Ailin Perez’s first fight since joining the official UFC rankings has been booked for January.
[autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag] has her first fight booked since entering the official UFC rankings.
The rising women’s bantamweight contender has been booked to meet [autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag] at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 from a location yet to be determined. The news was first reported by Gaston Reyno on Wednesday and later confirmed by MMA Junkie.
Perez (11-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) entered the UFC rankings following her first-round submission win over Darya Zheleznyakova back in September. This result put the Argentine on a four-fight winning streak, bouncing back from a loss in her UFC debut in a fight she took on short notice.
Rosa (18-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is coming off a decision win over Pannie Kianzad in August. The victory got her back in the win column as she had dropped a decision loss last December to Irene Aldana in a Fight of the Night.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.
Joselyne Edwards says things aren’t fully settled with former rival Ailin Perez.
The beef wasn’t fully settled between [autotag]Joselyne Edwards[/autotag] and [autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag].
Although Perez and Edwards hugged it out after their women’s bantamweight bout at UFC 302 in June, the two aren’t exactly seeing eye to eye. Edwards, who lost by unanimous decision, had a buildup with Perez that involved weeks of trash talk, which stemmed from an altercation at the UFC Performance Institute.
All that bad history can’t be put away by a simple hug, at least according to “La Pantera.”
“She’s the one that asked for the hug, she can say whatever she wants, but it’s on camera,” Edwards told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “She asked for it, and then told me that everything that she did was for show, that this was just for show, everything that happened outside the octagon, all the trash talk. So she said let’s be cool, and asked me if she could hug me, and I said OK.
“Look, this is the fight game, we have to hit each other, but I don’t think you have to be on bad terms outside the octagon. However, with her, things are different. To be honest, I can’t say never, but I don’t think things will ever be good between us. If I see her, I’ll say hi from afar, but I don’t want to have communication or a friendship with her. I think she has bad vibes, and I don’t like being around those people. She did beat me in a decision. I can’t change that, but that’s it. She’s got her life, I got mine, and I don’t want to know anything about that girl.”
Edwards (13-6 MMA, 4-4 UFC) returns to the octagon at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 245 against Tamires Vidal (7-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC). The fight was originally scheduled for bantamweight, but Edwards missed weight by three pounds Friday morning.
Edwards is focused on Vidal, but she wants to eventually run things back with Perez. She knows she has work to do, as Perez is on a streak and recently entered the UFC official rankings, but she’s confident she’ll eventually be back in a position where the fight makes sense.
“One hundred percent,” Edwards said about wanting a rematch with Perez. “Look, I’m focused on my things. I’m going to win my fight and then the next one. I see she’s doing well, and I’m glad she’s doing well because I want to fight with her again.
“It’s better for me that she wins all her fights, that she enters the rankings, that people have her as a title contender, because I’m coming for her. Out of all the people who I’ve lost to, the only one I want a rematch with, it’s her. I’m coming for her.”
Ailin Perez won, twerked, and called herself the Khabib Nurmagomedov of the UFC women’s divisions.
When all is said and done, [autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag] wants to be viewed in the same light as one of the all-time UFC greats.
At UFC Fight Night 243, Perez (11-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) submitted [autotag]Dariya Zheleznyakova[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) for her fourth promotional win – all in a row. The fight took place on Saturday’s prelims at Accor Arena in Paris and was immediately followed by a twerking celebration.
Her main plan of attack throughout her career has been to drag her opponents down to the ground and figuratively drown them into a TKO or submission. Given their similarities in that regard, Perez continues to be inspired by one UFC legend in particular.
“Is there any doubt? I’m the [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] of the women’s divisions,” Perez said at a post-fight news conference (via Buiten De Kooi). “Every single fight that I’ve had in the UFC, I’ve taken the fighters down. That shows it.”
Perez said she’s seen Nurmagomedov from afar, but never has spoken with him directly. She hopes that changes sometime in the future.
“I’d love to actually speak and meet Khabib,” Perez said. “I’ve seen him a couple times in the PI and being a corner. The couple times I saw him, he looked pretty serious. So I’m hoping one day he sees me and he gives me a smile back.”
