Athletes
Norma Dumont Is Finally Getting Her Wish
After Repeatedly Agreeing To Fight Ailin Perez, Brazilian Contender Norma Dumont Now Has Her Rival In Her Sights, And She Plans To Enjoy What Comes Next.
Some rivalries feel manufactured and others just organically develop, and the rivalry between women’s bantamweight contenders Norma Dumont and Ailin Perez definitely feels like it’s in the latter category.
After years of back-and-forth online between the pair, Dumont and Perez will finally face off inside the Octagon in a pivotal clash in the women’s bantamweight division.
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Dumont currently sits fourth in the UFC’s media rankings, while Perez is one spot behind, in fifth. Both have championship aspirations and know that victory on Saturday night at UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr vs Barcelos is essential if they want to force their way into championship contention by the end of 2026.
The carrot of a potential title shot would normally be motivation enough, but when you mix in a spicy Brazil versus Argentina rivalry, and what seems to be a genuine dislike between the pair, the stakes just get a little higher. Chatting to UFC.com ahead of fight night in Las Vegas, Dumont seemed happy, relaxed, and genuinely excited at the prospect of finally being able to put her hands on her opponent this weekend.
Norma Dumont: "This Is My Chance To Beat Her Up" | UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs Barcelos
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Norma Dumont: "This Is My Chance To Beat Her Up" | UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs Barcelos
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“I was very happy [to get this fight],” Dumont admitted. “It's been four years coming, and finally, I get my chance to beat her up and still make money.”
Rivalries can materialize through a plethora of different avenues. But, as far as Dumont sees it, it comes from disrespect.
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“It started when she came into the UFC and she said that there wasn't anybody, any woman, to fight her,” Dumont explained. “And then I asked for the first fight, and she denied it. And then the second fight, and she denied it. And the third fight, she denied it. And so, she just kept on running.”
It seemed like a clash between the pair was an inevitability, and while those early attempts to make a match between them fell by the wayside, Saturday night seems like the perfect time for the pair to settle their differences inside the Octagon.
They’re both ranked inside the top five at 135 pounds, they have almost identical records – Dumont is 13-3, Perez stands at 13-2 – and both have the potential to challenge for championship gold further down the line.
Dumont also has the added motivation of wanting to bounce back after her decision defeat to Joselyne Edwards at UFC Fight Night: Sterling vs Zalal back in April.
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“This is just another step,” she said. “I don't consider myself as having lost to Joselyne, so this is just another step on my way to where I deserve to be.”
While the rivalry with Perez has lit a fire under Dumont, the defeat to Edwards has also added further stimulus to her attacking mindset ahead of this weekend’s clash.
"I think that the lesson I learned is to increase my aggressiveness and not lean so much on the points,” she said. “That’s what I’m gonna show on Saturday.”
Whenever a fighter finds themself in the middle of a rivalry, it’s often the one that can control their emotions and their energy the best that eventually prevails. And while Dumont is keeping a lid on things for now, she has made no secret of her intention to win in dominant, and painful, fashion.
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“I feel very well,” she said. “I'm going to beat her up fast or slow, so it doesn't make a lot of difference… She’s a pragmatic fighter. She likes to make it seem like she's grappling well or striking well. But there's a lot of holes in her game, and I'm going to capitalize on those holes.”
Dumont is ready to deliver an explosive performance, and said she plans to bring out the wild, violent side of her game that we saw in her victory over Irene Aldana at UFC 306 back in September 2024. And nothing would please Dumont more than making Perez the first knockout victim of her professional MMA career.
“I hope I get my first knockout on Saturday, and I hope I send her to the surgery room.”
And when we floated the possibility of the pair squashing their beef after the fight is done, Dumont suggested that outcome was highly unlikely.
“Nope, I don't like her,” she stated. “I don't like her posture, and it's going to keep on like that.”
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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