The UFC octagon is about to witness a unique moment in its history. At the remarkably young age of 19, Alice Pereira is confirmed to make her promotional debut, positioning her to become the youngest female competitor ever to step inside the sport`s premier cage.
Highly anticipated and now officially set, sources close to the event planning and the fighter herself have verified that Pereira is slated to face Montserrat Rendon. This bantamweight clash is scheduled for Noche UFC 3, taking place on September 13th at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Pereira, who fights under the moniker “Golden Girl,” enters the UFC with a perfect professional record, marked by a notable tendency to finish her opponents. Her trajectory has been nothing short of meteoric. Just two weeks after securing the Cage Masters FC bantamweight title in December – a hard-fought decision victory over the significantly more experienced Samara Santos (a veteran of 21 professional bouts) – the life-altering call came. In a modern twist to the traditional fighter`s dream moment, UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard delivered the news of her outright signing via FaceTime. Not bad for a teenager`s holiday season.
Across the cage, Montserrat Rendon presents a different challenge. This will be Rendon`s third outing inside the octagon. Her UFC tenure began successfully with a win against Tamires Vidal, but she faced a setback in her last appearance, dropping a decision to Darya Zheleznyakova in March 2024. Adding another layer of complexity to this matchup, Rendon will be returning to competition after an 18-month layoff – a lengthy period that will test her readiness against the youthful, surging momentum of her opponent.
The Pereira vs. Rendon bout is a compelling addition to the Noche UFC 3 card, which is expected to be headlined by a pivotal featherweight showdown between recent title challenger Diego Lopes and the rapidly ascending contender Jean Silva.
All eyes will undoubtedly be on San Antonio come September 13th to see if the UFC`s youngest female fighter can successfully navigate her debut and embark on what promises to be an intriguing career journey in professional mixed martial arts.
