism of Kayla Harrison, whom she has accused of using PEDs. However, the reality appears to be more nuanced.

Julianna Peña and Kayla Harrison are set to clash for the bantamweight belt, and Peña has one request: she wants Harrison to undergo more rigorous testing, as she doesn’t believe Harrison is clean of PEDs. Well, let’s have a look at what Harrison’s coach has to say about the hubbub.

Kayla Harrison’s coach rips apart Julianna Peña amid PED drama

Kayla Harrison has one of the most impressive physiques in the entire women’s division. In addition to that, her dominant fighting style has prompted Julianna Peña to demand further action from the DFSI. However, Harrison has never failed a drug test or been flagged as unclean. Well, Pena’s constant lobbying of the PED accusation forced Kayla Harrison’s coach, Mike Brown, to intervene.

In a conversation with the media, Mike Brown highlighted that Peña should just witness the reality of the world rather than sitting in her own small pond, “I mean I get it, she doesn’t look normal, but that’s how the world is. There are people who are not normal. They do not look normal. There are freaks out there, and those freaks, they rise to the top of sports. There are people that have abnormal builds in every direction. There are people that are super strong, super fast, super quick, super endurance, and just because you’re not like that, doesn’t mean somebody else cannot be.

While Peña doesn’t have any proof to back her claims, she remarked that Harrison “looked like a girl” and was “very feminine” during her run to two Olympic gold medals. However, upon transitioning to MMA, Peña claimed that Harrison now looks “super juicy and cut up.” Regardless of the claims, we will witness their battle at UFC 316. Given that, what are your thoughts on their fight? State your opinion in the comments below.