Latest news with #AilinPerez
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Booty battle?!?!? Ailin Perez calls out Norma Dumont after ‘Rocky' bails on Noche UFC 3, gets blocked immediately
'Twerk Queen' vs. Dump Truck? Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight champion Raquel Pennington's comeback fight is off the table for Noche UFC 3 (Sat., Sept. 13, 2025), as 'Rocky' has withdrawn from her scrap against top-ranked contender, Norma Dumont, due to injury. Pennington broke the news on Instagram with a gut-punch statement: 'This one's hard to say…I've been with the UFC for 12 years, 26 fights, and I've never had to pull out of a fight.I've been dealing with a neck injury for a while now. My last fight camp, I had a procedure in September just to get through it and step in that Octagon the beginning of October. This camp… it's just been one thing after another.I'm a competitor through and through, but I also have to take care of my health if I want to keep doing this the right yeah… I'm gutted to say I have to withdraw from this fight. Apologies to the fans, @ufc and my opponent @norma_dumont_mma I'll be back, and I still would love to share that Octagon with Norma when the time's right. I'm hoping she gets a replacement opponent and her opportunity to compete isn't you to everyone who rides with me through the highs and the lows. It means more than you know. ❤️Setbacks don't break me — they build me.' Mere minutes after the announcement, No. 7-ranked Bantamweight, Ailin Perez, pounced, throwing her name into the mix to face Dumont at UFC Rio, one month after Noche UFC 3 — a fight that she's been requesting. In a fiery video, Perez didn't hold back: 'Raquel Pennington is injured and out of the Norma fight. Now Norma won't face me at UFC Rio. What's the deal, Norma? You don't want to go five rounds with me in Brazil? Scared of a booty battle?' Dumont, apparently not amused, hit the block button on Perez's social media, to which 'Fiona' fired back. 'Norma Dumont blocked me and has not made a response yet 🤣 No one who wants to fight you has a better ranking than me, what is your excuse now?' Perez wrote. 'We have the same record and same win streak. You are SCARED.' While Dumont was gunning for a marquee fight like the one with Pennington, a clash with Perez could be the next best thing. It's a spicy matchup with serious hype potential, especially with the Bantamweight division on hold until Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes settle their score. To checkout the latest UFC Noche 3 fight card and rumors click .
USA Today
29-01-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ailin Perez reacts to Karol Rosa's higher ranking after UFC 311 win: 'I laughed my ass off'
The UFC's official rankings are sometimes unfairly criticized. But what transpired following UFC 311 earlier this month, is objectively bizarre and head-scratching. Somehow, rising contender Ailin Perez ended up ranked below Karol Rosa despite defeating her in a clear, unanimous decision win in the preliminary portion of the card. But what perhaps is most bizarre, is that Rosa moved up in the rankings even in defeat. Perez (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who's on a five-fight winning streak, went from No. 13 to No. 11, while Rosa (18-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC), who's 2-3 in her past five bouts, went from No. 9 to No. 8. It's worth noting that the rankings were impacted by Holly Holm's exit from the promotion this month. 'I laughed my ass off,' Perez told Hablemos MMA in Spanish when asked about her reaction to the rankings. 'I laughed a lot, but I see it as a positive sign because look at the level of fame I'm having after all my fights, and I'm ranked 11th. I'm not even in the top 10. 'It doesn't matter if I'm the one that's deserving to move up in rankings and not Karol. If I get called to fight against a top five, I'm saying yes. I showed in the fight that I'm game for higher competition. I'm motivated, and I'm looking forward to getting a higher ranked rival than Karol. I don't know if I can get someone that will kick harder than her, but definitely I can get someone with more techniques that challenge me.' After losing in her UFC debut, which took place at 145 pounds, Perez dropped to bantamweight and has won five in a row. The in-cage success has accompanied high notoriety outside of it, given her bold comments and altercations with Joselyne Edwards and Tracy Cortez. 'I'm not really bothered that they didn't put me in the top 10,' Perez explained. 'People know who Ailin Perez is, and they know what I want – that's all I care about. 'If they give me No. 6 or No. 10 or No. 1, I'm treating them all the same. I don't care about numbers, I'm coming after everyone. I showed that I have striking in this fight, so watch out for Ailin 'Nurmagomedov.''
