Amanda Nunes Targeted by Ailin Perez

Amanda Nunes is the focus of a new challenge from Ailin Perez following Perez’s unanimous decision victory over Norma Dumont at UFC Vegas 121. Perez moved into the No. 2 spot at 135 pounds with the win in the Las Vegas co-main event last weekend, but the three-round performance also drew criticism. Nunes, a former division titleholder, was identified among the most prominent critics of the fight. Perez then made clear that she would welcome a meeting with Nunes in the cage.

Perez framed the disagreement as more than a reaction to one performance. Speaking to Hablemos MMA, Perez said Nunes was “very upset and mad” at her and claimed that Nunes responds to her Instagram stories and messages. Perez also said Nunes shares her opinion because she wants to fight her, while suggesting that Nunes had wanted to face Dumont instead. Those are Perez’s characterizations of Nunes’ interest and reaction, but Perez’s own position was unmistakable: she said she has no problem fighting Amanda Nunes and wants those fights.

Amanda Nunes faces a direct challenge

Amanda Nunes did not deliver a quoted response in the account, yet Perez’s comments repeatedly placed Nunes at the center of her post-fight message. Perez said, “If she’s so tough and so mad at me, let’s fight. We can sort this out in the cage.” She followed that by saying she wants the matchup and that Nunes is clearly watching her. The challenge came after a bout that did not meet the expectations created by Perez’s pre-fight hype. Critics panned the tepid three-round affair despite the unanimous decision that elevated Perez to the No. 2 position at 135 pounds. Nunes was described as being at the top of that critical group. That contrast supplies the immediate context for Perez’s callout: a victory that improved her listed position also produced a public dispute involving Amanda Nunes.

The timing matters because Amanda Nunes already has a confirmed assignment before any potential encounter with Perez can become the next subject of discussion. Nunes is set to battle surgically-repaired 135-pound titleholder Kayla Harrison in the UFC 334 co-main event this November at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The report describes that fight as Nunes’ first since she retired from MMA in 2023. It also notes that Nunes previously held gold at 145 pounds. Perez’s challenge therefore arrives while Nunes is preparing for a return bout with a specific opponent, in a specific UFC event setting, rather than as an isolated social-media exchange.

What is confirmed around Amanda Nunes

The confirmed sequence begins with Perez defeating Dumont by unanimous decision in the UFC Vegas 121 co-main event last weekend in Las Vegas. Perez said afterward that she would fight Amanda Nunes and tied that desire to what she described as Nunes’ criticism and Instagram responses. Amanda Nunes, meanwhile, is scheduled for her UFC 334 co-main event against Harrison this November. The available details establish Perez’s challenge and Nunes’ upcoming fight, while Perez’s statements about Nunes’ feelings and motivations remain Perez’s own account. The central sporting development is the callout: Perez publicly identified Amanda Nunes as a fighter she wants to face.

• Perez said she would sort out the dispute with Amanda Nunes in the cage and that she wants those fights.
• Amanda Nunes is scheduled to face Kayla Harrison in the UFC 334 co-main event this November at Madison Square Garden.

Amanda Nunes has been directly named by Perez in the aftermath of UFC Vegas 121. Perez’s win over Dumont, the criticism that followed, and her stated willingness to fight Nunes form the basis of the callout. For now, Amanda Nunes’ confirmed next appearance is the UFC 334 co-main event against Harrison.