Norma Dumont hit the 136-pound mark to make weight for a bantamweight bout for the primary time in her UFC profession, presumably clearing her path for greater matchups transferring ahead.
Dumont moved as much as featherweight after lacking weight early in her UFC profession, then discovered success within the division, beating 5 of her six opponents. However she was decided to chop again right down to 135 kilos following the dissolution of featherweight after Amanda Nunes’ retirement, and now hopes UFC matchmakers can proceed giving her key fights.
To begin with, Dumont battles Germaine de Randamie this Saturday at UFC Vegas 90, welcoming the previous titleholder again to the UFC after a three-and-a-half 12 months layoff.
“The excuse [other UFC contenders] had was they wouldn’t battle me at featherweight,” Dumont mentioned on MMA Combating’s Trocação Franca podcast. “The UFC tried to guide me in opposition to Irene [Aldana], [Holly] Holm, Miesha [Tate], [Pannie] Kianzad, all these women, and the reply was at all times the identical: We received’t battle at featherweight. And we had the identical downside now, their excuse was they didn’t consider I’d make weight.”
Whereas Dumont efficiently made weight Friday in Las Vegas, she doesn’t anticipate it to finish her matchmaking woes. In truth, Dumont expects issues to solely worsen as soon as she beats de Randamie, thus making her a “high-risk, low-reward” matchup for prime bantamweights.
“UFC already desires to guide me in opposition to top-five fighters, however they don’t settle for it,” Dumont mentioned. “Their excuse is that they don’t assume I’ll make weight, however [Holly] Holm agreed to battle Kayla [Harrison]. Kianzad mentioned the identical factor after which agreed to battle Macy [Chiasson], who didn’t make weight [twice]. I believe it’s simply excuses. They’d have accepted it if it was a straightforward battle.”
A win on Saturday places Dumont on a four-fight scorching streak, and the Brazilian isn’t ruling out issuing a problem to 135-pound champion Raquel Pennington after the victory.
“The dialog we had with the UFC is that making weight and having efficiency, the UFC will stress top-five fighters to simply accept this,” Dumont mentioned. “In the event that they don’t settle for it, there’s not a lot I can do, then give me a title shot already.
“I need to battle for the title,” she continued. “Pennington has the belt and she or he’s robust, however she intimidates completely no person. Any top-five [contender] can beat her. She’s not like Amanda [Nunes], who was a harder battle, so all people desires to place their fingers on this title shot as quickly as doable. They received’t cease and battle an excellent robust opponent who’s transferring down in weight and is ranked No. 11. I perceive that, however that’s not my downside. UFC has to determine this out with them. Convey them [to me] similar to they introduced Germaine.
“We had a take care of the UFC that I’d have fought Amanda in December at featherweight, so [I will call out] Raquel Pennington. If she’s not subsequent for me, I do know there are others chasing this opportunity for the belt. Actually, simply give me any of them, no downside. However I would like Pennington. Easy.”
