Irene Aldana and Norma Dumont at the UFC 306 official weigh-in Photo by Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press
Former title challenger Irene Aldana faced former featherweight contender Norma Dumont in a bantamweight showdown on Saturday at UFC 306. Aldana represented Mexico on the card, which was held to celebrate Mexican independence.
Dumont came into the bout on the strength of a four-fight winning streak that included a win over former 145-pound champion Germaine de Randamie.
Dumont switched stances in the opening rounds while Aldana took down the Brazilian. Dumont circled around a lot, timing her moves and throwing short combos at times. Dumont’s right hands landed a lot, but Aldana’s forward momentum seemed relentless. Her left hooks landed as well as her kicks, but Dumont’s low kicks were used more frequently in the first five minutes of this bantamweight bout. It’s fair to say that Dumont had the upper hand in the first round.
Aldana’s advance continued in the second round, with neither woman showing much interest in fighting on the mat. Aldana landed an overhand right, but just past the halfway point, Dumont countered with a combo, picking up the pace and the heat of her shots. As Aldana tried to close the distance, Dumont landed some precisely timed hits. The pace really picked up in the final minute, when their heads collided, leaving Aldana’s forehead cracking and blood running down her face and neck.
Aldana had to deal with the blood in the third round, but continued to move forward as he had done all night. The two finally clinched near the midpoint, where Dumont attempted a takedown but was ultimately unsuccessful as Aldana heated up. Meanwhile, Aldana landed elbows that left Dumont bloodied and left one side of his face swelling and bruising. Dumont held on and fought back to negate Aldana’s reach advantage.
The bloody bout continued to the end with Dumont winning 30-27 from all three judges.
Official result: Norma Dumont defeats Irene Aldana by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
