Returning from a lengthy layoff, Ashlee Evans-Smith stepped into the octagon for the first time since November of 2020 at UFC Vegas 77, where she faced off with Argentina’s Ailin Perez.
Perez had been booked against Hailey Cowan earlier in the year, only for the fight to be cancelled after both ladies had already hit the scales. That meant Perez had been on the shelf since September, when she lost her promotional debut against Stephanie Egger.
After a wee bit of feeling out in the card’s opening fight on Saturday, it was Perez popping off a three-strike combo, landing a couple. She then took the fight down, going straight to side control; Evans-Smith briefly got to her knees, but nearly gave up her back in the process. Evans-Smith would regain half-guard, and work to the fence, where she was warned to keep her toes out of the cage.
With Evans-Smith covering up along the fence, Perez then unloaded a storm of hammer fists — though a couple appeared to hit the back of the head, drawing a warning from the ref. Though it looked dicey, Ashlee made it back up — only for Perez to take her make down. This time, Perez moved to mount, dropping some smashing elbows while Evans-Smith used the fence to rotate around, briefly getting back up. Perez went back in on a takedown, which Evans-Smith defending with a guillotine; when she did make it up Ashlee was forced to contend with some head-hunting from the Argentinian.
Thoroughly dominated in the opening round, Evans-Smith at least survived the first five minutes. But early on in the second, Perez fired a kick to the body, and clinched the body to land a takedown. Evans-Smith made it back up, but was dragged down again, with Perez on her back. Up again, and finally Evans-Smith reversed on the fence, but in an exchange, it was Perez with the edge, before landing a trip for yet another takedown.
Perez again worked her way to side control, and nearly took the back, only for Evans-Smith to scramble up. Perez fired a knee, put on a body lock, and tried to force Evans-Smith back down. This time, she couldn’t do it, and Evans-Smith finished the round on the feet, walking down Perez despite having lost the first two frames.
Round three saw Perez taking the fight to the fence, clinching up and hunting a takedown. It took a bit, but the trip was there and Evans-Smith was soon flat on her back. Perez had tired, having exerted a whole lot of energy throughout the fight on wrestling, but she still managed to briefly get a crucifix, piling on punches.
Evans-Smith was too tough to go away easy, and when Perez moved to mount, she rolled free. Perez landed another knee as they came up, however. And another takedown would come in the final two minutes. “Rebel Girl” never really got out of first gear in the fight, with Ailin Perez setting a women’s bantamweight takedown record in the fight with ten completed takedowns by the end.
Official Result: Ailin Perez def. Ashlee Evans-Smith by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-26)
