Ailin Perez details heated UFC PI run-in with Norma Dumont: ‘Everything’ must go viral

Ailin Perez is ramping up the mental warfare ahead of her UFC Vegas 121 women's bantamweight co-main event clash with Norma Dumont on September 16 at Meta Apex in Las Vegas. The two fighters have genuine animosity stemming from a confrontation at the UFC Performance Institute, where Dumont allegedly came to the bathroom with her team looking for Perez.

Additional tension arose when Perez accused Dumont's boyfriend, UFC middleweight Marco Tulio, of inappropriate behavior at the facility. Dumont claimed Tulio had to block Perez on social media after she repeatedly tagged him.

Perez (13-2) believes she is already winning the psychological battle against Dumont (13-3) and is confident in victory despite carrying a foot injury from her previous fight. The Argentine fighter emphasized that she uses public feuds to promote bouts in a division where fighters often remain quiet about external drama. "Everything that's happening needs to go viral," Perez said, contrasting her approach with Dumont's preference for keeping conflicts private. Perez stated she is "doing double the work" to sell fights in a competitive division and sees their upcoming bout as an entertaining spectacle that will change public perception of both fighters once they step into the Octagon.