Aline Pereira defends Karate Combat title vs. ex-Bellator champ

Aline Pereira defends her Karate Combat flyweight belt against former Bellator champion Juliana Velasquez on July 24 in Miami, MMA Fighting reports.

Pereira, the sister of UFC heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, returns to the pit-fighting format after a two-fight MMA stint that included a decision win over Jade Masson-Wong on the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano undercard. She holds a 3-2 record in traditional MMA but remains unbeaten under Karate Combat rules, with left hook knockouts of Dee Begley and Amanda Torres preceding her July 2025 title-winning decision over Fani Peloumpi.

Velasquez brings Bellator title pedigree to Karate Combat

Velasquez moves to Karate Combat with a 14-4 MMA record built largely in Bellator, where she stopped Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and Denise Kielholtz to claim gold. She posted a 2-2 mark after PFL acquired Bellator, avenging her most recent loss with a decision over Ekaterina Shakalova in her final league bout.

The Pereira-Velasquez title fight sits on a card headlined by heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight champion Sam Alvey defending against UFC veteran Uriah Hall, with Oussama Assli putting his welterweight strap up against Lucas Martins in the co-main slot.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Alex Pereira’s sister Aline faces former Bellator champ in Karate Combat title fight