Dumont Promises To Finish Perez At UFC Vegas 121

Norma Dumont expects her bantamweight clash with Ailin Perez at UFC Vegas 121 to end violently before the final bell.

The second-ranked Dumont faces fourth-ranked Perez on the preliminary card Saturday at Meta Apex in Las Vegas, a matchup that has been years in the making. Perez has campaigned for the fight since 2023, dubbing it the "Battle of the Asses," per MMA Mania. Dumont ignored the callouts and, according to Perez, turned down a replacement offer at Noche UFC 3 last year before blocking her on social media.

Dumont On Her Personal Grudge Against Perez

The Brazilian told MMA Fighting the bout carries genuine animosity. "It's a fight that literally has a personal anger, personal issues, that the two of us have against each other," she said. Dumont described Perez as mentally unstable and dismissed her taunts as attention-seeking behavior. "Now that the contract is signed, I already have my date to beat her, I have my time to do what I need to do, what I want to do without getting arrested," she added.

Dumont said the rivalry will bring out a more aggressive version of herself. She told the outlet she fights better when angry, noting that facing someone she dislikes removes her tendency to overthink. "I always say it's more fun when you beat up someone you don't like," she said. "You want to cause damage."

The bout represents a potential title eliminator buried on the prelims. Dumont enters off a decision loss to Joselyne Edwards that ended a six-fight winning streak. Perez has won six straight since her UFC debut loss. A finish would mark Dumont's first stoppage inside the Octagon, but she guaranteed the fight will not reach the 15-minute mark.

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