UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Saint Denis · Sep 28, 2024 · Catchweight (136.5 lb) · Completed
Prev Fight UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Saint Denis Next Fight
Age 31
Height 5' 5"
Reach 66"
Weight 135 lbs.
Stance Switch
Age 30
Height 5' 9"
Reach 68"
Weight 135 lbs.
Stance Orthodox
Career Averages - Ailín Pérez
2.88 SLpM
56.0% Str. Acc.
1.58 SApM
56.0% Str. Def.
4.9 TD Avg
49.0% TD Acc.
72.0% TD Def.
0.2 Sub. Avg
Career Averages - Daria Zhelezniakova
4.75 SLpM
41.0% Str. Acc.
2.83 SApM
68.0% Str. Def.
0.44 TD Avg
100.0% TD Acc.
50.0% TD Def.
0.0 Sub. Avg
Ailín Pérez
Moneyline
Caesars -205
KO/TKO
FanDuel +550
Submission
BetRivers +1300
Decision
BetRivers -108
Daria Zhelezniakova
Moneyline
DraftKings +200
KO/TKO
FanDuel +700
Submission
BetRivers +2500
Decision
BetRivers +420
Ailín Pérez - Fight History
WIN vs Macy Chiasson
Decision R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Kavanagh · Feb 28, 2026
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Ailín Pérez 0 27 of 38 71% 68 of 83 6 of 10 60% 0 0 7:36
Macy Chiasson 0 8 of 23 34% 41 of 74 0 of 2 0% 0 2 3:51
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Ailín Pérez 0 6 of 7 85% 10 of 11 2 of 2 100% 0 0 1:19
Macy Chiasson 0 4 of 5 80% 24 of 41 0 of 0 --- 0 2 2:48
2 Ailín Pérez 0 13 of 20 65% 25 of 35 3 of 5 60% 0 0 1:56
Macy Chiasson 0 1 of 14 7% 13 of 28 0 of 2 0% 0 0 0:53
3 Ailín Pérez 0 8 of 11 72% 33 of 37 1 of 3 33% 0 0 4:21
Macy Chiasson 0 3 of 4 75% 4 of 5 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:10
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Ailín Pérez 27 of 38 71% 14 of 19 9 of 13 4 of 6 8 of 15 10 of 13 9 of 10
Macy Chiasson 8 of 23 34% 4 of 16 4 of 7 0 of 0 1 of 16 3 of 3 4 of 4
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Ailín Pérez 6 of 7 85% 4 of 5 0 of 0 2 of 2 1 of 1 1 of 1 4 of 5
Macy Chiasson 4 of 5 80% 4 of 5 0 of 0 0 of 0 0 of 1 0 of 0 4 of 4
2 Ailín Pérez 13 of 20 65% 4 of 7 7 of 10 2 of 3 6 of 11 6 of 8 1 of 1
Macy Chiasson 1 of 14 7% 0 of 10 1 of 4 0 of 0 0 of 13 1 of 1 0 of 0
3 Ailín Pérez 8 of 11 72% 6 of 7 2 of 3 0 of 1 1 of 3 3 of 4 4 of 4
Macy Chiasson 3 of 4 75% 0 of 1 3 of 3 0 of 0 1 of 2 2 of 2 0 of 0
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Feb 22, 2026 (6 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Angelo is shocked that Ailín Pérez is only a -165 favorite, believing she should be a -300 favorite. He highlights Pérez's relentless takedowns and pressure, noting that Macy Chiasson gets taken down easily and has been on a losing skid. He expects Pérez to shoot takedowns and win a decision, especially with the Mexican judges favoring aggression.

Expresses surprise at the odds, says Ailín should be a -300 favorite.
"Ailen should be a minus 300 favorite. I am shocked to see that Macy Chasson is even a reasonable underdog."
BI
Big Brady Expert Hesitant picked Feb 22, 2026 (6 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Big Brady picks Ailín Pérez but expresses hesitation due to elevation concerns and Pérez's history of gassing. He compares Macy Chiasson to 'female Phil Rowe,' noting she is big but ineffective and can be controlled on the ground. He believes Pérez can take Chiasson down and win the first two rounds, but the third could be sketchy. He predicts a decision win.

decision
"So, give me Perez. I'm going to take Perez to win this fight by decision."
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Feb 25, 2026 (3 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Cody agrees, noting Chiasson's weight cut issues and tendency to fade. He highlights Pérez's strong top game and expects a decision win. He suggests waiting for weigh-ins to potentially get better odds on Pérez.

"It's an Een Perez decision play for me."
CO
Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Feb 27, 2026 (1 day before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Connor picks Pérez, noting that Chiasson is breakable and lacks durability. He points out that Chiasson's wins often come when she is confident, but she tends to fade or get finished. Pérez is tough and knows how to win, making her the safer pick despite Chiasson's finishing ability.

Same odds commentary as Zane.
"That's why I'm picking against her here."
DA
Daniel Vreeland Expert picked Feb 20, 2024 (739 days before fight)

Daniel does not discuss this fight in the transcript.

DI
Diary of a Pro Gambler Expert Hesitant picked Feb 28, 2026 (fight day)
Macy Chiasson

The host is betting on Chiasson despite her inconsistency because the odds are too wide. He believes Chiasson is better than Pérez everywhere: she has a huge size and reach advantage, is a better striker and grappler, and has superior cardio. However, Chiasson has self-destructive tendencies and bad fight IQ, making her unreliable. The host caps the fight at 50/50 because Chiasson only shows up half the time, but at +149, the value is too good to pass up. He also notes Pérez's cardio may suffer at high altitude.

"There's no way Chersison should be an underdog in this fight. The odds just don't make any sense at all. ... Problem is quite often Chazon doesn't show up."
LU
Lucrative James Expert Confident picked Feb 22, 2026 (6 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

James favors Pérez due to her wrestling and top control, which should neutralize Chiasson's striking. He notes Chiasson's confidence issues and tendency to wilt when pressured. James predicts Pérez wins by decision, though he admits bias as he knows Pérez personally.

"My pick will be E Island Perez to win this fight. Most likely via decision."
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Feb 24, 2026 (4 days before fight)
Macy Chiasson

The host picks Macy Chiasson as an underdog, surprised that Pérez is -185. He believes Chiasson is stronger and lands more damage, while Pérez relies on grinding top control. He expects Chiasson to defend takedowns and land the better strikes, winning a decision. He notes Chiasson's recent losing streak but thinks she matches up well.

"Give me Kason and Kason by decision."
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Feb 25, 2026 (3 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Paul expects Pérez to use her wrestling to control Chiasson, who struggles with weight cuts and cardio at altitude. He sees a decision win for Pérez and recommends waiting for weigh-ins to confirm Chiasson's condition.

"AFP by boring stalling uh wrestling clinic and then somehow she'll be like borderline top 10 fighter at that point."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Feb 28, 2026 (fight day)
Ailín Pérez

The MMA Guru picks Ailín Pérez, trusting her takedown entries and physicality. He notes that Macy Chiasson looked bad in her last fight against Irene Aldana, and he believes Pérez can take her down and control the ground. He predicts a 29-28 decision win, acknowledging that Pérez has been improving and has a strong build for the division.

29-28 decision
"I'm going to go with Ailin Perez. ... I think she's going to win this fight by decision. A shitty decision, 29-28."
ZA
Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Feb 27, 2026 (1 day before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Zane picks Pérez because she is mentally consistent, has a clear winning game plan, and sticks to it. He notes that Chiasson is bigger and more powerful but breaks down mentally and physically. Pérez's takedown game and high motor should wear on Chiasson, who has a weak core and struggles with leverage.

Chiasson opened at -110, now +155; Pérez opened at -110, now -180. Zane calls these sensible odds.
"I'll take Perez too. I just think she seems very mentally consistent from one round to the next one minute to the next."
WIN vs Karol Rosa
Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 30–27) R3 5:00 · UFC 311: Makhachev vs. Moicano · Jan 18, 2025
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Ailín Pérez 0 53 of 112 47% 120 of 182 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Karol Rosa 0 62 of 131 47% 81 of 155 2 of 8 25% 0 0 4:15
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Ailín Pérez 0 18 of 25 72% 48 of 56 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Karol Rosa 0 13 of 23 56% 21 of 33 1 of 4 25% 0 0 2:08
2 Ailín Pérez 0 11 of 33 33% 45 of 68 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Karol Rosa 0 16 of 41 39% 27 of 53 1 of 3 33% 0 0 1:50
3 Ailín Pérez 0 24 of 54 44% 27 of 58 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Karol Rosa 0 33 of 67 49% 33 of 69 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:17
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Ailín Pérez 53 of 112 47% 20 of 67 6 of 11 27 of 34 49 of 105 2 of 5 2 of 2
Karol Rosa 62 of 131 47% 28 of 87 11 of 17 23 of 27 56 of 121 2 of 3 4 of 7
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Ailín Pérez 18 of 25 72% 8 of 14 1 of 2 9 of 9 16 of 22 0 of 1 2 of 2
Karol Rosa 13 of 23 56% 10 of 18 1 of 1 2 of 4 9 of 16 2 of 2 2 of 5
2 Ailín Pérez 11 of 33 33% 6 of 24 0 of 1 5 of 8 10 of 31 1 of 2 0 of 0
Karol Rosa 16 of 41 39% 5 of 25 6 of 10 5 of 6 14 of 38 0 of 1 2 of 2
3 Ailín Pérez 24 of 54 44% 6 of 29 5 of 8 13 of 17 23 of 52 1 of 2 0 of 0
Karol Rosa 33 of 67 49% 13 of 44 4 of 6 16 of 17 33 of 67 0 of 0 0 of 0
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Ailin Perez vs. Karol Rosa
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Rosa (-265), Perez (+215)

Round 1
Since making her promotional debut in 2019, Rosa (18-6, 7-3 UFC) has gone to decision in all 10 of her UFC outings. The Brazilian may tie a record if she hears the final bell against Perez (11-2, 4-1 UFC)—but the only decisions for Perez have come when she won the fight. Serving as the only women’s match of the evening, the ladies try to do their division justice and improve on the paltry finish rate that marred last year. They will do so as referee Mike Beltran takes charge of the cage. A fist bump starts the action, and Rosa assumes the center of the cage to get going. Slowly walking towards the Argentinian, Rosa ignores incoming leg kicks so she can let her hands go. Perez charges her, clinching up with a body lock to try for a takedown, and Rosa slides away and breaks free. As she marches forward again, Rosa lets go with a right hand, and Perez times a tackling takedown to put the Brazilian on her back. Landing in half guard, Perez gets right to work with grinding top control. The action stalls out with Perez dragged back to the full guard, as she lands the occasional blow and amassing plenty of control time. Perez passes to half guard on the other side, and Rosa actively pushes off the leg and launches an upkick to make Perez turn away and back off. Rosa punches her way into another exchange, where she stuffs a takedown and flicks out a jab at the end of it. Perez connects with three punches and darts away before getting caught, and she reaches down in hopes of catching a leg kick to attempt a takedown. Rosa tosses her out of the way and hammers the midsection with a right hand, and both ladies reset. Perez times a spinning back fist as Rosa advances, and Rosa gives her back a low kick to think about. Perez attempts high kick, and she fails to check a low kick when planting. Rosa keeps chewing up the lead leg of her opponent, forcing a stance switch. Perez waves on Rosa to come at her, but the round ends before she can.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Perez

