Perez claims mental edge over Dumont ahead of UFC Vegas 121 co-main clash

Ailin Perez believes the psychological battle against Norma Dumont is already won before a single punch is thrown at UFC Vegas 121 on September 26, with the Argentine featherweight set to meet her Brazilian rival in the co-main event at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.

Perez told MMA Fighting that the animosity between the two fighters dates back to a shared card in July 2023, when both women picked up wins — Perez over Ashlee Evans-Smith and Dumont over Chelsea Chandler. But the tension escalated, according to Perez, when Dumont sought her out in the bathroom at the UFC Performance Institute following Dumont’s November 2025 victory over Ketlen Vieira.

“She came looking for me in the PI bathroom with all her friends, there were a bunch of girls, talking about how I’m going to be next, that she’s going to knock me out,” Perez said. “And I said: ‘Ok, fine, let’s go, I’m waiting for that fight, why not?’ And then my friends came in too to separate us a little because we kind of wanted to fight a little, but she has no code.”

Perez has been vocal about the rivalry on social media, a strategy she frames as both personal and professional. “The only difference is that I expose everything to the fans, what’s happening. She wants to keep what happens behind closed doors,” she said. “Everything that’s happening needs to go viral. I’m selling the fight, like I always do with all my fights. I’m doing double the work.”

The Argentine also pointed to Dumont’s record as statistical evidence in her favour, noting that Dumont has lost to both Macy Chiasson and Joselyne Edwards — two fighters Perez considers well within her own range. “She lost to Macy Chiasson, she lost to Joselyne Edwards, and those girls are my daughters,” Perez said. “Strategically and statistically, this fight is mine.”

Perez added that Dumont had turned down a matchup on multiple occasions, including most recently when Perez fought Chiasson in Mexico. Whatever the history of the negotiations, both fighters are now confirmed for the September 26 card, and Perez says her intentions inside the octagon are straightforward.

“I am ready to finish Norma Dumont,” she said. “That’s what matters to me.”

The two will come face to face at the official weigh-in staredown on Friday, and Perez said she is watching closely to see how Dumont handles that moment after months of verbal exchanges.