Norma Dumont | New Opponent, Same Mission

“I think the key to success is my consistency,” she stated. “As soon as the fight’s over, I come back (home), I evaluate where the holes were, and I think that this is what's giving me such a good performance against my opponents.”

During her time in the UFC, we’ve seen Dumont grow and mature as a fighter. The Brazilian has always stepped into the Octagon with the aim of fighting on the front foot, but over the years, she’s refined her approach, and said that lessons learned, both inside and outside the Octagon, have made her a better, more balanced, well-rounded fighter in 2026.

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“To me, I think it's maturity – both in my personal life and professional life,” said the 35-year-old, whose professional MMA career began a decade ago in Brazil’s Jungle Fight promotion. “I think that the more mature I become, the harder I become, the better I become as a fighter, and the harder I become for my opponents.”

Sitting third in the rankings, Dumont always knew she’d be handed a stern test for her latest assignment, but that challenge took an unexpected turn when her originally scheduled opponent, Yana Santos, was forced off the card through injury. It meant a change of opponent, with the in-form Joselyne Edwards stepping in looking to claim the biggest win of her UFC career.

For Dumont, it’s just another puzzle to solve, and she says she’s ready.

“It’s not a big problem for me,” she said. “I'm a pretty versatile fighter. I fight well standing up (or) on the ground. I'm accustomed to that, so it doesn't really pose a problem. I'm ready. I just changed a few things, and I'm always ready.”

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Edwards heads into Saturday night’s fight on a four-fight tear, with two wins by knockout and two by submission. It means that the 11th-ranked Panamanian will step into the Octagon full of confidence. But Dumont and her team have scouted Edwards’ game and identified areas they believe can be exploited.

“She’s a complete fighter, but every time she comes against a more experienced fighter, her holes show up,” Dumont suggested. “And in my case, that's exactly what I take advantage of – the gaps in the holes in somebody else's game – and that's what I'm very good at.”

And when asked what the key difference-makers will be on fight night, Dumont said simply, “Without doubt, experience, and I think I have a technique advantage.”

With co-main event billing and the chance to potentially push herself to the front of the championship queue at 135 pounds, Dumont plans on stepping out and delivering a winning performance to extend her win streak to seven, which she believes should be enough to put her in line for a title shot later in the year.

“I think I'm the number-one contender. I think what I need to do is have my hand raised,” she stated. “There's no one else in front of me, so if I get my hand raised, I should be the next one for the title.”