Round 2
Perez leads off the round with peppering low kicks, keeping Rosa at bay early. Rosa jabs her way forward, and she whips a low kick up that appears to slap into Perez’ groin. Beltran calls time, and Perez takes a few seconds before getting back to it. They resume trading leg kicks, and Rosa overswings a right hand that allows Perez to clinch her. Rosa gets out of the tie-up to push out a jab, and she defends a takedown shot with relative ease. Perez paws out a front kick, and she raises her leg in time to stop a low kick from harming her. Rosa keeps her hands up to block a one-two, and she parries a spinning back fist and a body kick while pressing forward. Perez jumps at her with a knee, and Rosa pushes it to the side and punches her in the face. Perez works the body with a kick, and she backs off when a one-two is fired down the pipe. Perez scores a spinning back fist, lands and releases a body kick before Rosa can get to her. Rosa settles down, loops a right hand over the guard, and is out of range before a counter gets to her. Rosa puts two punches on the jaw and pops Perez with a flying knee, but the subsequent takedown attempt slows her down. Rosa defends the first try, but the second effort by the Argentinian leads to her securing top position, landing in half guard. Perez prefers position over offense when getting the fight down, clinging to her foe and softening her up with the occasional blow. Perez hangs on in an arm-triangle setup, only to get bucked back to the guard when it starts getting close. The round ends with both women striking while horizontal, and it might go either way.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Perez

Round 3
There is a double touch of gloves to begin the last round, and Perez paws out her left hand to start things off. They connect at the same time with alternating single punches, and then back away to reset. Perez scores a low kick and gets popped with a left hook, but it is one-and-done for the Brazilian. Rosa aims an overhand right at the target, and it brushes past “Fiona,” who chambers and fires two kicks in rapid succession. Rosa stalks down her adversary and jackhammers her with an inside low kick that makes Perez stumble and change stances. Perez returns fire with her own calf kick, and Rosa no-sells it and hacks at the front wheel. Rosa ducks a telegraphed spinning back fist and checks a few low kicks while pressing ahead, and her landed leg kick consistently gets Perez’ attention. Two big punches from Rosa force Perez to tie her up, and she cannot hold her for long before Rosa breaks away. Rosa nails the front leg with a kick that makes Perez wince, and some swelling develops above Perez’ left eye. Rosa stays in her foe’s face, keeping just out of range of the flying strikes so she can sit down on left hooks and leg kicks. Perez is compromised but still in the fight, and at the 90-second mark, Rosa does not appear to be aggressive to the point of forcing a finish. Instead, Rosa remains composed, slowly chipping away at either leg and jabbing her way forward. Perez smacks Rosa upside the head with a right hand, and Rosa stalks her around the cage lobbing punches and heavy kicks. Perez pushes her back with front kicks and a stomping kick to the knee, but Rosa decides to take a page out of her playbook and spin to strike. There is no finish, and the bantamweights go the distance to likely set a record for Rosa starting her UFC run with 11 straight decisions.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rosa (29-28 Perez)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Rosa (29-28 Perez)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rosa (29-28 Perez)

The Official Result
Ailin Perez def. Karol Rosa via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jan 12, 2025 (6 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Angelo picks Ailín Pérez as an underdog, believing her wrestling and forward pressure will be too much for Karol Rosa, who hasn't faced a strong wrestler recently. He notes that Rosa's takedown defense is untested against a wrestler of Pérez's style. He has a small bet on Pérez at +150 and is surprised the odds are widening instead of tightening.

Small bet half a unit on Ailín Pérez at +150; may double down or bet +3.5 rounds for cushion.
"I think aen Perez actually does win this fight I love her as an underdog I have a small little bed on her half a unit"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Jan 16, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Cody picks Ailín Pérez as an underdog, citing her wrestling and top control. He notes that Pérez has taken down all her UFC opponents and has improved rapidly at Fortis MMA. Rosa has poor takedown defense and no get-up game once taken down, as seen against Sarah McMahon and Norma Dumont. Cody believes Pérez will take Rosa down, control her, and win rounds. He also mentions that Rosa has no power and all her wins are by decision, so Pérez only needs to win the first two rounds.

No specific prop bet mentioned.
"iien ien Perez sign me up Paul come on"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Jan 14, 2025 (4 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Daniel picks Pérez for the upset, noting that he has lost money betting on Rosa multiple times. He believes Pérez's relentless takedown attack and improved standup will be key. Daniel thinks if Pérez takes Rosa down, she can win. He mentions that Rosa has poor takedown defense and has faded in fights.

Daniel says he is not trying to lose money on Rosa for a fourth time. He picks Pérez to win.
"I'm gonna go with Eileen Perez for the upset"
LU
Lucrative James Expert Confident picked Jan 15, 2025 (3 days before fight)
Karol Rosa

Lucrative James picks Karol Rosa, stating she is the better overall MMA fighter with superior striking, cardio, experience, and grappling. He acknowledges Ailín Pérez's tenacious wrestling and potential to cause problems early, but notes Pérez's poor cardio and striking, which often leads to her fading in round three. James observes that Rosa typically has her best round in the third, while Pérez fades, making a late stoppage or decision win for Rosa likely. He understands the appeal of Pérez as a big underdog due to her grappling, but ultimately favors Rosa's well-rounded game.

"I have to pick Carol Roser in this fight but I understand if you're taking Perez as a massive Underdog just because of the potential that this is women's MMA kind of close fight"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Jan 17, 2025 (1 day before fight)
Karol Rosa

The host believes Rosa has a significant striking advantage and can stay upright against Perez's grinding grappling. He expects Rosa to chop away at the lead leg and possibly muster a late finish, but ultimately win on the scorecards.

"I'm going to go with HOSA and HOSA to win this fight on the scorecards"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Jan 16, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Paul agrees with Cody, picking Pérez. He notes that if the fight becomes a grappling match, Pérez has the advantage. Paul acknowledges that Pérez's cardio has been problematic in round three, but believes she can win the first two rounds. At plus 210, he sees plenty of value. He also mentions that Rosa has no power, so Pérez can afford to slow down late.

No specific prop bet mentioned.
"at plus 210 they're giving me plenty of meat on the bone too to take a shot there so I'm with you"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jan 14, 2025 (4 days before fight)
Karol Rosa

The MMA Guru picks Karol Rosa over Ailín Pérez. He argues that Rosa is better at MMA overall, with great takedown defense, ability to get back to her feet, and striking that doesn't look amateurish. He notes Rosa has competed with top division fighters like Irene Aldana and Norma Dumont, and outlanded Aldana. He sees this as a step up for Pérez against a real MMA fighter.

"I'm going to side with Carol Rosa I just think it's the next step in aen Perez's career where she actually faces a female MMA fighter who is good at MMA"
Submission (arm-triangle choke) R1 3:52 · UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Saint Denis · Sep 28, 2024
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Ailín Pérez 0 7 of 12 58% 22 of 27 2 of 4 50% 1 0 1:42
Daria Zhelezniakova 0 5 of 12 41% 12 of 21 1 of 1 100% 0 0 0:39
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Ailín Pérez 0 7 of 12 58% 22 of 27 2 of 4 50% 1 0 1:42
Daria Zhelezniakova 0 5 of 12 41% 12 of 21 1 of 1 100% 0 0 0:39
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Ailín Pérez 7 of 12 58% 5 of 7 0 of 1 2 of 4 3 of 8 1 of 1 3 of 3
Daria Zhelezniakova 5 of 12 41% 4 of 10 1 of 2 0 of 0 4 of 11 0 of 0 1 of 1
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Ailín Pérez 7 of 12 58% 5 of 7 0 of 1 2 of 4 3 of 8 1 of 1 3 of 3
Daria Zhelezniakova 5 of 12 41% 4 of 10 1 of 2 0 of 0 4 of 11 0 of 0 1 of 1
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Ailin Perez (136.5: Missed Weight) vs. Darya Zheleznyakova

Round 1
In a fight that some have posited should not be happening today, Perez (10-2, 3-1 UFC) appears to be in much better shape than she was on Friday. The Argentinian still did miss weight as she cut down to 136.5 pounds, and her tremors and wobbly nature appear to be a thing of the past. Her team says the shakes were a ruse, but is Perez that good of an actor? Happy to take 20% of her foe’s purse, Zheleznyakova (9-1, 1-0 UFC) would also like to cash a second check and further work her way up the women’s bantamweight ladder. There is no glove touch offered as this has developed into a chippy fight, and referee Herb Dean watches on. After a fair amount of circling, Perez eventually engages with a takedown shot. Zheleznyakova pushes her away, and they resume their staring contest. Zheleznyakova decides she would like to try the grappling game, and she gets Perez down and lowers herself to side control. Zheleznyakova bails on the position for some reason and stands, and she has to quickly defend a shot from the Argentinian. Zheleznyakova reaches her opponent with a right hand, and she stuff another try and connects with another right hook. Perez crashes the pocket and tackles Zheleznyakova to the mat with a body lock takedown, where she scrambles her way all the way to full mount. Perez opens up with a few punches as she gets dragged back to half guard, and she starts setting up an arm-triangle choke. Perez lowers her body weight down to pressure the Russian’s throat, and Zheleznyakova’s face transforms to a brilliant shade of red in a hurry. Before she even moves to side control or mount, Perez manages to elicit the tap she was seeking. Dean officially calls a halt to the match, and when Zheleznyakova stands, Perez twerks in her face. The fans don’t know what to think, but she does not care, as her celebration dance continues.

The Official Result
Ailin Perez def. Darya Zheleznyakova R1 3:52 via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Sep 22, 2024 (6 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Angelo picks Ailín Pérez confidently. He highlights her relentless forward pressure and takedowns, and notes that Daria's takedown defense is just okay. He expects Pérez to control the fight with wrestling and cardio, though he acknowledges Daria won a decision despite being taken down multiple times in her last fight. He also likes the over 2.5 rounds.

over 2.5 rounds
"Ailín Pérez should win this fight... the forward pressure, the takedowns... over two and a half should be good as well."
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Sep 27, 2024 (1 day before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Big Brady picks Ailín Pérez by decision, citing her wrestling advantage (5 takedowns per 15 minutes) against Zhelezniakova's 50% takedown defense. He notes Pérez often has sketchy moments in fights but thinks she can win the first two rounds. He expects a decision win, possibly losing the third round.

Pérez by decision
"Perez uh Perez probably by decision here the third round it could get sketchy it seems like you know third rounds with Perez they do get sketchy quite a bit but as long as she can at least win those …"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Sep 24, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Daria Zhelezniakova

Cody picks Zhelezniakova as an underdog, citing the hometown advantage and Pérez's tendency to do just enough to win without finishing. He notes that Pérez's takedowns often lead to little damage, and the judges may favor the local fighter in close rounds. Zhelezniakova is a striker who can outland Pérez on the feet.

