Top Bellator fighter reacts to Ailin Perez's controversial take on Judo: "People just be chattin"
Ailin Perez had a recent interview on The MMA Hour, where she downplayed Judo as a martial art in relation to Kayla Harrison. This drew the attention of hulking Bellator middleweight Dalton Rosta, who scoffed at the UFC women's bantamweight's dismissal of Judo.
Her thoughts on Judo were quoted by the MMA Fighting on Instagram, where the post led to an outpouring of mockery, as Perez claimed that had she dedicated her entire life to Judo, she too would have been an Olympic champion. Naturally, the comment sections were not kind to her.
Some pointed out the head-scratching nature of the statement, especially given that one of the most dominant UFC women's bantamweight champions in history was a judoka in Ronda Rousey. Many hit out against the bizarre claim, including Rosta.
"People just be chattin"
It is possible that Perez is merely angling for a fight with Harrison, who is a high-profile fighter at 135 pounds. However, the logic behind her statements is easy to question. She claimed that just because Harrison's Judo proved effective against Holly Holm at UFC 300, doesn't mean that it's that effective a martial art.
This is a curious assessment given that Holm's most well-known victory came against the only other Olympic-level judoka in UFC women's bantamweight history. Holm completely neutralized Rousey's Judo when the two women clashed at UFC 193, capturing 135-pound gold in an all-time great upset.
While it could all just amount to Perez, who has garnered attention as of late for her post-fight celebrations, trying to earn a fight with Harrison, she is unlikely to get it. Harrison is currently ranked No.4 in the divisional top five and aiming for UFC gold, while Perez is still unranked.
Ailin Perez's lone UFC loss came against a Judo black belt
Despite her claims against Judo, Ailin Perez's only loss under the UFC banner occurred against a judoka. Her promotional debut, which was at UFC Fight Night 209, was against Stephanie Egger, a Judo black belt. The pair met at women's featherweight, and Perez lost in disheartening fashion.
Check out Ailin Perez's loss to Stephanie Egger:
She was submitted in the closing seconds of round two via rear-naked choke, marking her only UFC loss. Not only is it Perez's lone UFC loss, it is also Egger's only win since 2022.