Pereira's sister Aline to fight for UFC contract

Aline Pereira fighting Jade Masson-Wong in an MMA fight

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption,

Aline Pereira (left) has not won a fight by knockout in her career

ByJude WinterBBC Sport journalist

Published27 minutes ago

Aline Pereira is set to fight for a UFC contract that would see her join her brother and two-weight UFC champion Alex Pereira in the MMA promotion.

Aline will fight undefeated prospect Smilla Sundell, a Muay Thai champion in the Asia-based ONE Championship, on Dana White's Contender Series in Las Vegas on 13 October.

UFC president White's Contender Series offers a chance for fighters outside the UFC to win contracts in one-off contests.

Pereira, who currently holds a 3-2 record, with all three of her victories coming by decision, confirmed on her Instagram she will face Sweden's Sundell in a bantamweight bout.

The 35-year-old's most recent victory was a split decision against Jade Masson-Wong in May, on the undercard of Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions's first MMA event.

He was dragged 60ft under a bus - now he's fighting for a UFC contract
- Published1 day ago
Mir suffers shock defeat as Clancy Jr wins UFC contract
- Published7 days ago

Several siblings have fought in the UFC together, including Nick and Nate Diaz, but a sister-brother duo is more rare.

Melissa Martinez and David Martinez made history in 2024 when they became the first sister and brother to compete in the UFC at the same time.

Just like her brother, Pereira enjoyed a successful kickboxing career.

Her fights included a super-bantamweight title opportunity with Glory promotions, before she transitioned to MMA in 2022.

Pereira decided to step away from the sport in 2023 after her MMA career began with a rocky 1‑2 spell with Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA).

She found momentum in Karate Combat League, going 3‑0 with two knockouts and winning the promotion's inaugural women's flyweight title in 2024.

The Brazilian returned to MMA in late 2025 and is often seen being trained and cornered by her brother, Alex.

Alex failed in his bid to become a three-weight UFC champion in June, losing to Frenchman Ciryl Gane in an interim heavyweight title fight.

Aline faces a tough opponent in Sundell, who has two wins in her MMA career to date.

The 21‑year‑old signed with ONE Championship in 2022 and won its inaugural women's strawweight Muay Thai title at just 17 years and 161 days old, becoming the promotion's youngest ever champion.