"Underdog for me here as well"
CO
Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Sep 27, 2024 (1 day before fight)
Daria Zhelezniakova

Connor agrees, pointing out that Pérez's wins have come against low-level competition and that she almost lost to Jocelyn Edwards. He thinks the odds are too wide in Pérez's favor and that Zhelezniakova is a bigger athlete who doesn't constantly do stuff that doesn't work.

"I don't see this as like any kind of slam dunk for Perez at all."
DA
Daniel Vreeland Expert Confident picked Sep 24, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Daniel Vreeland picks Ailín Pérez to win. He thinks Pérez's wrestling will dominate, as she has landed many takedowns in recent fights. He notes Zhelezniakova has poor takedown defense and has been controlled on the ground. He expects Pérez to win by decision or ground-and-pound, but is not interested in the price.

"Perez has massive massive wrestling upside man like it's crazy she's gonna take her down pretty easily"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Hesitant picked Sep 25, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

JP picks Ailín Pérez but is hesitant because the line is -275, which he thinks is too big for a close fight. He compares Zhelezniakova to Daria Dudova, who was a good striker but faded when pressured. He thinks Pérez's pressure and clinch work will win her the decision.

"I'm gonna pick Eileen Perez but with the line with it as it is minus 275 not a huge fan that's that's pretty big for this fight"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Sep 24, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Paul initially picks Pérez due to her takedown threat, but after discussion, he switches to Zhelezniakova citing the CF model and hometown cooking. He notes that Pérez doesn't do enough with takedowns and that the fight could be close, favoring the local fighter.

"I'm switching my pick CF do model... cornal is the pick"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Sep 24, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

The MMA Guru picks Ailín Pérez over Daria Zhelezniakova, citing Pérez's size and strength, particularly her lower body power. He notes that Zhelezniakova has good striking but struggles with grappling, and Pérez has strong takedown entries. He expects Pérez to win via grappling.

"I'm going to go with aen Perez being big strong having good entries on takedowns and uh doing work from there"
ZA
Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Sep 27, 2024 (1 day before fight)
Daria Zhelezniakova

Zane thinks Zhelezniakova is a bigger athlete with a functional game she sticks to, while Pérez is too small and relies on a grappling style that may not work against better fighters. He notes that Pérez has been winning due to commitment to a simple game, but Zhelezniakova will have opportunities to tag her and force ugly shots.

"Zhelezhnikov seems like it's just way bigger, has a functional game she sticks to. That's enough."
Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 29–28, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC 302: Makhachev vs. Poirier · Jun 01, 2024
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Ailín Pérez 1 42 of 62 67% 68 of 91 6 of 11 54% 0 2 4:18
Joselyne Edwards 0 27 of 64 42% 130 of 179 0 of 0 --- 1 4 5:11
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Ailín Pérez 0 14 of 17 82% 30 of 35 3 of 3 100% 0 2 3:08
Joselyne Edwards 0 3 of 6 50% 32 of 35 0 of 0 --- 0 3 1:13
2 Ailín Pérez 1 9 of 15 60% 15 of 22 1 of 2 50% 0 0 0:20
Joselyne Edwards 0 3 of 10 30% 64 of 83 0 of 0 --- 1 1 3:19
3 Ailín Pérez 0 19 of 30 63% 23 of 34 2 of 6 33% 0 0 0:50
Joselyne Edwards 0 21 of 48 43% 34 of 61 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:39
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Ailín Pérez 42 of 62 67% 16 of 28 15 of 19 11 of 15 24 of 44 8 of 8 10 of 10
Joselyne Edwards 27 of 64 42% 9 of 37 8 of 14 10 of 13 24 of 59 1 of 3 2 of 2
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Ailín Pérez 14 of 17 82% 8 of 9 2 of 2 4 of 6 3 of 6 3 of 3 8 of 8
Joselyne Edwards 3 of 6 50% 1 of 3 2 of 2 0 of 1 1 of 4 1 of 1 1 of 1
2 Ailín Pérez 9 of 15 60% 3 of 6 4 of 6 2 of 3 6 of 12 1 of 1 2 of 2
Joselyne Edwards 3 of 10 30% 2 of 7 0 of 2 1 of 1 2 of 8 0 of 1 1 of 1
3 Ailín Pérez 19 of 30 63% 5 of 13 9 of 11 5 of 6 15 of 26 4 of 4 0 of 0
Joselyne Edwards 21 of 48 43% 6 of 27 6 of 10 9 of 11 21 of 47 0 of 1 0 of 0
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Joselyne Edwards vs. Ailin Perez
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Perez (-198), Edwards (+164)

Round 1
One lone women’s bout will play out on the billing tonight, and it comes now at the 135-pound division between two women that will not likely go out for a beer after. In the last few years, Argentina’s Perez (9-2, 2-1 UFC) has built a pattern of winning two and losing the third, and she currently rides a two-fight win streak. Looking to keep that pattern going will be Edwards (13-5, 4-3 UFC), who has heard the final bell in all seven of her previous outings in the Octagon. Referee Gasper Oliver may be in it for the long haul, and he clocks the grudge match in as they have no interest in touching gloves first—although Perez does offer. Perez backs off and reaches out low kicks, and Edwards checks one and throws a front kick back. Perez punches, and she moves in to grab hold of Edwards and drags her back to the cage by putting her own back to the wall. This is all part of the plan, even as she eats a solid knee to the body, as she slings Edwards down to the floor. “La Pantera” fights her way back up with the fence behind her, so Perez mat returns her back down with a throw that plants her on her back in the middle of the cage. Perez lands a few punches from on top, and she is warned for punches to the back of the head. Edwards sweeps her when Perez tries to pass guard, and a wild scramble results in multiple reversals and changes in position. Edwards finds her way on top, and Perez flips her back over, only to get put on her back as Edwards times Perez advancing again. Edwards scoots her way to the cage wall, and as soon as she stands back up, Perez tosses her back down. “Fiona” settles down and hacks down with elbows, remaining more composed and less reckless so she can rack up control time without getting swept. Edwards hangs on with an arm-triangle off her back, and Perez completely ignores it as she resides in half guard, grinding out the round and dropping occasional elbows. Perez tries to move to mount, and Edwards remarkably flips her over once more. The amusing round ends with Edwards on top.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Perez

Round 2
Edwards comes out of her corner and takes the center of the cage, only to get driven back by two punches and an attempted high kick. Edwards replies with a single body kick, and she blocks a head kick aimed her direction. Perez defends from a high kick and a haymaker by swiping out with a left hook that stuns Perez momentarily. Perez shoots recklessly for a takedown, and Edwards snatches up a guillotine that is tight in a hurry. The Panamanian uses the submission to push Perez on her back, and she lands in half guard. Edwards postures up to land strikes occasionally, and as she lowers herself down, she smashes Perez in the face with her forehead with what appears to be an intentional headbutt. Perez clutches her cheek after the illegal blow, and Oliver calls time. Perez appears compromised from the blow, and Oliver simply asks Edwards to watch her head without issuing a hard warning or taking a point. Oliver clocks them back in, and Perez is still holding onto her cheek. When they do continue, Perez totally shocks her foe with a spinning back fist, knocking Edwards clean off her feet. Edwards appears stunned, and she somehow comes to her senses as Perez does not give chase. Instead, the two appear confused, and Perez decides to tackle Edwards to the mat. Perez falls off the side, and she pursues an armbar, only for Edwards to flip her over. Edwards holds top position to the bell.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Perez
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Perez

Round 3
Once more, Edwards is the aggressor to lead off the round, but Perez takes advantage of that by kicking her hard in the ribs. Edwards overswings, and Perez attempts to take her down. Edwards stonewalls her, and Perez tries again to no avail. On this second effort, Edwards shuts her down and pushes her towards the fence. Perez kicks off the fence to change her position, and she hunts for a hip toss but cannot get it this time. Edwards stays tightly pressed in the clinch, and the two tie their legs up until Perez chucks her to the mat. Edwards stands back up, and Perez backs off and pulls on the fence to stand back up. Edwards backs her off with a front kick, and she chases after a retreating Perez and kicks her in the front leg as well. A second low kick from Edwards forces a brief change in stances, and the pace wanes significantly. Perez comes up short on a big left hand, and Edwards spins with a back fist but is blocked. Perez tosses out a half-hearted high kick that easily gets redirected, and her leg kick comes up short. Edwards goes after her with reaching punches, and she misses the mark. Edwards plants a kick on the chest, and they trade leg kicks until Edwards catches her with a few punches. Perez spins with a back fist, and they both smile and touch gloves in a potential sign that the bad blood is dissipating. They keep slamming one another in the front leg with kicks, and Perez turns her hips to her side to deliver a solid side kick to the body. Edwards throws a few punches, and Perez rushes forward to take her down and lands it with seconds to spare. As Edwards stands, the fight ends, and the two women hug it out and appear to apologize to one another for everything that transpired between them. The teams also shake hands with one another, and the bantamweight share a finalizing embrace.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards (29-28 Perez)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Perez (30-27 Perez)
Devin Tejada scores the round: 10-9 Perez (30-27 Perez)

The Official Result
Ailin Perez def. Joselyne Edwards via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked May 26, 2024 (6 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Angelo picks Ailín Pérez to win due to her relentless wrestling and forward pressure, despite her sometimes sloppy control on the ground. He thinks Joselyne Edwards is underrated and has good kickboxing and improved takedown defense, but believes Pérez's wrestling will be the difference. He plans to bet on Edwards plus 3.5 and over 2.5 rounds as prop bets.

Plans to bet on Joselyne Edwards +3.5 and over 2.5 rounds when lines drop
"I do think aen Perez wins I think aen Perez is going to get the wrestling going have a few takedowns have a little bit of success"
BI
Big Brady Expert Lean picked May 31, 2024 (1 day before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Big Brady thinks Ailín Pérez will be under the radar. He expects her to wrestle, get multiple takedowns, control time, and ground strikes. He notes Joselyne Edwards struggles with getting taken down and held down. He does not see a finish but expects a solid score at low ownership.

Ailín Pérez wins by decision, multiple takedowns and control time
"Eileen Perez in a win you know she has some solid upsides she can wrestle"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Hesitant picked May 29, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Cody picks Pérez but is hesitant, noting she slowed down in the third round against Lucie Pudilova and took damage. He expects Pérez to get early takedowns and control the fight, but worries about her cardio. He thinks she will win by decision but is not confident enough to add her high on parlays. He acknowledges Edwards' fights are close and could go either way.

"I expect her to get takedowns early, control and probably win this fight by decision... but round three was like she started to slow down... that would be my only concern."
DA
Daniel Vreeland Expert Hesitant picked May 28, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Daniel notes Edwards has improved but still gets reversed. He thinks Pérez's relentless takedown attempts will be enough if Edwards makes a mistake. He reluctantly picks Pérez but says it's dog or pass.

"I'm gonna reluctantly say aen is able to capitalize on Joselyn throwing kicks and falling"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked May 27, 2024 (5 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

The host expects Pérez to exploit Edwards' poor takedown defense and grind out a decision. Pérez's strength and top control should neutralize Edwards' volume striking, and Edwards' lack of finishing threat late in fights allows Pérez to survive her own cardio issues. The grudge match may add emotion, but Pérez's discipline and physicality should prevail.

