At UFC Paris on September 28, Argentinian star Ailin Perez found herself at the center of controversy following her victory over Darya Zheleznyakova. After securing a first-round submission win, Perez celebrated in an unconventional manner by twerking over her defeated opponent’s face.
The incident quickly caught the attention of prominent MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, who shared a clip of the celebration on social media platform X, describing it as “disrespectful.” However, Perez was quick to respond and offer an explanation for her actions.
In a direct message to Helwani, Perez stated, “My friend Ariel Helwani, Darya said some very disrespectful things about me before the fight so I had to do it. I would love to tell you more about it on your new show.” This response suggests that there may have been pre-fight tensions between the two athletes that led to Perez’s provocative celebration.
The bout between Perez and Zheleznyakova took place on the preliminary card at the Accor Arena in Paris, France. It’s worth noting that there was some controversy even before the fight began, as Perez missed weight by half a pound, resulting in the match being changed to a catchweight bout at 136.5 pounds. As a consequence, Perez was fined 20 percent of her fight purse, which was awarded to her opponent.
Despite these complications, Perez dominated the contest, securing a victory via arm-triangle choke in the first round. This win extended her impressive streak to 4-0 and marked her first finish in the UFC.
In her post-fight interview with former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping, Perez expressed her joy and ambition, stating, “I am very happy. This is a victory we worked hard for. We knew we were gonna win and I wanna be the first Argentinian champion.”
While Perez’s in-ring performance was undoubtedly impressive, it’s her post-fight antics that have garnered the most attention. The incident has sparked discussions about sportsmanship and respect in mixed martial arts, with opinions divided on whether Perez’s actions were justified given the alleged pre-fight comments from her opponent.
Perez also got a huge reaction out of MMA’s resident fanboy MMA Guru. Guru was dismayed to see Perez grow her following far beyond what the main event winner did.
