Unbeaten Mesquita calls out Perez after third straight UFC finish

Beatriz ‘Bia’ Mesquita extended her unbeaten MMA record to 8-0 by finishing Melissa Mullins at UFC Fight Night 279, her third consecutive stoppage in the Octagon, before wasting no time in calling out bantamweight contender Ailin Perez.

The 10-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion has risen rapidly since making her UFC debut, and she made her ambitions clear in a post-fight interview with UFC Brazil reporter Evelyn Rodrigues. “I came to be the champion of the division, the new face of Brazil in women’s MMA,” Mesquita said. “I want to finish the rankings as high as possible because I want to fight for the belt in 2027.”

Mesquita’s callout of Perez was pointed. The Argentine contender has attracted attention for her flamboyant Octagon celebrations, something Mesquita addressed directly. “I find Ailin disrespectful and it could be a perfect match, since Brazil and Argentina already has a normal rivalry,” she said. “The Octagon is no place to be twerking and showing your butt. I’m ready to face her and show the ‘Lady GOAT’ mentality.”

The sporting rivalry between Brazil and Argentina runs deep across multiple disciplines, and Mesquita appears intent on channelling that tension into her climb up the bantamweight rankings. With a title shot in 2027 firmly in her sights, a matchup against the surging Perez would represent a significant step up in competition — and, if Mesquita gets her way, a statement win for Brazilian women’s MMA.