Featherweight contender Norma Dumont does not feel ready to take on champion Amanda Nunes, despite having defeated a former title challenger in her last outing. Although a split decision win over Felicia Spencer at UFC Vegas 27 does feel nice, the Brazilian knows she still has to acquire more experience in the Octagon before she can face the ‘Lioness’.
In an interview with Ag Fight, Dumont pointed how even Spencer herself was not ready to challenge for Nunes’ belt when she did, a mistake Norma does not intend to imitate. No matter how many matches it may take, the rising contender will not accept a crack at the belt until she feels ready for it.
“I need more fights. I need to know myself better in the Octagon before I face an athlete as experienced as Amanda. In fact, I think that was a mistake of Felicia’s. People say: ‘Oh, she just came from a title fight’. To me, it was a title fight she shouldn’t have taken. It was a five-round beating. It’s not that she has no chance, maybe the timing wasn’t right. I don’t want that to happen to me.”
“Losing is not the problem.” Norma continued. “The problem is having no chance of winning. That’s bad. An athlete needs to mature. For that reason, we’re trying to drop to the bantamweight division. That way I can have five, six more fights. Then we’ll say: ‘Ok, now Norma knows herself in the Octagon 100%’. Then I’ll face anyone who has the belt.”
Before the Spencer win, Dumont (6-1) picked up an unanimous decision win over Ashlee Evans-Smith, in November 2020. The 30-year-old’s last and sole loss happened in her Octagon debut, in February of the same year, when she got knocked out by former title challenger and Invicita champion Megan Anderson.
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