"I think we'll see her exploit the takedown defense issue in Joselyn Edwards's game and that will allow Perez to just grind her out from that top position."
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked May 29, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Paul picks Pérez, citing her physical strength and top pressure. He notes Edwards' fights are always close and go to decision, and she lacks volume and power. Paul believes Pérez will initiate takedowns, control the clinch, and win a decision. He mentions Pérez's win over Stephanie Egger and her grappling credentials. He expects the New Jersey crowd to favor Pérez's aggressive style.

"Perez seems to just kill that space chest to chest... she's physically strong... she's going to be pressing Edwards into the cage... Perez by decision."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked May 27, 2024 (5 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

The MMA Guru picks Ailín Pérez based on MMA math: Pérez dominated Lucy Pudilova on the ground, while Edwards was outgrappled by the same opponent. He acknowledges that both fighters are similar but believes Pérez's grappling is superior. He notes that Edwards is a bit bigger and rangier but hasn't beaten a good UFC fighter.

"I'm going to go with aen Perez here purely based on the fact that aen Perez dominantly defeated a opponent that they share in common"
Decision (unanimous) (29–27, 29–28, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Craig · Nov 18, 2023
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Ailín Pérez 0 20 of 42 47% 41 of 67 0 of 0 --- 1 0 4:09
Lucie Pudilová 0 42 of 74 56% 123 of 180 2 of 8 25% 0 0 8:36
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Ailín Pérez 0 2 of 10 20% 3 of 12 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Lucie Pudilová 0 12 of 26 46% 48 of 64 1 of 2 50% 0 0 3:49
2 Ailín Pérez 0 2 of 8 25% 2 of 8 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Lucie Pudilová 0 25 of 37 67% 66 of 100 1 of 2 50% 0 0 4:26
3 Ailín Pérez 0 16 of 24 66% 36 of 47 0 of 0 --- 1 0 4:09
Lucie Pudilová 0 5 of 11 45% 9 of 16 0 of 4 0% 0 0 0:21
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Ailín Pérez 20 of 42 47% 13 of 31 7 of 9 0 of 2 5 of 25 9 of 10 6 of 7
Lucie Pudilová 42 of 74 56% 31 of 57 5 of 7 6 of 10 12 of 27 3 of 6 27 of 41
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Ailín Pérez 2 of 10 20% 1 of 6 1 of 2 0 of 2 2 of 10 0 of 0 0 of 0
Lucie Pudilová 12 of 26 46% 7 of 16 3 of 4 2 of 6 6 of 16 0 of 0 6 of 10
2 Ailín Pérez 2 of 8 25% 2 of 8 0 of 0 0 of 0 2 of 8 0 of 0 0 of 0
Lucie Pudilová 25 of 37 67% 22 of 34 0 of 0 3 of 3 4 of 6 0 of 0 21 of 31
3 Ailín Pérez 16 of 24 66% 10 of 17 6 of 7 0 of 0 1 of 7 9 of 10 6 of 7
Lucie Pudilová 5 of 11 45% 2 of 7 2 of 3 1 of 1 2 of 5 3 of 6 0 of 0
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Nov 12, 2023 (6 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Angelo is very confident in Ailín Pérez, citing her incredible cardio and wrestling pressure from her last fight where she set the bantamweight record for takedowns. He notes Lucie Pudilová can be taken down and that -150 feels like a good deal. He plans to bet on her.

Will have a moneyline bet on her
"I like aen in this spot I mean even if she's 80% of what she was in her last fight she should win this so minus 150 feels like a good deal and I will have a money on her …"
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Nov 17, 2023 (1 day before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Big Brady finds Perez's nickname change to 'Nurmagomedov' hilarious but thinks she earned it with 10 takedowns in her last fight. He sees Perez as a bully who will come forward, push Pudilová against the cage, and take her down repeatedly. He notes Pudilová has better striking but has struggled with takedowns and control in the past. He believes the odds flip is correct and Perez should be the favorite, winning a grinding decision.

"I think Perez goes out there and implements that wrestling heavy game plan wins a a grinding based decision"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Nov 16, 2023 (2 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Cody picks Ailín Pérez, citing her takedown volume and pressure. He notes that Pudilová has poor takedown defense and low striking volume. Pérez can grind out a decision with takedowns and control. Cody also mentions a PrizePicks play on Pérez over 2.5 takedowns.

Cody mentions a PrizePicks play on Pérez over 2.5 takedowns.
"Eileen Perez wins a a semi convincing decision Where She lays on top"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Lean picked Nov 17, 2023 (1 day before fight)
Lucie Pudilová

Pudilová has improved her grappling significantly since her first UFC stint, now using it offensively. She is the cleaner striker and can cut up Pérez on the feet. Even on the ground, Pudilová can throw up submissions and reverse positions. Pérez relies on strength and bullying, which may not work against a technically better grappler like Pudilová. Pudilová wins by decision.

"I'm actually going to lean with pudova to win this fight I think she batters uh Perez throughout this matchup I think she nullifies the control of Perez with her own damage and that will end up being the Difference …"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Nov 16, 2023 (2 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Paul picks Pérez, noting her physical strength and relentless pressure. He highlights Pudilová's inability to defend takedowns and her tendency to lose decisions. Paul expects Pérez to control the fight with takedowns and cage work.

"I got to go with E Perez"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Nov 14, 2023 (4 days before fight)
Lucie Pudilová

The MMA Guru picks Lucie Pudilová over Ailín Pérez, noting Pudilová's height and reach advantage as a rangier striker. He rates Pudilová's wins higher, including a close fight with Joselyne Edwards and a win over Yanan Wu, while criticizing Pérez's decision win over Ashley Evans-Smith as unimpressive. He believes Pudilová's improvement and range will be key if the fight stays standing, and doesn't see Pérez out-grappling her.

"I'm going to go with Lucy Pudilova... I think she'll have improved more, I think she's rangier taller, I reckon that's going to be a factor here if it ends up staying on the feet."
Decision (unanimous) (30–25, 30–25, 30–26) R3 5:00 · UFC on ESPN: Holm vs. Bueno Silva · Jul 15, 2023
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Ailín Pérez 0 12 of 47 25% 13 of 49 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:08
Ashlee Evans-Smith 0 60 of 104 57% 127 of 190 10 of 15 66% 0 0 11:36
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Ailín Pérez 0 4 of 17 23% 4 of 18 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Ashlee Evans-Smith 0 36 of 63 57% 50 of 87 3 of 4 75% 0 0 3:30
2 Ailín Pérez 0 5 of 22 22% 6 of 23 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:08
Ashlee Evans-Smith 0 11 of 18 61% 33 of 44 3 of 4 75% 0 0 3:38
3 Ailín Pérez 0 3 of 8 37% 3 of 8 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Ashlee Evans-Smith 0 13 of 23 56% 44 of 59 4 of 7 57% 0 0 4:28
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Ailín Pérez 12 of 47 25% 6 of 40 2 of 3 4 of 4 7 of 40 5 of 7 0 of 0
Ashlee Evans-Smith 60 of 104 57% 50 of 87 7 of 11 3 of 6 12 of 32 14 of 23 34 of 49
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Ailín Pérez 4 of 17 23% 3 of 16 0 of 0 1 of 1 2 of 15 2 of 2 0 of 0
Ashlee Evans-Smith 36 of 63 57% 33 of 58 2 of 3 1 of 2 6 of 21 4 of 5 26 of 37
2 Ailín Pérez 5 of 22 22% 2 of 18 2 of 3 1 of 1 3 of 18 2 of 4 0 of 0
Ashlee Evans-Smith 11 of 18 61% 8 of 14 3 of 4 0 of 0 6 of 10 2 of 5 3 of 3
3 Ailín Pérez 3 of 8 37% 1 of 6 0 of 0 2 of 2 2 of 7 1 of 1 0 of 0
Ashlee Evans-Smith 13 of 23 56% 9 of 15 2 of 4 2 of 4 0 of 1 8 of 13 5 of 9
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jul 9, 2023 (6 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Angelo picks Ailín Pérez, believing Ashlee will be rusty after a two-year layoff due to a USADA suspension. He notes Pérez defended five takedowns in her debut and got one of her own, while Ashlee is well-rounded but not a killer. He acknowledges Ashlee's experience makes her a live dog but thinks Pérez's youth and activity give her the edge.

"the pick is aylin here but anytime you get somebody with the experience of Ashley fighting a relative newcomer you could really have a live dog situation"
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Jul 13, 2023 (2 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Big Brady picks Ailín Pérez because Ashlee Evans-Smith is coming off a 2.5-year layoff, is 36 years old, and was 1-4 in her last five fights before the suspension. He doubts she will show a much improved version of herself. While he acknowledges Pérez is not great, he believes her youth and activity will be enough to win. He calls laying -225 'very irresponsible' and says he won't bet it, but he thinks Pérez wins the fight.

Laying -225 is very irresponsible, not a bet
"give me Eileen Perez to get it done laying minus 225 and Eileen Perez seems very irresponsible and it's not something I'll do but I think she she wins the fight"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Jul 12, 2023 (3 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Cody picks Pérez, citing her youth, hunger, and physical strength. He details Evans-Smith's personal issues, inactivity, and declining athleticism. He thinks Pérez will mash her into the cage, take her down, and test her cardio. He expects a finish inside the distance.

inside the distance
"I think Perez just mashes her into the cage takes her down when she needs to if not you know just keep it in the clinch rough her up tester that cardio and show her why at 36 it's hard …"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Jul 11, 2023 (4 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

The host notes that Ashlee Evans-Smith is coming off a nearly three-year layoff and is 36 years old, making her hard to trust. He believes Pérez will follow a similar game plan to Norma Dumont, using forward pressure and power to nullify Evans-Smith's wrestling and win by decision. Despite Pérez being raw, the host favors her due to Evans-Smith's inactivity and age.

"I'm still gonna go with the Argentinian Eileen Perez I think she batters her way to a decision Victory"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Jul 12, 2023 (3 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Paul picks Pérez, citing her youth, hunger, and physical strength. He notes Evans-Smith has been inactive for three years and has personal issues. He thinks Pérez can take her down and rough her up. He is not touching the -220 line but picks her to win.

"I'll still pick her but there's no way I am touching mine is 220 with a 10 foot pole"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Hesitant picked Jul 11, 2023 (4 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

The MMA Guru hesitantly picks Ailín Pérez over Ashlee Evans-Smith, noting Evans-Smith's three-year layoff and age (36) but questioning Pérez's loss to Stephanie Egger. He acknowledges Pérez's regional wins and Evans-Smith's potential return, but ultimately goes with Pérez by decision, though he wouldn't be surprised by an Evans-Smith win.