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From all vantage points, there’s a lot of work to be done before Perez’s name can appear in the same chapter of the UFC’s history book as Khabib’s. In order to take one step closer, Perez knows she’ll need to start racking up wins over notable names.
“Ultimately, the goal is to get from here to the top 10,” Perez said. “But at this point, I’m not going to ask for any names and specifics. I know everyone knows who the top 15 names are. Mick Maynard is doing a great job offering me the right fights for me to win. At this point, I’m just going to take whatever they offer me, and I’m going to keep winning.”
“… I’m really tired of calling all these girls out from the weight class, just for them to try to avoid me or run away. At this point, I’m in the top 15. I have a big name. Anyone who wants to fight me, they know who to ask and that’s Mick Maynard – or the fans.”
UFC Fight Night 243 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 243 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $173,500.
The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.
UFC Fight Night 243 took place at Accor Arena in Paris. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC Fight Night 243 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
* * * *
[autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag]: $6,000
Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2431 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
“UFC Fight Night 243: Moicano vs. Saint Denis” – $173,500
Ailin Perez knew she had a big advantage on the ground over Darya Zheleznyakova – and she proved it.
[autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag] knew she had a big advantage on the ground over [autotag]Darya Zheleznyakova[/autotag] – and she proved it at UFC Fight Night 243.
Perez (11-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) submitted Zheleznyakova (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) with an arm-triangle choke at the 3:52 mark of Round 1. The women’s bantamweight bout was part of the UFC Fight Night 243 preliminary card at Accor Arena in Paris.
It didn’t take long for Perez to clinch, but Zheleznyakova was able to break free. Zheleznyakova caught a Perez kick and slammed her down, but decided to let Perez back up eventually. Perez shot again, but Zheleznyakova stuffed the takedown. The third time was the charm for Perez, who finally was able to get Zheleznyakova down. Perez established dominance on the ground, transitioning to an arm-triangle choke to finish Zheleznyakov.
Who wins at UFC 307 in Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Peña, Kayla Harrison vs. Ketlen Vieira? Ailin Perez gives her predictions.
The next UFC pay-per-view is closing in, and it’s a card that will heavily impact the landscape of the women’s bantamweight division.
UFC 307, which goes down Oct. 5 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, hosts two key female bouts at 135 pounds: a women’s championship bout between [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] and [autotag]Julianna Pena[/autotag], and a top contender contest pitting [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] against [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag].
Ahead of the event, rising women’s bantamweight [autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag] gave her picks when speaking with MMA Junkie. Perez (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), who returns this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 243 against Darya Zheleznyakova (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), sees the belt staying in the hands of the champion.
“Raquel Pennington is going to keep her title that night,” Perez said in Spanish. “Julianna Peña has been very inactive, and I just don’t think she has the resources to surprise that night.”
The 35-year-old Pennington enters UFC 307 on a six-fight winning streak. She won the vacant title by defeating Mayra Bueno Silva in January. Meanwhile, Peña hasn’t fought since losing the belt in the rematch with Amanda Nunes back in July 2022.
As far as the other bout, Perez expects Harrison (17-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) to keep her undefeated UFC record. She respects the body of work that Vieira (14-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) has built, but doesn’t think she’ll be able to hold off the former PFL champion.
“Kayla Harrison will be able to take her down, and she’s going to win the fight there,” Perez said. “She’s going to control her. I don’t think she’ll get the finish, but maybe she will. That’s not totally unexpected, but I don’t think she’ll get the finish. I’m picking Kayla to win. I don’t think Ketlen has the gas tank to deal with her.”
Ailin Perez wants a big name next if she’s victorious over Darya Zheleznyakova at UFC Fight Night 243 in Paris.
[autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag] is very confident entering UFC Fight Night 243 – so confident that she already has a few names in mind for her next fight.
Perez (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), a rising women’s bantamweight, doesn’t think she’ll have much difficulty getting her hand raised Saturday in Paris against [autotag]Darya Zheleznyakova[/autotag] despite it likely feeling like enemy territory. Although originally from Russia, Zheleznyakova (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) trains out of France and is expected to have the crowd support this weekend.
Perez is unfazed fighting in France and feels very good about her chances.
“Being 100 percent honest, I feel like this is an easy fight, my friend,” Perez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I don’t know how else I can put it. She’s a very green fighter. Her base is boxing, and she is a good boxer, but in MMA she’s not up to my level.
