Unbeaten Mesquita submits Mullins then calls out No. 5 Perez to ignite Brazil-Argentina rivalry

Beatriz Mesquita extended her unbeaten record to 8-0 with a first-round armbar submission of Melissa Mullins at UFC Fight Night 279 on Saturday in Las Vegas, before calling out women’s bantamweight contender Ailin Perez in the moments after her victory.

The finish was not without drama. Mullins (7-3) rocked Mesquita early in the opening round and, somewhat surprisingly, chose to drag the fight to the mat. As Mullins postured up to land an elbow, the Brazilian known as “Bia” seized the moment, locking in an armbar that forced an immediate tap.

With the win secured, Mesquita wasted no time setting her sights higher. Perez currently sits at No. 5 in the UFC women’s bantamweight rankings, and Mesquita made clear that reaching the top of those rankings before the year is out is her primary goal.

“Honestly, I want to end up in the Top 10, Top 5 by the end of the year,” Mesquita said in a post-fight interview. “So, [Perez] is there. And I really think it’s a good match for me. I don’t like her attitude in the cage. But more than that, I think she’s a really good match for me. She can grapple too, so I think it’s gonna be a really interesting fight. Also, Brazil and Argentina is a big rivalry.”

Mesquita’s reference to the Brazil-Argentina football rivalry was deliberate. Perez, who is Argentine and known for celebrating her wins with a twerk, has drawn the ire of the Brazilian, who sees a matchup between the two as a natural extension of one of sport’s most storied national rivalries.

The callout carries genuine weight on paper. Mesquita has never been taken to a final bell across her eight professional wins, with six of those victories coming by submission. Perez, meanwhile, arrives on a six-fight winning streak inside the UFC, carrying a 13-2 overall record. A grappling-heavy contest between two fighters comfortable on the mat would offer a compelling stylistic argument for the matchup, beyond the cultural theatre surrounding it.