"gotta go alien Perez by decision"
LOSS vs Stephanie Egger
Submission (rear-naked choke) R2 4:54 · UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa · Sep 03, 2022
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Stephanie Egger 0 15 of 22 68% 47 of 64 2 of 7 28% 1 1 6:59
Ailín Pérez 0 16 of 34 47% 41 of 61 1 of 3 33% 0 0 1:33
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Stephanie Egger 0 8 of 11 72% 23 of 32 1 of 4 25% 0 1 3:41
Ailín Pérez 0 7 of 16 43% 13 of 23 1 of 3 33% 0 0 0:31
2 Stephanie Egger 0 7 of 11 63% 24 of 32 1 of 3 33% 1 0 3:18
Ailín Pérez 0 9 of 18 50% 28 of 38 0 of 0 --- 0 0 1:02
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Stephanie Egger 15 of 22 68% 9 of 16 3 of 3 3 of 3 5 of 11 3 of 3 7 of 8
Ailín Pérez 16 of 34 47% 7 of 20 9 of 12 0 of 2 8 of 25 6 of 6 2 of 3
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Stephanie Egger 8 of 11 72% 6 of 9 1 of 1 1 of 1 1 of 3 1 of 1 6 of 7
Ailín Pérez 7 of 16 43% 4 of 11 3 of 4 0 of 1 3 of 11 3 of 3 1 of 2
2 Stephanie Egger 7 of 11 63% 3 of 7 2 of 2 2 of 2 4 of 8 2 of 2 1 of 1
Ailín Pérez 9 of 18 50% 3 of 9 6 of 8 0 of 1 5 of 14 3 of 3 1 of 1
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Aug 27, 2022 (7 days before fight)
Stephanie Egger

Angelo picks Stephanie Egger because she is a grappler with high-level judo takedowns and control positions. He notes that while Ailín Pérez is a good prospect who can bully opponents, Egger is likely to get the takedowns and work control. He thinks the odds are too wide and would consider betting on Pérez with a plus 3.5 round buy or a win inside distance decision no action prop.

Odds are stupid; would consider betting on Pérez with plus 3.5 round buy or win inside distance decision no action
"i am going to pick stephanie edgar here but that's insane to bet her on money line those odds are stupid"
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Aug 31, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Stephanie Egger

Big Brady picks Stephanie Egger to win by first-round submission. He notes that Ailín Pérez has looked good but against very low-level competition, and this is a huge step up. He believes Egger's experience against better fighters and her ability to get the fight to the mat will be decisive, and that Pérez has faced no adversity and will struggle when she does.

first round submission
"give me stephanie yeager to win stephanie eager to win by first round submission"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Aug 31, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Stephanie Egger

Cody picks Stephanie Egger, noting that she is a judo black belt with strong clinch and ground game. He argues that Ailín Pérez is a low-level fighter with a padded record and poor competition. Egger should be able to take Pérez down and submit her, as she has done to similar opponents. Cody likes the under 35.5 significant strikes for Egger on PrizePicks, as her fights are usually grappling-heavy and low-volume.

Egger under 35.5 significant strikes; Egger wins by submission (+225)
"I'm gonna pick edgar to win i wouldn't better at chalk... edgar by sub."
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Lean picked Aug 31, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Daniel Levi picks Ailín Pérez as an underdog, believing her physicality and aggression could overwhelm Stephanie Egger. He notes that Pérez likes to tie up and impose her will, which could neutralize Egger's judo. He acknowledges it's a 50/50 fight and that Pérez might get thrown, but he leans toward the upset.

"I'll actually pick aylin Perez and it's either going to be idiot or G"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Lean picked Aug 31, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Stephanie Egger

The host leans towards Stephanie Egger, believing she is the better overall grappler and will be more proactive on the mat, possibly finding a submission or dominating from top position. However, he is hesitant to bet at -300, fearing that Pérez might transfer her regional success to the UFC. He predicts Egger inside the distance but will likely stay off the fight entirely.

Egger inside the distance
"I do lean the Edger side here but I just can't come to terms in terms of betting minus 300 minus 330 on her in this spot."
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Aug 31, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Stephanie Egger

Paul picks Stephanie Egger, echoing Cody's reasoning. He notes that Pérez is an Argentinian fighter with no notable wins and that Egger's judo and clinch work will be too much. Paul says he will not bet the chalk but expects Egger to win by submission.

"I think edgar wins by sub but yeah not you know me i never touch lady chalk."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Aug 29, 2022 (5 days before fight)
Stephanie Egger

The MMA Guru picks Stephanie Egger over Ailín Pérez, calling Egger a safe pick against a debutant. He notes that Pérez hasn't faced high-level competition and lacks submission skills, while Egger has strong grappling and judo. He predicts Egger will win by submission in the first round, as she is active and has momentum despite her recent loss.

Egger wins by submission in round 1
"i'm going with stephanie edgar i think she's a pretty safe pick especially when you've got girls making their debut in the ufc"
Daria Zhelezniakova - Fight History
LOSS vs Melissa Croden
Decision R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Malott · Apr 18, 2026
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Melissa Croden 0 69 of 153 45% 92 of 185 4 of 8 50% 1 0 5:12
Daria Zhelezniakova 0 41 of 118 34% 81 of 163 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Melissa Croden 0 15 of 46 32% 15 of 46 0 of 2 0% 0 0 0:16
Daria Zhelezniakova 0 14 of 40 35% 22 of 48 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
2 Melissa Croden 0 27 of 56 48% 31 of 61 1 of 2 50% 0 0 1:39
Daria Zhelezniakova 0 14 of 45 31% 20 of 54 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
3 Melissa Croden 0 27 of 51 52% 46 of 78 3 of 4 75% 1 0 3:17
Daria Zhelezniakova 0 13 of 33 39% 39 of 61 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Melissa Croden 69 of 153 45% 51 of 121 12 of 24 6 of 8 43 of 115 17 of 25 9 of 13
Daria Zhelezniakova 41 of 118 34% 30 of 100 7 of 14 4 of 4 35 of 106 6 of 12 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Melissa Croden 15 of 46 32% 9 of 35 4 of 8 2 of 3 13 of 44 2 of 2 0 of 0
Daria Zhelezniakova 14 of 40 35% 9 of 31 2 of 6 3 of 3 11 of 36 3 of 4 0 of 0
2 Melissa Croden 27 of 56 48% 21 of 44 2 of 7 4 of 5 20 of 43 7 of 13 0 of 0
Daria Zhelezniakova 14 of 45 31% 9 of 37 4 of 7 1 of 1 12 of 39 2 of 6 0 of 0
3 Melissa Croden 27 of 51 52% 21 of 42 6 of 9 0 of 0 10 of 28 8 of 10 9 of 13
Daria Zhelezniakova 13 of 33 39% 12 of 32 1 of 1 0 of 0 12 of 31 1 of 2 0 of 0
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Melissa Croden vs. Darya Zhelezniakova
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Croden (-160); Zheleznyakova (+130)

Round 1
With a 100% finish rate still in her pocket, Alberta native Croden (7-3, 1-1 UFC)—quick note to all those who watched the Shillan & Duffy preview show for this one and thought this fight card was going down in the province of Alberta: tonight’s action is in southern Manitoba, just north of the shared border of North Dakota and Minnesota, two provinces to the right of Alberta. Croden will still be the favored athlete in the building of the two, as she faces off Russian striker Zheleznyakova (10-2, 2-1 UFC). The two bantamweights come to blows with referee Jerin Valel calling the shots, and they touch ‘em up before engaging.
It is all about the jab in the early going for the two bantamweights, with the two standing relatively the same size and presenting a similar fist-first style. Jabs lead to follow-ups, which leads to an unexpected trading of leather in the first 30 seconds. Croden thinks twice about throwing caution to the wind to just brawl and resets to work her way forward at her own pace. Zheleznyakova chops at her foe’s leg with a hefty kick and circles away from the power from the Canadian, dodging a head kick and stepping in to strike. Croden drives her away with a quick one-two, and Zheleznyakova still manages to get in her face with a single fist. They crash together and end up clinched, trading knees until they decide against doing this any further. It is not a mirror match, but it is fairly close to that. One after the other, they slug one another in the chops. Croden throws a hard right hand, takes one right back, and is amped up and tries to force “Iron Lady” into a brawl. Zheleznyakova does not oblige her, instead strafing to either side.
Zheleznyakova kicks low to swing high, and she moves all the way around the cage to time her way in with a short flurry. Zheleznyakova gets a front kick through the guard, and when she engages further, Croden ties her up to grapple. Croden bullies the Russian to the fencing, looking perhaps for a body lock. Zheleznyakova keeps circling away to her right, away from Croden’s power, and this includes breaking out of a clinch. Zheleznyakova checks a kick to sling a one-two, and she lets a head kick fly past her harmlessly. Zheleznyakova steps forward to bloody Croden’s nose with a one-two, and her movement is flustering the Canadian. Zheleznyakova tries to engage again in a quick blitz, and Croden stonewalls her and shoves her back. The deliberately paced round ends.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zheleznyakova
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Zheleznyakova
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Zheleznyakova

Round 2
Zheleznyakova races out of her corner to engage as the second round kicks off, and she does so right into the fists of her waiting adversary. Croden welcomes this so she can score effectively, forcing Zheleznyakova to retreat very soon after she starts trading. Croden whiffs on four fast punches because Zheleznyakova is already out of range, and she is stuck chasing while blood leaks from her nose. Zheleznyakova keeps moving, racking up plenty of steps while avoiding the worst of what flies her way time and again. Croden walks into the occasional jab from the Russian, who is largely playing an avoidance-first game that may not be the most aesthetically pleasing from a “just bleed” perspective. Nearly a minute goes by without a significant strike landing, and then they crash together and drill one another in the face with a heavy punch. Zheleznyakova tries to put three after it, and Croden has no answers while her face is starting to transform because of the impact of the shots she is absorbing.
Croden runs after the Russian, chasing her around the cage to try to punch her. She does not let Zheleznyakova off the hook, busting her nose open in the midst of her punch salvos. Zheleznyakova turns tail and runs away, forcing Croden to eventually slow Zheleznyakova down by tying her up. Croden looks for a body lock and a trip takedown, but Zheleznyakova is able to stay on her feet. Zheleznyakova breaks free, and she beans the Canadian with a right hand flush on the temple. Both beaks are leaking, and Croden pays it no mind as she rushes forward to attack. Croden nails her foe with two elbows, and Zheleznyakova tries to run away but is trapped. The Russian grabs the fence to prevent a takedown, with Valel screaming at her to knock that off. On her second effort, Croden throws her down and knees her in the face and thigh on the way back up. Croden leans on her opponent, sneaking in elbows. Zheleznyakova pushes her back with her fists, so Croden slaps her in the face with the instep of her foot as the round wraps.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Croden
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Croden
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Croden

Round 3
Croden greets her opponent with raised arms to hug her, and then the last round begins. Zheleznyakova pumps out a one-two that shakes Croden up and instantly re-bloodies her nose again, and she sits in the pocket to jack her in the jaw with a left before circling away. Zheleznyakova bounces her way forward behind her jab, slipping back to dodge every counter. Croden lumbers ahead slinging a left hook, and she shells up to block a one-two but is nailed with three more punches when she tries to clinch. Zheleznyakova breaks off and turns to run and reset on her own terms, but Croden catches up with her and clinches her. Croden stays tight until Zheleznyakova shoves her away and pins her down with a one-two. Zheleznyakova swipes out with subsequent hooks when Croden follows her recklessly, but it is a trap for the Canadian. Croden ducks down to surprise Zheleznyakova with a tackling takedown, and Zheleznyakova grabs the fence to improve her position and stand back up while Croden’s team bellows about the uncalled foul.
In the meantime, Croden starts to hook up a standing arm-triangle choke, and Zheleznyakova tugs with both hands on the fencing to take some of the leverage out of it. Croden topples over with the choke to put Zheleznyakova flat on her back, and she releases the sub to start beating the Russian down with left hands and a questionable knee while Zheleznyakova was standing. Valel calls for a replay due to the strike, and Croden continues pressuring the increasingly bloodied Zheleznyakova in a vicious clinch exchange. Croden frames off with elbows and occasionally slashes them out to damage her opponent, and Zheleznyakova breaks off. Croden runs towards her and tackles her to the floor, climbing directly in mount so she can bash Zheleznyakova with elbows. Zheleznyakova sits up to try to turn things around but only gives her back up. Croden unloads with a final barrage of elbows and fists, but time runs out before she can secure the stoppage she was seeking.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Croden (29-28 Croden)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Croden (29-28 Croden)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Croden (29-28 Croden)

The Official Result
Melissa Croden def. Darya Zheleznyakova via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Hesitant picked Apr 12, 2026 (6 days before fight)
Melissa Croden

Angelo picks Melissa Croden but is cautious, acknowledging Daria is better than given credit for. He notes Melissa is the more technical striker and physically stronger, with a grappling plan B. He warns that Daria has power and could cause problems if Melissa gets tagged.

