The Upward Trajectory of Norma Dumont

Norma Dumont has begun her march toward the top of the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight division.

The 33-year-old Brazilian will look to take another step toward contention at 135 pounds when she confronts Irene Aldana in the featured UFC 306 prelim on Saturday at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Dumont enters the Octagon on the strength of a four-fight winning streak. She last suited up at UFC Fight Night 240, where she outdueled onetime women’s featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie to a unanimous decision on April 6.

UFC 306: O'Malley vs. Dvalishvili Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now! “With each fight, we get better and we’re always bringing a different game,” Dumont told Sherdog.com. “It makes it so our opponents never know how the fight will play out. We’ve been doing excellent work.”

Aldana, 36, has rattled off eight wins across her past 11 outings, having lost only to Raquel Pennington, Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes—all by decision. The Lobo Gym star last competed on Dec. 16, when she was awarded a unanimous verdict over Karol Rosa at UFC 296. A five-time post-fight bonus winner in the UFC, Aldana owns victories over Macy Chiasson, Yana Santos and Ketlen Vieira.

“Irene, without a doubt, is a very tough adversary,” Dumont said. “She is very resistant, very resilient. She has a good boxing game, heavy hands and sharp strikes, but there are flaws and we’re working with that in mind. She is a big name in our weight class. It’s a fight I had asked for. We asked for Irene because she’s tough and is someone who can make me stand out by beating her. “The goal is to get to the title,” she added. “I believe Irene can open this path for me. She always puts on a show. It makes me excited for this matchup.”

Dumont operates out of the Team Rules camp, where head coach and husband Johny Vieira oversees her training. “It has been an interesting and enjoyable camp,” she said. They view Aldana as a potential springboard at 135 pounds, and their blueprint moving forward reveals as much.

“My plan is to have a great fight against Irene,” Dumont said. “I think she’s a good name to do that against. She gives everything she has. I feel we’ll put on a show. I want to show the UFC that I deserve to fight for the title. I want this next fight to further extend my streak. I would like my following bout to be either for the belt or against someone inside the Top 3.”