No. 4 bantamweight Norma Dumont leaves UFC, says she'll likely box in 2027

Norma Dumont, ranked No. 4 at women's bantamweight, has left the UFC. She announced it on Instagram on Tuesday, Nov. 10. She said she asked for her release with two fights left on her contract, and the UFC agreed.

The 36-year-old Brazilian said in a Portuguese-language video that she is leaning toward boxing next year. The UFC has not commented publicly. As of Wednesday, UFC.com still lists her as active and ranked fourth.

Why she asked to leave

First she heard the UFC probably wouldn't renew her. Later, she said, she was told it wouldn't. "And I had already been told that the UFC wouldn't renew it after my final two fights either," she said. MMA Fighting translated the video, and Cageside Press carried it.

She said a title shot was out of reach: "I'm not going to be able to reach a title shot with just these last two fights, am I?" That line comes from a Google translation published by MMA Junkie.

In MMA Junkie's translation, she also said she had planned to retire by the end of 2027 "or perhaps even sooner, because we want to start a family." Her partner is UFC middleweight Marco Tulio, according to Heavy.

Boxing, or a title fight elsewhere

Dumont said "a major boxing promotion" has approached her, as quoted by SB Nation. She also said another MMA organization has offered her a title fight, according to MMA Sucka. She named neither and said talks are early and confidential.

"I have to admit that I'm leaning a little more toward boxing," she said in MMA Fighting's translation, carried by Cageside Press.

"I think it's going to be great, and I believe you'll see me boxing next year."

No promoter, date, opponent or weight class has been announced.

How she got here

Dumont is 13-4 overall and 9-4 in the UFC. Her debut in February 2020 ended in a first-round knockout loss to Megan Anderson at featherweight. Every UFC fight since went the distance, according to Wikipedia.

After a split-decision loss to Macy Chiasson at UFC 274 in May 2022, she won six straight. That run included Germaine de Randamie, Irene Aldana and, on Nov. 1, 2025, Ketlen Vieira by split decision.

After what SI called a "contentious" win over Vieira, she moved up to No. 3. SI later framed her April booking against Yana Santos as a possible title eliminator. Santos withdrew injured and Joselyne Edwards stepped in.

Dumont spoke to UFC.com before the fight. "There's no one else in front of me, so if I get my hand raised, I should be the next one for the title," she said.

Edwards beat her by unanimous decision on April 25, and Ailin Perez did the same on Sept. 26. Both now sit above her in the UFC rankings: Edwards is tied for No. 1 and Perez is No. 3. Edwards is also the backup for Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes at UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Nov. 14, per Cageside Press.

How the market saw her

At closing odds, Dumont went 9-3 in the 12 UFC fights with a line, according to her CageOracle page. A one-unit stake on her every time would be up 4.96 units. That's hindsight, not a plan anyone could have known to follow.

She won about 2.6 more fights than her closing prices implied, 9 against 6.4 expected. Over 12 fights that could be luck. We think her clearest case is the run right after her debut, when the market was slow on her. She beat Ashlee Evans-Smith (+117), Felicia Spencer (+156) and Aspen Ladd (+115) in a row as the underdog.

She also kept winning close-priced fights: Karol Rosa and de Randamie at −120, Aldana at −111. Her last two fights were losses: to Edwards as a −208 favourite, then to Perez as a +138 underdog.