“She’s underestimating me and has been saying my striking is zero, so I welcome exchanging with her, I’ll be the one that starts the striking, and we’ll see how good she is.”
Perez claims Zheleznyakova has been trashing her skills in the buildup to the fight. These comments have not bothered Perez but motivated her.
“It didn’t bother me, but it did tough my ovaries,” Perez said. “Fighters who talk badly about me end up paying for it in the cage. You can ask Joselyne Edwards. I know I didn’t knock her out, but I hit her quite badly in the striking. Darya is completely wrong, and I’m going to show it in the cage. The more she underestimates me the more dangerous I get.”
If victorious, Perez would be on a four-fight winning streak. She believes that would set her up for a big opportunity whether it be a big name, a main event slot, or both.
“After finishing Darya, I’m going to ask my friend Dana White for a main event fight, preferably against Kayla Harrison,” Perez said. “We’re still insisting on that fight because that’s the fight I need to prove I’m worthy of fighting for a belt. And if not, Norma (Dumont) if she stops running from me. She only wants to fight with people above her in the rankings, and that’s OK, but part of the reason why she’s in the rankings is that she hasn’t fought and lost to me. So Dumont or Julianna Peña, who’s a punching bag.”
UFC bantamweight Ailin Perez took a shot at Tracy Cortez, who needed to chop off some hair to make weight for the UFC on ESPN 59 main event.
[autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag] had a few choice words for [autotag]Tracy Cortez[/autotag] after her near-miss on the scale for UFC on ESPN 59.
Cortez (11-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC), who headlines UFC on ESPN 59 opposite former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas in a five-round flyweight bout, needed to chop off some of her hair to hit 126 pounds at Friday’s official weigh-ins.
The impromptu haircut worked for Cortez, but that didn’t stop Perez (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) from chirping on social media.
“Wow @cortez MMA, you really had to cut your hair to make weight,” Perez wrote on Instagram and later shared to X. “You were giften an amazing opportunity to be a main event versus a former UFC champ and you barely made it. LOL. What a waste of an opportunity, you are showing your lack of preparation for a moment so big.”
— Ailín “Fiona” 👑 Pérez (@AiluPerezUFC) July 12, 2024
Perez, who has been turning heads while on a three-fight winning streak and executing her signature twerking celebrations, showed disappointment for one of her fighting peers for nearly squandering an opportunity, although Cortez did make the weight limit, even with less hair than expected.
Not to mention, Cortez stepped up on short notice to replace Namajunas’ original opponent Maycee Barber, who had to withdraw due to medical issues.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 59.
Rising bantamweight fighter (and dancer) [autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag] has her next UFC assignment as she enters enemy territory to face [autotag]Darya Zheleznyakova[/autotag] in the Russian fighter’s adopted home.
The two women will collide at UFC Fight Night on Sept. 28 at Accor Arena in Paris, two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie’s Danny Segura and Farah Hannoun. The people requested anonymity because promotion has yet to make an official announcement. MMA Latinoamérica on X were first to report.
Perez (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is on a run with three victories in a row. Following wins over Ashlee Evans-Smith and Lucie Pudilova, Perez won a grudge match vs. Joselyne Edwards at UFC 302 in May.
Zheleznyakova (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) looks to continue her success after a victorious promotional debut in March when she defeated Montserrat Rendon by unanimous decision.
Ailin Perez has her sights set on a former champion.
[autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag] has her sights set on a former champion.
Winner of her past three in a row – most recently a unanimous decision over Joselyne Edwards at UFC 302 in June, Perez (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) expressed interest in facing Kayla Harrison.
But now Perez has shifted her attention to Harrison’s most recent opponent, [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 8-7 UFC), who is coming off a submission loss to the two-time PFL champion at UFC 300 in April.
“Holly Holm, you are my friend. As my friend, I am happy to send you to retirement to help you realize that you can get hurt if you keep fighting in UFC. Mick Maynard, let me help my friend go to retirement.”
“I’m ready to go whenever,” Holm said. “I definitely am not ready to be done fighting. I know I’m still healthy and capable. I’m just mad that I haven’t performed.”
