Tag: Ailin Perez

Ailin Perez shrugs off Nora Cornolle’s callout at UFC 314

Ailin Perez shuts down Nora Cornolle’s callout at UFC 314 as she doesn’t see her deserving of the opportunity.

[autotag]Nora Cornolle[/autotag] called out [autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag], and now she has a response.

After her submission win at UFC 314 in Miami, Cornolle (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) took the microphone and let the world know that she wants Perez (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) next. Perez doesn’t think the French fighter is deserving of the opportunity, and she’s angling for higher-level opposition. But, if the UFC wants the bout, Perez sees it as an easy paycheck.

“My reaction to her callout, I saw she mentioned me a few times, she’s very needy and in need of a fight against someone with a name, so that’s why she wants to fight me,” Perez told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. “My opinion on Nora is that is easy money. She obviously doesn’t deserve to fight me, but if the UFC thinks she needs the fight, then I fight her.

“It would be an easy fight for me to make a return from my surgery, and we can even do it in France in front of her fans. That’s no problem.”

Although Cornolle finished her fight against Hailey Cowan in the second round, Perez was not impressed with what she saw that night – which makes her interest in the fight even less.

“I thought the fight was terrible because it was so boring,” Perez said. “The only thing that saved that fight was the submission because no one was paying attention to that fight. I was like half watching it on my phone on my way to the arena.”

Since losing her UFC debut in 2022, Perez has won five in a row, with her most recent win coming in January when she defeated veteran contender Karol Rosa to punch her ticket into the top-10 rankings of the UFC women’s bantamweight division.

Perez revealed in the same interview that she underwent shoulder surgery on Feb. 7 and has been recovering since. She’s just getting back to light training, and her doctors expect her to be ready to fight by September or October.

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Ailin Perez reacts to Karol Rosa’s higher ranking after UFC 311 win: ‘I laughed my ass off’

Ailin Perez is puzzled by the latest update in the UFC rankings, which has her below Karol Rosa – whom she defeated at UFC 311.

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 [autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag] ended up ranked below [autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag] 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.'”

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Ailin Perez’s UFC 311 heel turn: Run-in with ‘dirty’ Tracy Cortez in division that ‘smells like sh*t’

Ailin Perez won for the fifth straight time and called for an interim women’s bantamweight title fight.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – [autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag] beat Karol Rosa with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 311 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.

Take a look inside the fight with Perez, who won for the fifth straight time and called for an interim women’s bantamweight title fight.

Ailin Perez def. Karol Rosa

Result: Ailin Perez def. Karol Rosa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Updated records: Perez (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), Rosa (18-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC)
Key stats: Perez’s five-fight winning streak is the longest active streak in the division.

Perez on the fight’s key moment

Jan 18, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Karol Rosa (red gloves) fights Ailin Perez (blue gloves) during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

“The fastest finish in the division: That’s a record that I want. But I really want that knockout. I was working on my hands. You saw it today, my striking. It was clean. It was crisp. I feel that that the knockout is coming. But the biggest record, we’re actually getting the record for consecutive wins and becoming a champion. That’s what we’re going to continue to do.”

Perez on a run-in with Tracy Cortez

Tracy Cortez

“That’s trash. Don’t name her in this conversation right now. Get better quality people to have beef for me while I’m here, all right. It’s my moment. I’m sorry. There are other people. Get somebody else better. Make weight first, and then come talk to me. I’m not going to let anybody just ruin my moment right now. I’m in the gym with my son, morning, afternoon and evening, training all the time. I’m not going to let some girl just hop on the bandwagon and try to grab my name – and someone dirty, nonetheless.

“… She’s crazy. Every time she sees me, she wants to jump me. I think she wants to be me so. She is probably outside trying to maybe wait for a picture. She cannot believe how beautiful I am. I think she needs to go to the gym more. It’s now comedy hour.”

Perez on what she wants next

Oct 5, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Kayla Harrison (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Ketlen Vieira (not pictured) during UFC 307 at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

“Whoever Dana wants me to fight, I’ll fight. If Dana wants me to fight Kayla Harrison, I’ll fight Kayla Harrison. If it’s Julianna (Peña), if it’s Norma (Dumont) – it doesn’t matter. What I know is one thing: The actions speak for themselves. It’s not what they’re saying, it’s what (the other bantamweights) are doing or not doing. I can tell you one thing: I will fight anybody because right now, it smells like sh*t everywhere.”

To hear more from Perez, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

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UFC 311 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Renato Moicano makes money with move up card

Renato Moicano made some extra cash under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program for stepping into a title fight at UFC 311.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 311 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $306,000.

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 311 took place at Intuit Dome. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews/Disney+/FX and ESPN+.

