Athletes
Ailin Perez: ‘I’m Gonna Get That Title’
The Streaking Ailin Perez Talks Fight With Norma Dumont, Outlines Plans For Claiming UFC Gold
Ailin Perez is one of the biggest lightning rods on the UFC roster. She is a competitor who toes the line between confident and cocky quite well, and her mere existence as a top-10 fighter in the women’s bantamweight division appears off-putting to some.
From twerking in the Octagon and having a large presence on social media to speaking her mind about her competitors, Perez never shies away from being herself and putting her life on full display. But she has always proven herself as extremely capable inside the Octagon as well, which seems is the part some people have overlooked when discussing the polarizing Argentine, who is set to face Norma Dumont in a critical bantamweight showdown this weekend in Las Vegas.
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“Professionally, I think it’s something that shows I’ve been able to grow a lot since the first fight that I had,” Perez said. “This is a lot more of an advanced fight than I’ve had since before being in the rankings… I do think this is going to be a fight that is deciding who is the No. 1 contender for the title… To me, for my country, it’s something very important because we’re making history. I’m not just the first female, but the first fighter in general from Argentina to make it to the top-5.
“And as a mother and as a woman, I feel extremely proud that I was able to do this,” said Perez, who is a single mother to an 8-year-old son. “I feel like I didn’t mess up. I had to sacrifice some time spent away from my son, sacrifice all these things, but it was always about making it worth the sacrifice, and I feel like I was able to do that being here now.”
Like her or not, you have to give Perez her due for what she’s been able to accomplish and the things she has been able to achieve in four years on the roster. Perez has collected six straight victories, including a unanimous decision win over the surging Joselyne Edwards, and top-15 mainstays Karol Rosa and Macy Chiasson.
Critics would argue that the majority of her victories have come by grappling-heavy decisions, but regardless of how she got it done, she put herself in position to potentially determine the No. 1 contender less than two months before the title goes on the line at Madison Square Garden. On top of that, the critiques don’t matter to Perez nor does the fact that the high-stakes fight is taking place on the prelims. If anything, the ever-engaging Perez appreciates getting to handle her business earlier in the night.
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“Honestly, I don’t really mind, it doesn’t really matter to me,” Perez said. “I know I’m the biggest star on this card. I know that I have the most followers, I have the most views, I have the most wins, I’m the closest to the title, so at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter where I’m put — whether I’m the first, second, third, fourth, fifth fight of the card… In a way, they did me a favor because I get to beat Norma early and then I get to go eat pizza. And at the end of the day, the only thing that I really care about is that the UFC pays me well, and I get to keep having opportunities to go up in the rankings, and the UFC has been amazing with me about both of those things.
“I know for a fact that when I fight for a title, they’re not going to have a choice but to put me as the main event or co-main event, and at the end of the day, that’s what really matters,” Perez added. “I know I’m one, two fights at most away from the title, so if you want to put me as the first fight of the card, I don’t mind because I’m gonna get that title.”
Champion Kayla Harrison and all-time great Amanda Nunes are once again booked to face off for the title, this time at Madison Square Garden in the co-main event of Polymarket UFC 334. There are four people positioned ahead of her in the media rankings at the moment — former champs Julianna Pena and Raquel Pennington, Edwards, and Dumont — and with the ex-titleholders having last fought in June 2025 and October 2024, respectively, a win over Dumont coupled with her victory over Edwards could very well establish Perez as the clubhouse leader for the next championship opportunity.
“Yeah, I think that I should be fighting for the title next,” Perez said. “I think that I am the No. 1 contender… I’m willing to fight either one who wins the title fight, but if they’re both scared and afraid and don’t want to fight and retire, I’m willing to fight for the vacant title as well. I think I’m the No. 1 contender. I deserve it. I have wins over top fighters, and Norma is going to be just another job that I do.
“I don’t even think Kayla is gonna make it to the fight because her neck is hurting,” she added. “I think that Amanda is really upset with me because I took her coaches. Even though this is the case, I think what would make sense is that after I get this win, I would be willing to be the backup fighter for the November 14 fight between them.”
FULL FIGHTS: Rosas Jr. vs Perrin | Barcelos vs Talbott
Before she can be the backup for the bantamweight title fight, she needs to deal with Dumont on Saturday, and despite a lingering injury, Perez intends to make a statement.
“(I will) knock out Norma with a head kick with my fractured foot,” Perez said.
When asked about the apparent injury, Perez explained: “When I fought Macy Chiasson, there was a position where she got a heel hook. In that moment, I got a stress fracture in my ankle and also broke some of the cartilage in my knee. I have been recovering from those injuries — they’re not 100 percent, but they’re good enough to knock Norma out with a head kick… I’m a fighter that has always had injuries. I fought with literally no shoulder, I’ve had my foot fractured — a bunch of different injuries — but at the end of the day, when they call me to fight, I fight.
“I’ve never fought healthy; I’ve always been injured,” she added. “I see all these fighters who use injuries as excuses, but no — f*** that! I’m going to show up and fight. If I can train, I can fight; no excuses.”
UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs Barcelos took place live from Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 26, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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