Norma Dumont pitches interim UFC title fight vs. Kayla Harrison as division drags
Norma Dumont is getting itchy knuckles as she awaits her next assignment in the UFC women's bantamweight division – with hopes it will be something big.
Dumont (12-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) is currently riding a five-fight unbeaten streak inside the octagon with her most recent performance being an all-time bloodbath against former title challenger Irene Aldana at UFC 306 in September. She wanted to carry momentum forward directly off the back of that result, but the division has been in a holding pattern.
The expectation is reigning 135-pound champ Julianna Peña will next defend against Kayla Harrison, but it hasn't been announced in the aftermath of both fighters' most recent victories at UFC 307 in October. If for any reason that matchup gets derailed, Dumont wants it known she is ready and available for an interim championship opportunity or title eliminator.
"It's a little bit weird, the division right now," Dumont told MMA Junkie on Thursday through an interpreter. "It seems that Julianna is not fighting Kayla, or is avoiding Kayla, or whatever her problem is. I think that the right fight would be me against Ketlen (Vieira) or Raquel (Pennington), which is the fight to make since we're right up there in the division.
"If Julianna and Kayla doesn't happen, I could fight Kayla for an interim title. That's kind of what I think is fair so that the division evolves. ... If Julianna vs. Kayla doesn't happen, I'm the one in line for an interim title shot. It's the fight that makes sense. There's nobody else."
Dumont, No. 5 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie women's bantamweight rankings, has a list of desired names that, beyond Peña and Harrison, includes Vieira and Macy Chiasson. If none of those can materialize, though, the 34-year-old knows she can't wait around forever for the perfect situation.
The Brazilian will be ready to open herself up to all options if her top wishes don't come true, but admits that's something of a last resort.
"Ketlen's No. 3, it's a fight that hasn't happened yet – that's a fight that could make sense because she's above me," Dumont said. "With Chiasson, we need that rematch. She didn't want to fight, she just held me all the time and it was a very (slow) decision. If neither of these fights can happen, I can't just stay stuck. I can't spend a year without fighting. Then yeah, I'll have to consider other fights because I need to show the UFC that I want to stay active. I want to be the most active fighter in this division, and to do that, I have to fight."
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This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Norma Dumont pitches interim UFC title fight vs. Kayla Harrison as division drags
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