Aline Pereira Set for UFC Contract Fight Against Smilla Sundell

Aline Pereira will fight unbeaten prospect Smilla Sundell for the chance to earn a UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series. BBC Sport reported that the bantamweight contest is scheduled for October 13 in Las Vegas, giving Pereira an opportunity to join her brother, two-weight UFC champion Alex Pereira, in the promotion.

The Contender Series stages one-off bouts in which fighters from outside the UFC can compete for contracts. Pereira confirmed on Instagram that Sundell will be her opponent. The 35-year-old Brazilian enters with a 3-2 mixed martial arts record, while all three of her MMA victories have come by decision.

Pereira most recently defeated Jade Masson-Wong by split decision in May. That fight took place on the undercard of the first MMA event staged by Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions. It was Pereira's second MMA appearance since returning to the sport in late 2025, according to the BBC report.

Before moving into MMA in 2022, Pereira had a kickboxing career that included a super-bantamweight title opportunity with Glory. Her initial MMA run produced a 1-2 record in Legacy Fighting Alliance, after which she stepped away from the sport in 2023. She subsequently moved into Karate Combat and assembled a 3-0 record there, winning twice by knockout.

That Karate Combat spell also brought Pereira the promotion's inaugural women's flyweight title in 2024. Since her return to MMA, she has frequently been trained and cornered by Alex Pereira. Her brother's own attempt to become a UFC champion in a third weight class ended in June, when he lost to Ciryl Gane in an interim heavyweight title fight.

Sundell, 21, brings a 2-0 MMA record into the matchup. The Swedish fighter signed with ONE Championship in 2022 and became its youngest champion when she won the inaugural women's strawweight Muay Thai title at 17 years and 161 days old. The October contest therefore pairs Pereira's broader combat-sports experience against an undefeated MMA prospect, with the UFC contract opportunity providing the confirmed stakes.