"I'm going to pick Melissa here, but I would be very careful because I think Daria is a lot better than people are giving her credit for."
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Apr 14, 2026 (4 days before fight)
Melissa Croden

Big Brady picks Melissa Croden, emphasizing her nasty top game and clinch work. He criticizes Daria Zhelezniakova's poor ground game and takedown defense, noting she was submitted by Eileen Perez and TKO'd by Mullins. Brady believes if Croden takes the fight to the ground, she will finish with ground and pound, predicting a second-round TKO.

second round TKO
"Give me Melissa Croden to win. I'll take Melissa Croden to win by second round TKO."
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Apr 15, 2026 (3 days before fight)
Melissa Croden

Cody picks Melissa Croden, citing her ability to mix in takedowns and the Canadian crowd support. He notes that both fighters are similar but Croden may edge it with wrestling and home advantage. He expects a close decision.

split decision prop
"I got Croin, but it's another fight that I would not be surprised to hear judge one scores it, judge two scores it, and then the judge three is the deciding factor."
CO
Connor Ruebusch Expert Lean picked Apr 17, 2026 (1 day before fight)
Melissa Croden

Connor picks Croden because she is more composed and determined than Zhelezniakova, who is a steady pot-shotter without the footwork or wrestling defense to stop a determined opponent. He notes that Croden can walk into strikes but isn't deterred, and her physicality should overwhelm Zhelezniakova if she fights smart.

Croden opened at -150, now -153; Zhelezniakova opened at +130, now +133
"Croton running at her for takedowns might work. Probably."
LU
Lucrative James Expert Confident picked Apr 12, 2026 (6 days before fight)
Melissa Croden

James picks Melissa Croden to win via round three TKO. He expects Croden to weather early storms and take over late with her pressure and wrestling. He notes Zhelezniakova's camp issues and poor ground game.

"Melissa Cronin to win in round three is my official prediction."
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Apr 14, 2026 (4 days before fight)
Melissa Croden

The host expects Croden to be competitive in the striking but thinks she will clinch up, take the fight to the ground, and look for a submission. He highlights Croden's physicality and BJJ brown belt, and believes Zhelezniakova struggles against heavy grapplers. He recommends a sprinkle on the submission prop at plus 625.

Croden by submission at +625
"I think it's just a matter of time before Croden gets to a spot where she can threaten with the submission, which currently as of right now on BetOnline sits around plus 625."
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Apr 15, 2026 (3 days before fight)
Melissa Croden

Paul also leans towards Croden, expecting a close decision. He notes that Daria tends to bleed and that Croden may benefit from the judges. He likes the split decision prop.

split decision prop
"Big- time splitty possibilities fight ends in split decision plus 500. Croin by split or majority decision plus 950."
ZA
Zane Simon Expert Lean picked Apr 17, 2026 (1 day before fight)
Melissa Croden

Zane agrees with Connor, noting that Croden is like a less skilled version of Jasmine Jasudavicius but still knows how to implement her game. He points out that Zhelezniakova is a steady pot-shotter who lacks the tools to prevent a determined opponent from taking her out of her game, and Croden's physicality should be enough.

Croden opened at -150, now -153; Zhelezniakova opened at +130, now +133
"Croton running at her for takedowns might work. Probably."
Decision R3 5:00 · UFC on ABC: Hill vs. Rountree Jr. · Jun 21, 2025
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Melissa Mullins 0 99 of 223 44% 103 of 228 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Daria Zhelezniakova 0 64 of 148 43% 77 of 165 3 of 6 50% 0 0 2:55
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Melissa Mullins 0 44 of 95 46% 46 of 98 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Daria Zhelezniakova 0 26 of 68 38% 33 of 77 1 of 2 50% 0 0 0:42
2 Melissa Mullins 0 35 of 65 53% 35 of 65 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Daria Zhelezniakova 0 20 of 40 50% 25 of 46 1 of 1 100% 0 0 1:08
3 Melissa Mullins 0 20 of 63 31% 22 of 65 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Daria Zhelezniakova 0 18 of 40 45% 19 of 42 1 of 3 33% 0 0 1:05
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Melissa Mullins 99 of 223 44% 67 of 172 32 of 51 0 of 0 98 of 220 1 of 3 0 of 0
Daria Zhelezniakova 64 of 148 43% 43 of 124 12 of 14 9 of 10 61 of 144 3 of 3 0 of 1
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Melissa Mullins 44 of 95 46% 37 of 81 7 of 14 0 of 0 43 of 93 1 of 2 0 of 0
Daria Zhelezniakova 26 of 68 38% 21 of 63 3 of 3 2 of 2 26 of 67 0 of 0 0 of 1
2 Melissa Mullins 35 of 65 53% 19 of 45 16 of 20 0 of 0 35 of 65 0 of 0 0 of 0
Daria Zhelezniakova 20 of 40 50% 14 of 33 3 of 3 3 of 4 20 of 40 0 of 0 0 of 0
3 Melissa Mullins 20 of 63 31% 11 of 46 9 of 17 0 of 0 20 of 62 0 of 1 0 of 0
Daria Zhelezniakova 18 of 40 45% 8 of 28 6 of 8 4 of 4 15 of 37 3 of 3 0 of 0
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Melissa Mullins vs. Darya Zheleznyakova
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Mullins (-278), Zheleznyakova (+225)

Round 1
With their bout already hinted at in the previous match, Mullins (7-1, 2-1 UFC) and Zheleznyakova (9-2, 1-1 UFC) will run back a match from Ares 9 in 2022 where Mullins pulled off the last-second TKO that some referees might have let go to the bell. Any doubt is about to be removed from the equation as these two bantamweights rematch, and referee Rich Mitchell is on top of the action. Gloves are quickly touched, but Zheleznyakova wants to get her hands on her opponent and does just that immediately. The Russian goes to the head and body, and she beats Mullins to the punch with a straight right hand when splitting apart. Zheleznyakova stings Mullins with a combination, and Mullins’ face is red and taking shots in a hurry. Mullins shoots desperately after getting hurt, and Zheleznyakova shoves her away and continues punching her in the face. Zheleznyakova disengages and finds her way forward with two looping hooks. Mullins catches Zheleznyakova on her way in with a right hand that turns Zheleznyakova’s nose red, but Mullins’ whole face is already crimson. Zheleznyakova swings a right hand that buzzes the jaw, and she goes to the body after to keep things flowing. Mullins pushes her away with a front kick, and she drills Zheleznyakova with a left hand but gets caught on the way back. Both women show facial damage after less than half a round, and Mullins stuns her opponent with a crisp right hand. Mullins stands in the pocket and nails Zheleznyakova with an uppercut, backing her opponent up and rifling off a left hand. Zheleznyakova circles and swings hard, knocking Mullins’ head around but not discouraging her from entering. Three more punches from Zheleznyakova connect clean on the Brit’s jaw, which still holds up under fire. Mullins meanders forward, bounding away from a few punches but sitting down on her right hand. Zheleznyakova misses on a few blitzes, and Mullins backs her off with a clean jab. Mullins puts three hands on her foe, dislodging Zheleznyakova’s gumshield. Mitchell grabs it and hands it back to the women, who take a moment to figure out who lost it. Zheleznyakova replaces it, and Mullins knocks it right back out on the restart. Mullins bullies her opponent to the floor, standing in half guard and sitting down into mount. Mullins snatches up an armbar in a moment, rolling over to lock it down. Zheleznyakova stays tight to stop the submission from hyperextending her limb, making it to the bell.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mullins
Christian Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Mullins
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Mullins

Round 2
The women tap their gloves together, and they proceed to trade jabs. Mullins pushes out a front kick to the ribs, staying out of range from the Russian’s long punches. Mullins stays in the center of the cage, hopping out of the way of the offense of her foe and clipping Zheleznyakova with a right hand. The right hand causes immediate damage, as Zheleznyakova’s left eye starts swelling up fast. Zheleznyakova tries to pay her back with an overhand right, but it is not nearly as powerful. Mullins flicks out her jab, and she hammers the front leg with a kick. Zheleznyakova crashes in swinging, and Mullins stands her ground and pops her with an overhand right. When Mullins goes to the lead leg again, she stumbles back and inadvertently avoids the counters soaring past her. They jab at one another, and Mullins eventually follows one with a two. Zheleznyakova swings wide a few times, her mouth wide open, and she finds her bearings and tags Mullins with a trio of punches. Zheleznyakova reaches out with a right hand and follows with a left on the jaw, and she backs Mullins off with a few punches and appears to frazzle Mullins with a body shot, who bends over. Zheleznyakova springs into action, spraying punches every which way including some towards Mullins. As Zheleznyakova lays into her opponent, Mullins grits her teeth and tackles the Russian to the mat. Zheleznyakova keeps her arms wrapped around Mullins to shut down any offense, and Mullins explodes with 15 seconds left to get into top position. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zheleznyakova
Christian Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Zheleznyakova
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Zheleznyakova

Round 3
The bantamweights touch ‘em up as they reach the last round, and jabs from both sides come again to start off. Zheleznyakova does not bite on a faked takedown effort, and she swings with a left hook but misses the mark. Zheleznyakova strings four punches together, rattling around her rival’s head, and she does not eat any counter as Mullins’ offense dwindles. Zheleznyakova jabs the body and goes upstairs with a right hand, and Mullins sees another one of those combos coming and parries it. Zheleznyakova mixes it up with a right to the body and a left to the dome, and Mullins defends by keeping her elbow up hoping that the Russian will walk into it. Mullins kicks her opponent’s front leg a single time, with Zheleznyakova appearing to have a second wind as she is the one pushing the pace, her face a swollen and busted mess. Mullins’ visage is not any better, and Zheleznyakova pins two punches on it to make it worse. The Brit connects with a body kick and then targets the sternum with the ball of her foot, and jumps to anticipate a strike that does not come. The jabs open up Mullins’ nose, which might be leaking from both nostrils. Mullins drops down for a single, and Zheleznyakova turns to the side and is dragged back down. Zheleznyakova defends a takedown by grabbing the fence, and Mitchell yells at her. The foul saving her from going down, she is able to bound off her knees instead and keep her back to the fence. Zheleznyakova pushes her away with 45 seconds to spare, and she gets right in Mullins’ face with her jabs and twos. The two ladies trade it out until the final horn, and they embrace after 15 minutes of bloody combat.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zheleznyakova (29-28 Zheleznyakova)
Christian Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Mullins (29-28 Mullins)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Mullins (29-28 Mullins)

The Official Result
Darya Zheleznyakova def. Melissa Mullins via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jun 20, 2025 (1 day before fight)
Melissa Mullins

Angelo picks Melissa Mullins, but with caveats. He notes that Melissa is not great but should win, and that Daria has questionable takedown defense. He mentions that Melissa won their first fight by submission after losing on the feet, but both have evolved. He trusts Melissa more due to recent activity, but acknowledges Daria's striking power and the risk of a finish.

