'Bia' Mesquita: 'The Octagon is no place to be twerking and showing your butt'

Beatriz Mesquita continues her undefeated rise through the UFC bantamweight ranks. The 10-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion improved to 8–0 in mixed martial arts after finishing Melissa Mullins at UFC Fight Night 279, her third Octagon appearance. Known as "Lady GOAT," Mesquita has wasted no time targeting her next opponent: rising Argentinian contender Ailin Perez.

In a post-fight interview with UFC Brazil reporter Evelyn Rodrigues, Mesquita outlined her ambitions. "I came to be the champion of the division, the new face of Brazil in women's MMA," she said. "I want to finish the rankings as high as possible because I want to fight for the belt in 2027."

Mesquita framed the potential matchup as a natural rivalry between Brazil and Argentina, but also took aim at Perez's conduct in the Octagon. "I find Ailin disrespectful and it could be a perfect match, since Brazil and Argentina already has a normal rivalry," Mesquita explained. "The Octagon is no place to be twerking and showing your butt. I'm ready to face her and show the 'Lady GOAT' mentality." As Mesquita climbs the rankings, a fight with Perez could serve as a significant test on her path toward a title shot.