Ailin Perez ‘already winning’ with mental warfare, wants to put Norma Dumont ‘to sleep’ at UFC Vegas 121

Ailin Perez and Norma Dumont will finally settle their simmering rivalry at UFC Vegas 121 on September 26, with the Argentine striker confident she has already gained a psychological edge. The two have shared history dating back to July 2023, when they won their respective bouts on the same card, and tensions escalated when Dumont allegedly confronted Perez at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas following Dumont's win over Ketlen Vieira in November 2025.

According to Perez, the incident—which nearly escalated into a fight before their friends intervened—revealed Dumont's willingness to operate outside the bounds of mutual respect. Perez has been vocal about leveraging their rivalry for promotional purposes, using social media and direct confrontation to build the fight while criticizing Dumont for avoiding previous matchups. "I'm selling the fight, like I always do with all my fights," Perez stated to MMA Fighting.

Perez's analysis extends beyond theatrics. She points to statistical advantages: Dumont has lost to fighters Perez has beaten, including Macy Chiasson and Joselyne Edwards. The Argentine, on a six-fight winning streak and 6-1 in the UFC, is confident in her striking and wrestling, though she acknowledged recovering from shoulder surgery performed a year ago. Dumont has been finished only once in her career—a first-round knockout by Megan Anderson in 2020—but Perez believes her mental approach offers the key to breaking through. "Her biggest weakness is her mind, and that's where I'm going to work. I'm already winning the fight," Perez said. She aims to finish Dumont decisively enough to stake her claim as the next bantamweight title contender, potentially facing the winner of the Kayla Harrison–Amanda Nunes title bout scheduled for UFC 334 in November.