Ailín Pérez’s presence during the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night: Brendan Allen vs. Paul Craig sparked significant attention. This was not solely due to her in-ring performance but also due to the off-ring buzz.
During the week of the event, the Argentine athlete displayed a noticeable black eye and a closed facial cut. Speculations arose concerning the injuries, leading to troubling accusations that have recently surfaced.
@MagicM_MMABets on X (previously Twitter) claimed that Ailín Pérez encountered the incident at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. The report alleged fellow UFC competitor Joselyne Edwards as the assailant. A member of Pérez’s coaching staff retaliated against the Panamanian by striking and choking her.
Initially tight-lipped about the situation, Pérez broke her silence during the press conference after the match at the Apex. However, she claimed that she “forgot” who was responsible for the assault.
Perez said: “I will decide to give you some more details on Tuesday I was assaulted by another fighter which I’m not going to say their name because they are irrelevant at this point but I just want to say that I was able to fight regardless of what you did and I showed that I have big ovaries and showed that I am ready to fight whenever”
As of now, the UFC hasn’t issued any statements.
“I want to thank my coach, who was there at the time of the assault… The fight probably would have been off if it wasn’t for my coach, who saved me.”
MMA manager Alex Davis corroborated the account saying:
“When I approached the cage, I saw Ailin and her coach on top of Joselyn, so jumped in to break up the fight. When I went to help out and saw the male coach choking Joselyn with a RNC, and it was very deep — he was cranking on the choke. If the choke was held on for much longer, it would have been a terrible scene.”
Despite the alleged attack, Pérez showcased resilience within the Octagon. She ended up securing victory against Lucie Pudilová at UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Craig.
Meanwhile, Edwards previously competed in September at UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Spivac. She ended up losing the match against Nora Cornolle.
The claims and allegations are only speculation until the UFC or Perez’s camp makes an official announcement.