The full UFC 311 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag]: $6,000
def [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Reinier de Ridder[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Payton Talbott[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Azamat Bekoev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Zach Reese[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Bogdan Guskov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Billy Elekana[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Diego Ferreira[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Muin Gafurov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Rinya Nakamura[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Bernardo Sopaj[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ricky Turcios[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Tagir Ulanbekov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Clayton Carpenter[/autotag]: $4,000

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 2011 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 2025 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $479,500
2024 total: $8,280,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $31,497,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

Ailin Perez def. Karol Rosa at UFC 311: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Ailin Perez’s unanimous decision win over Karol Rosa at UFC 311.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag] at UFC 311 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. (Fight and venue photos by Gary A. Vasquez, USA Today Sports)

Ailin Perez: Julianna Peña is ‘scared sh*tless’ of defending UFC title vs. Kayla Harrison

UFC 311’s Ailin Perez thinks Julianna Peña is trying to avoid defending her UFC women’s bantamweight title against Kayla Harrison.

If [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag] does not want to fight [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] for the UFC title, [autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag] will do it.

Perez, a rising contender in the UFC women’s bantamweight division, thinks Peña is trying to do everything to avoid defending her title against Harrison. That’s why Perez (11-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) wants to offer the promotion her services should she defeat Karol Rosa (18-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC) this Saturday at UFC 311 (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+, ESPN+) – which goes down at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.

“I’m going to ask for a title fight, preferably against Kayla Harrison for the interim title, since Julianna Peña doesn’t want to defend her beat against Kayla Harrison,” Perez told Hablemos MMA. “That gives me a little, I don’t know, like, ‘Come on woman, defend your title. Who are you, Julianna Peña?’ I feel she’s scared sh*tless of Kayla Harrison, and I want to show that I also want the belt.

“So why not an interim title fight vs. Kayla Harrison to see who’a the next one for the title? Julianna is turning down fights and not taking advantage of the opportunity the UFC is giving her.”

Perez lost her UFC debut back in 2022 at 145 pounds. She then dropped to bantamweight and has won four consecutive fights, earning her a spot in the top 15 official UFC rankings.

Peña vs. Harrison has yet to be made official by the UFC, but many expect that to be next. If the fight were to come to fruition, Perez only sees one way it could go.

“Obviously Kayla,” Perez said when akes to pick a winner between the two. “That’s why I want to fight Kayla. Just like I think Kayla beats Julianna, I also don’t think Kayla has what’s needed to go five rounds with me. That’s why I want to fight for an interim belt. That’s where we’ll see all of Kayla’s weaknesses.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

Ailin Perez plans to ‘leave everyone speechless’ at UFC 311, enter top 10 rankings

Ailin Perez believes a win at Saturday’s UFC 310 will get her a spot in the top-10 of the UFC women’s bantamweight rankings.

If all goes to plan, UFC 311 will be a big moment for [autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag]’s fighting career.

The rising UFC women’s bantamweight contender faces veteran [autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag] in the preliminary card of Saturday’s UFC pay-per-view event. It’s an opportunity for Perez (11-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) to extend her winning streak to five in a row and, according to her, crack the top 10 of the UFC official rankings.

“It’s clear that it will,” Perez told Hablemos MMA when asked if a win over Rosa would put her in the rankings. “I’m going to beat Karol, and I’m going to do it in a way that’s going to leave everyone speechless, just like I did with Darya (Zheleznyakova).

“I’ve been on the hunt for a lot of evolution and learning, not just in the cage to finish my opponents, but also outside of it to evolve on the personal side like a mother, daughter, sister. That’s what I need to keep advancing and continuing undefeated at 135 pounds.”

Perez lost her UFC debut back in 2022 to Stephanie Egger at 145 pounds, a fight she took on short notice. Since, she dropped to 135 pounds and remains unbeaten. She’s proud of the work she’s done in the last two years, and believes 2025 will be full of success.

“My first year in the UFC in 2023 it was full of wins, and I continued in 2024 undefeated with victories, and I was able to enter the rankings and get a finish in my last fight,” Perez said. “I’ve gathered all that momentum and I want to keep advancing, and hopefully I get to the heights of fighting for a UFC title. Everything that’s happening to me is a consequence of my hard work.”

As far as her rival Rosa (18-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC), Perez is well aware she’s got a quality opponent in front. But despite seeing her as her toughest bout to date, Perez predicts a stoppage win.

“I think she’s a complete fighter in her style and game plan, but I feel equipped and prepared to finish the fight with a beautiful knockout.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

Ailin Perez vs. Karol Rosa booked for UFC 311 in January

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.

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UFC’s Joselyne Edwards wants to work her way to eventual Ailin Perez rematch: ‘I’m coming for her’

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.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.

Ailin Perez declares herself ‘Khabib Nurmagomedov of the women’s divisions’ after UFC Fight Night 243

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.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.