Mentions $9,000 price point as tricky; prefers Melissa over Irina due to recency.
"I am picking her to win. She's fighting Daria. I'm not even going to attempt the last name."
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Jun 18, 2025 (3 days before fight)
Melissa Mullins

Big Brady picks Melissa Mullins, noting her vicious ground and pound and grappling advantage. He acknowledges that Zheleznyakova was winning the first fight on the feet before Mullins got a late takedown and TKO. He worries about Mullins getting hit but thinks one takedown could be enough. He predicts Mullins wins by second-round TKO, as she prefers TKOs over submissions.

second round TKO
"I like Mullins here. I'll say second round TKO."
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Jun 19, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Melissa Mullins

The host notes this is a rematch from November 2023 where Mullins battered Zheleznyakova from top position and got a first-round stoppage. He doesn't see this fight going any differently and expects Mullins to get a TKO within two rounds.

"This is a rematch of a fight that took place back in November of 2023 where Mullins was able to batter Zelelesnikokova from top position and get the first round stoppage. I don't see this fight going any different and …"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jun 20, 2025 (1 day before fight)
Melissa Mullins

The MMA Guru picks Melissa Mullins, citing her aggressive pace and ground-and-pound. He criticizes Daria Zheleznyakova's lack of skill and notes her striking on the back foot is not sustainable. He predicts a second or third round TKO via ground-and-pound for Mullins.

Mullins wins by TKO in round 2 or 3
"I'm going to go with Melissa Mullins. I think her ground and pound's really good. So I think we will see a second or third round TKO to ground and pound from Melissa Mullins here."
LOSS vs Ailín Pérez
Submission (arm-triangle choke) R1 3:52 · UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Saint Denis · Sep 28, 2024
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Ailín Pérez 0 7 of 12 58% 22 of 27 2 of 4 50% 1 0 1:42
Daria Zhelezniakova 0 5 of 12 41% 12 of 21 1 of 1 100% 0 0 0:39
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Ailín Pérez 0 7 of 12 58% 22 of 27 2 of 4 50% 1 0 1:42
Daria Zhelezniakova 0 5 of 12 41% 12 of 21 1 of 1 100% 0 0 0:39
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Ailín Pérez 7 of 12 58% 5 of 7 0 of 1 2 of 4 3 of 8 1 of 1 3 of 3
Daria Zhelezniakova 5 of 12 41% 4 of 10 1 of 2 0 of 0 4 of 11 0 of 0 1 of 1
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Ailín Pérez 7 of 12 58% 5 of 7 0 of 1 2 of 4 3 of 8 1 of 1 3 of 3
Daria Zhelezniakova 5 of 12 41% 4 of 10 1 of 2 0 of 0 4 of 11 0 of 0 1 of 1
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Ailin Perez (136.5: Missed Weight) vs. Darya Zheleznyakova

Round 1
In a fight that some have posited should not be happening today, Perez (10-2, 3-1 UFC) appears to be in much better shape than she was on Friday. The Argentinian still did miss weight as she cut down to 136.5 pounds, and her tremors and wobbly nature appear to be a thing of the past. Her team says the shakes were a ruse, but is Perez that good of an actor? Happy to take 20% of her foe’s purse, Zheleznyakova (9-1, 1-0 UFC) would also like to cash a second check and further work her way up the women’s bantamweight ladder. There is no glove touch offered as this has developed into a chippy fight, and referee Herb Dean watches on. After a fair amount of circling, Perez eventually engages with a takedown shot. Zheleznyakova pushes her away, and they resume their staring contest. Zheleznyakova decides she would like to try the grappling game, and she gets Perez down and lowers herself to side control. Zheleznyakova bails on the position for some reason and stands, and she has to quickly defend a shot from the Argentinian. Zheleznyakova reaches her opponent with a right hand, and she stuff another try and connects with another right hook. Perez crashes the pocket and tackles Zheleznyakova to the mat with a body lock takedown, where she scrambles her way all the way to full mount. Perez opens up with a few punches as she gets dragged back to half guard, and she starts setting up an arm-triangle choke. Perez lowers her body weight down to pressure the Russian’s throat, and Zheleznyakova’s face transforms to a brilliant shade of red in a hurry. Before she even moves to side control or mount, Perez manages to elicit the tap she was seeking. Dean officially calls a halt to the match, and when Zheleznyakova stands, Perez twerks in her face. The fans don’t know what to think, but she does not care, as her celebration dance continues.

The Official Result
Ailin Perez def. Darya Zheleznyakova R1 3:52 via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Sep 22, 2024 (6 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Angelo picks Ailín Pérez confidently. He highlights her relentless forward pressure and takedowns, and notes that Daria's takedown defense is just okay. He expects Pérez to control the fight with wrestling and cardio, though he acknowledges Daria won a decision despite being taken down multiple times in her last fight. He also likes the over 2.5 rounds.

over 2.5 rounds
"Ailín Pérez should win this fight... the forward pressure, the takedowns... over two and a half should be good as well."
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Sep 27, 2024 (1 day before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Big Brady picks Ailín Pérez by decision, citing her wrestling advantage (5 takedowns per 15 minutes) against Zhelezniakova's 50% takedown defense. He notes Pérez often has sketchy moments in fights but thinks she can win the first two rounds. He expects a decision win, possibly losing the third round.

Pérez by decision
"Perez uh Perez probably by decision here the third round it could get sketchy it seems like you know third rounds with Perez they do get sketchy quite a bit but as long as she can at least win those …"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Sep 24, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Daria Zhelezniakova

Cody picks Zhelezniakova as an underdog, citing the hometown advantage and Pérez's tendency to do just enough to win without finishing. He notes that Pérez's takedowns often lead to little damage, and the judges may favor the local fighter in close rounds. Zhelezniakova is a striker who can outland Pérez on the feet.

"Underdog for me here as well"
CO
Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Sep 27, 2024 (1 day before fight)
Daria Zhelezniakova

Connor agrees, pointing out that Pérez's wins have come against low-level competition and that she almost lost to Jocelyn Edwards. He thinks the odds are too wide in Pérez's favor and that Zhelezniakova is a bigger athlete who doesn't constantly do stuff that doesn't work.

"I don't see this as like any kind of slam dunk for Perez at all."
DA
Daniel Vreeland Expert Confident picked Sep 24, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Daniel Vreeland picks Ailín Pérez to win. He thinks Pérez's wrestling will dominate, as she has landed many takedowns in recent fights. He notes Zhelezniakova has poor takedown defense and has been controlled on the ground. He expects Pérez to win by decision or ground-and-pound, but is not interested in the price.

"Perez has massive massive wrestling upside man like it's crazy she's gonna take her down pretty easily"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Hesitant picked Sep 25, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

JP picks Ailín Pérez but is hesitant because the line is -275, which he thinks is too big for a close fight. He compares Zhelezniakova to Daria Dudova, who was a good striker but faded when pressured. He thinks Pérez's pressure and clinch work will win her the decision.

"I'm gonna pick Eileen Perez but with the line with it as it is minus 275 not a huge fan that's that's pretty big for this fight"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Sep 24, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Paul initially picks Pérez due to her takedown threat, but after discussion, he switches to Zhelezniakova citing the CF model and hometown cooking. He notes that Pérez doesn't do enough with takedowns and that the fight could be close, favoring the local fighter.

"I'm switching my pick CF do model... cornal is the pick"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Sep 24, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

The MMA Guru picks Ailín Pérez over Daria Zhelezniakova, citing Pérez's size and strength, particularly her lower body power. He notes that Zhelezniakova has good striking but struggles with grappling, and Pérez has strong takedown entries. He expects Pérez to win via grappling.

"I'm going to go with aen Perez being big strong having good entries on takedowns and uh doing work from there"
ZA
Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Sep 27, 2024 (1 day before fight)
Daria Zhelezniakova

Zane thinks Zhelezniakova is a bigger athlete with a functional game she sticks to, while Pérez is too small and relies on a grappling style that may not work against better fighters. He notes that Pérez has been winning due to commitment to a simple game, but Zhelezniakova will have opportunities to tag her and force ugly shots.

"Zhelezhnikov seems like it's just way bigger, has a functional game she sticks to. That's enough."
WIN vs Montse Rendon
Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC on ESPN: Ribas vs. Namajunas · Mar 23, 2024
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Daria Zhelezniakova 0 25 of 147 17% 28 of 156 3 of 6 50% 0 0 5:24
Montse Rendon 0 57 of 150 38% 73 of 171 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:01
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Daria Zhelezniakova 0 6 of 37 16% 7 of 38 2 of 2 100% 0 0 2:23
Montse Rendon 0 10 of 32 31% 18 of 43 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
2 Daria Zhelezniakova 0 14 of 66 21% 16 of 70 1 of 2 50% 0 0 0:51
Montse Rendon 0 24 of 72 33% 24 of 73 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
3 Daria Zhelezniakova 0 5 of 44 11% 5 of 48 0 of 2 0% 0 0 2:10
Montse Rendon 0 23 of 46 50% 31 of 55 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:01
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Daria Zhelezniakova 25 of 147 17% 19 of 134 4 of 11 2 of 2 25 of 137 0 of 8 0 of 2
Montse Rendon 57 of 150 38% 36 of 125 21 of 25 0 of 0 51 of 144 6 of 6 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Daria Zhelezniakova 6 of 37 16% 3 of 33 2 of 3 1 of 1 6 of 35 0 of 2 0 of 0
Montse Rendon 10 of 32 31% 7 of 29 3 of 3 0 of 0 8 of 30 2 of 2 0 of 0
2 Daria Zhelezniakova 14 of 66 21% 12 of 61 1 of 4 1 of 1 14 of 62 0 of 2 0 of 2
Montse Rendon 24 of 72 33% 16 of 62 8 of 10 0 of 0 24 of 72 0 of 0 0 of 0
3 Daria Zhelezniakova 5 of 44 11% 4 of 40 1 of 4 0 of 0 5 of 40 0 of 4 0 of 0
Montse Rendon 23 of 46 50% 13 of 34 10 of 12 0 of 0 19 of 42 4 of 4 0 of 0
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Montserrat Rendon vs. Dariya Zheleznyakova
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Zheleznykova (-218), Rendon (+180)

