On Tuesday, No. 4-ranked Norma Dumont revealed on Instagram that she had been released from her UFC contract. The Brazilian standout still had two fights left on her current UFC contract that will go unfulfilled.
“Thank you @ufc for 8 years together,“ she wrote on Instagram. ”Thank all ufc fans see you soon.”
“I’m stopping by today to share some news with you — news that some of you were already expecting, while others might have had a hunch or weren’t quite sure what was happening,” Dumont explained (translation via The Heavy). “Those closer to me already knew that some discussions had been taking place. Well, I’m here to announce my departure from the UFC organization. I am incredibly grateful for all these years—eight years in total! It was a wonderful experience; it’s where I built my career, established my financial foundation, and was able to support the lives of those around me. It was truly an incredible journey that brought me so much happiness for a long time”
“But now, I feel the need for a change of scenery. We reached this decision recently — I’ve been talking a lot with my team over the last month. I still had two fights left on my contract, but even before my last bout—when I still had three fights remaining — I had already received word that the UFC likely wouldn’t be renewing my contract once those fights were done. Knowing that, I started thinking: well, I can’t reach the championship title in just two fights, can I? It reached a point where I began to consider ending my career. I had already agreed with my partner that I would retire — by the end of next year, or perhaps even sooner — because we want to start a family.”
It’s hard not to interpret this release as a grim omen for the women’s Bantamweight division as a whole. Kayla Harrison is openly discussing retirement after her Amanda Nunes super fight this weekend at UFC 334, and there simply isn’t a lot of up-and-coming talent at 135 pounds. If Dumont was already on the chopping block prior to her dreadful UFC Vegas 121 booty battle versus Ailin Perez, it’s hard to believe the promotion is invested in the division long term.
Dumont, age 36, leaves the UFC with a 9-4 record in the promotion, though she lost her last two bouts. Prior to those defeats, her three-fight run defeating Germaine de Randamie, Irene Aldana, and Ketlen Vieira was undoubtedly the highlight of her career.
