Can the 35-Year-Old Brazilian Stake Her Claim at a Bantamweight Title Shot?
Norma Dumont has been the true dark horse in the Bantamweight Division since her debut in 2020. She has gone 8-2 in the UFC with impressive wins over the likes of Irene Aldana, Germaine de Randamie, and Aspen Ladd. She had a fight scheduled against former champion Raquel Pennington, but Pennington had to withdraw due to an injury. She is now expected to face off against the number three-ranked Ketlen Vieira. Can Dumont put the entire division on notice and secure her long-awaited title shot, or will Vieira be able to turn back another hungry challenger?
Norma Dumont put herself on the map at Sphere with her wire-to-wire beatdown of former title challenger Irene Aldana. She is well-rounded, with good wrestling and grappling, as well as great standup and power in her hands. She is a force when she steps foot in the octagon and looks to overwhelm another formidable challenger this Saturday. Vieira is one of the bigger ladies in the UFC, and she used her size and strength to slow down Kayla Harrison when the two faced off in 2024. She doesn't have the best takedown defense, so I can see Dumont moving forward and shooting early to wear down Vieira and keep the powerful striker neutralized. I think she will be able to take her down multiple times and control her once the fight hits the ground. I think Vieira will then be cautious about the threat, and Dumont will be able to get her hands on her and really piece her up. I'm not sure how aggressive she'll be in this fight, with so much riding on a victory, but I can see her sweeping the scorecards.
Ketlen Vieira always had the build to one day challenge Amanda Nunes and give her a real test, especially on the feet. However, she has gotten so close to securing a title shot before eventually coming up short. She will get another chance to put her name in the hat here with a victory, which should almost certainly get her in the conversation. Vieira is a powerful striker who likes to march forward and use her overwhelming size to back opponents against the fence, do damage, and control them in the clinch. If she comes out as the aggressor in this fight, she could flip the entire battle by backing Dumont up, wearing her down in the clinch, and potentially even shooting her own takedown attempts, where she has great top control and pressure. She will need to be wary of Dumont's crisp counter striking when she moves forward, but the power is going to be in her favor, so when they exchange, she will be getting the better of the two when they connect. She will need to get a hold of Dumont and try to control her as much as she can, like she did in her last fight against Macy Chiasson; that's her best path to victory.
With Amanda Nunes returning next year to take on Kayla Harrison in a much-anticipated mega fight, the number one contender after that outcome is wide open. Both of these women have a prime opportunity to get themselves next in line for a title shot. This is a matchup between skill and technique versus size and power. Whichever way this fight goes, you're not going to want to miss it and all the other exciting action this Saturday. November 1st, with a main card start time of 7:00 p.m. EST.