Round 1
The largest betting favorite of the evening comes in this preliminary women’s bantamweight tilt. Heavy underdog Rendon (6-0, 1-0 UFC) will try to land an upset again powerful Russian Zheleznyakova (8-1, 0-0 UFC), with the latter coming in around -250 depending on the book. Whether the lines can be trusted or if all bets are off, they will have 15 minutes to figure it out. Joining them in the cage will be referee Jason Herzog, who sits back as Zheleznyakova cruises forward ready to throw down. The Russian tags her unbeaten opponent in the mouth with an overhand right, and she backs her off with a pair of punches to follow. Rendon throws back but is out of range, as Zheleznyakova zips in and out to find her own shots. Zheleznyakova connects with a powerful right hand, and Rendon counters inaccurately. Rendon sits down on a right hand after eating a one-two, and she presses forward and takes Zheleznyakova down to the mat with a body lock. Zheleznyakova scoots her way to put her back to the wall, and she wall-walks and grabs the fence to do so. Rendon presses hard on her and searches for a mat return with various trips, and she eats a knee right on the solar plexus that stands her up momentarily. Rendon tries with all her might to secure another body lock takedown, but Zheleznyakova breaks free and jabs her in the face. Zheleznyakova sticks and moves as Rendon comes up shy of the mark with an overhand right, and she is in and out to land another right. Rendon scores at the end of a right hand, and she races forward as Zheleznyakova circles away. Zheleznyakova aims a right to the ribs and meets a blitzing Rendon with a knee to the sternum, shutting down Rendon’s takedown effort. Zheleznyakova overswings on a right hand, leading Rendon to snag hold of her and push her to the fence. Rendon completes the outside trip with her body lock and places Zheleznyakova flat on her back. Rendon lands in half guard, and she hangs on until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zheleznyakova
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Zheleznyakova
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Zheleznyakova

Round 2
Zheleznyakova starts off the second round aggressively, with several punches down the middle. Rendon lets fly her own strikes but is out of range again, as Zheleznyakova keeps her at the end of her punches and knocks her back with a long left hand and a body kick. Zheleznyakova lands a right hand and shuts down a takedown effort with a pair of punches. Rendon scores straight punches that bust open a cut on the Russian’s nose. Rendon pushes forward to pursue a takedown, and she fails to get it and eats a few punches on the nose. Zheleznyakova decides to start slugging it out, her nose leaking red down her face. Zheleznyakova surges forward to land a few, and Rendon has found her home with her power punches. Zheleznyakova spins with a strike and is stopped with a right hand, and Rendon clips her again as she tries to spin. Rendon crashes the pocket in pursuit of a takedown, and Zheleznyakova grabs the fence and has her hand slapped. The close round ends in the clinch.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rendon
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Rendon
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rendon

Round 3
Zheleznyakova is cleared to compete in the last round, and they proceed to swing it out inaccurately. Zheleznyakova lobs a big left hand and brushes past the cheek, and she knocks Rendon back with a jab. Rendon crowds her but does not tie her up, instead backing up when she cannot find the right angle for a takedown. Zheleznyakova snaps the head back with a jab, and aims a right hand to the body and just misses a left over the top. Rendon sprints at her recklessly, dodging a strike and tying Zheleznyakova up to go after some kind of awkward takedown. Zheleznyakova shuts it all down and escapes out the side, and she pops out her jab to decent effect. When settling down with a big right hand, she gets backed off, but lands on the chest. Zheleznyakova goes high with a left and low with a right, and she snipes a charging Rendon with shots as Rendon runs at her. Rendon looks for a body lock and a trip, and she gets Zheleznyakova down to a knee for a moment before Zheleznyakova gets right back up. Rendon wrenches her down to a knee again, and she keeps her body weight pressed on the Russian to nullify any other offense. Zheleznyakova aims knees to the body as she tries to escape the clinch, and Rendon hooks her legs between her opponent’s. Zheleznyakova breaks free and lands a jab and a spinning back fist. Zheleznyakova spins with another back fist, and when that misses, she follows with a left that nails the unbeaten fighter. Rendon spins back with a fist that lands, and Zheleznyakova spins two more times to end the bantamweight bout.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zheleznyakova (29-28 Zheleznyakova)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Zheleznyakova (29-28 Zheleznyakova)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Zheleznyakova (29-28 Zheleznyakova)

The Official Result
Dariya Zheleznyakova def. Montserrat Rendon via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Lean picked Mar 17, 2024 (6 days before fight)
Montse Rendon

Angelo picks Montse Rendon as a very low confidence pick, citing her ground game as the deciding factor. He notes that Rendon can weather the storm, move forward, and grind out a win on the ground, similar to her win over Tamires Vidal. He sees a wide skill gap on the ground favoring Rendon, but acknowledges Daria's striking power. He considers a plus 3.5 round bet if the odds are favorable.

plus 3.5 round bet if odds are favorable
"I'm going to lean towards the wider skill gap on the ground I'm going to pick the ground specialist in monserat randone insanely low confidence pick"
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Mar 19, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Daria Zhelezniakova

Big Brady picks Daria Zhelezniakova, impressed by her striking, hand speed, and power. He notes her takedown defense is a potential hole but believes she can win enough minutes on the feet. He mentions that judges are scoring damage over control time, which favors Zhelezniakova if Rendon takes her down but does nothing. He predicts a decision win.

"I'm more on the zelenova side I was really impressed with their striking here I think she should be able to win enough minutes on the feet to to win this fight"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Mar 21, 2024 (2 days before fight)
Daria Zhelezniakova

Cody picks Zhelezniakova, citing her striking advantage and power. He notes that Rendon is a grappler who may struggle to get takedowns and hold position. Cody acknowledges the price is high but believes Zhelezniakova's skills on the feet will carry her.

"Daria will be the pick for me."
DA
Daniel Vreeland Expert Confident picked Mar 20, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Daria Zhelezniakova

Daniel Vreeland picks Daria Zhelezniakova by decision, praising her striking speed and technique. He notes Rendon's wrestling is limited to catching kicks and that Zhelezniakova can box her up. He expects Zhelezniakova to win all three rounds on the feet.

Zhelezniakova by decision
"give me zeles nikova by decision"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Lean picked Mar 19, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Montse Rendon

Rendon has solid basics, good physicality, and a BJJ brown belt. She showed improvement in her last fight by mixing in takedowns. Zhelezniakova is a UFC newcomer with questionable takedown defense and doesn't do anything exceptionally well. Rendon's strength and one-two down the pipe could be the difference. However, the line may move, and Rendon is only a lean at current odds.

Would consider if Rendon gets back to +200
"I have to lean with randone here now I'm not going to get to the betting window as of yet... if renon gets back up to plus 200... maybe I'll be forced to take another shot on her here."
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Mar 21, 2024 (2 days before fight)
Daria Zhelezniakova

Paul picks Zhelezniakova but notes the line has moved too much. He thinks her striking and improved takedown defense will be enough. Paul expects a decision win for Zhelezniakova.

"I am going to take Daria but I can fully admit this price tag just doesn't seem very fitting."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Mar 19, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Daria Zhelezniakova

The MMA Guru picks Daria Zhelezniakova over Montse Rendon, believing she is a much better striker. He references the Christian Rodriguez vs. Isaac Dulgarian fight to argue that control time doesn't matter to judges; damage does. He thinks Zhelezniakova will land more shots and win on damage, even if she ends up on bottom. He notes her loss to Melissa Mullins but sees her as the younger, more technical fighter.

"I am betting on zelen uh zeles nikova to uh land the better shots I think she's a way better Striker"
Expert Picks (9)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Sep 22, 2024 (6 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Angelo picks Ailín Pérez confidently. He highlights her relentless forward pressure and takedowns, and notes that Daria's takedown defense is just okay. He expects Pérez to control the fight with wrestling and cardio, though he acknowledges Daria won a decision despite being taken down multiple times in her last fight. He also likes the over 2.5 rounds.

over 2.5 rounds
"Ailín Pérez should win this fight... the forward pressure, the takedowns... over two and a half should be good as well."
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Sep 27, 2024 (1 day before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Big Brady picks Ailín Pérez by decision, citing her wrestling advantage (5 takedowns per 15 minutes) against Zhelezniakova's 50% takedown defense. He notes Pérez often has sketchy moments in fights but thinks she can win the first two rounds. He expects a decision win, possibly losing the third round.

Pérez by decision
"Perez uh Perez probably by decision here the third round it could get sketchy it seems like you know third rounds with Perez they do get sketchy quite a bit but as long as she can at least win those first two rounds I think at the very least maybe …"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Sep 24, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Daria Zhelezniakova

Cody picks Zhelezniakova as an underdog, citing the hometown advantage and Pérez's tendency to do just enough to win without finishing. He notes that Pérez's takedowns often lead to little damage, and the judges may favor the local fighter in close rounds. Zhelezniakova is a striker who can outland Pérez on the feet.

"Underdog for me here as well"
CO
Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Sep 27, 2024 (1 day before fight)
Daria Zhelezniakova

Connor agrees, pointing out that Pérez's wins have come against low-level competition and that she almost lost to Jocelyn Edwards. He thinks the odds are too wide in Pérez's favor and that Zhelezniakova is a bigger athlete who doesn't constantly do stuff that doesn't work.

"I don't see this as like any kind of slam dunk for Perez at all."
DA
Daniel Vreeland Expert Confident picked Sep 24, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Daniel Vreeland picks Ailín Pérez to win. He thinks Pérez's wrestling will dominate, as she has landed many takedowns in recent fights. He notes Zhelezniakova has poor takedown defense and has been controlled on the ground. He expects Pérez to win by decision or ground-and-pound, but is not interested in the price.

"Perez has massive massive wrestling upside man like it's crazy she's gonna take her down pretty easily"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Hesitant picked Sep 25, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

JP picks Ailín Pérez but is hesitant because the line is -275, which he thinks is too big for a close fight. He compares Zhelezniakova to Daria Dudova, who was a good striker but faded when pressured. He thinks Pérez's pressure and clinch work will win her the decision.

"I'm gonna pick Eileen Perez but with the line with it as it is minus 275 not a huge fan that's that's pretty big for this fight"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Sep 24, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

Paul initially picks Pérez due to her takedown threat, but after discussion, he switches to Zhelezniakova citing the CF model and hometown cooking. He notes that Pérez doesn't do enough with takedowns and that the fight could be close, favoring the local fighter.

"I'm switching my pick CF do model... cornal is the pick"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Sep 24, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Ailín Pérez

The MMA Guru picks Ailín Pérez over Daria Zhelezniakova, citing Pérez's size and strength, particularly her lower body power. He notes that Zhelezniakova has good striking but struggles with grappling, and Pérez has strong takedown entries. He expects Pérez to win via grappling.

"I'm going to go with aen Perez being big strong having good entries on takedowns and uh doing work from there"
ZA
Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Sep 27, 2024 (1 day before fight)
Daria Zhelezniakova

Zane thinks Zhelezniakova is a bigger athlete with a functional game she sticks to, while Pérez is too small and relies on a grappling style that may not work against better fighters. He notes that Pérez has been winning due to commitment to a simple game, but Zhelezniakova will have opportunities to tag her and force ugly shots.

"Zhelezhnikov seems like it's just way bigger, has a functional game she sticks to. That's enough."