At just 19 years of age, Brazilian teen Alice Pereira was set to become the youngest female fighter in UFC history when she took on Monserrat Rendon at Noche UFC on Saturday.
The card had shifted to San Antonio from Guadalajara, but bantamweight Rendon still had the added motivation of being a Mexican star fighting on a card designed to celebrate Mexico’s independence, and fighting spirit.
Pereira opened the fight using her footwork and size to keep Rendon at range. She threw her hands often but struggled to land clean, while Rendon marched forward but failed to cut off the cage. Any time Rendon got close, Pereira would shrug her off and circle away, burning plenty of cardio in the process. Though Pereira clearly held the striking edge at distance, she wasn’t letting her hands go enough to capitalize. Still, she out-threw Rendon, who rarely closed the gap to land.
Round two played out much the same until Pereira slipped along the cage, giving Rendon the chance to unload a flurry. Smelling momentum, Rendon followed with dirty boxing that had Pereira in trouble. A desperate takedown attempt from Pereira backfired, allowing Rendon to take her back and lock in a rear-naked choke attempt that nearly finished before the horn. All momentum shifted to Rendon heading into the final frame, with the score likely tied 1-1.
In round three, Pereira landed a clean straight right and looked for a takedown, but ate a hard counter right in return. Her shot was stuffed, and she soon dove on another low-percentage attempt from too far out. At range, Pereira’s length allowed her to get away with some sloppy strikes, landing while retreating off the back foot. Rendon, needing to turn the fight into a brawl, charged forward and forced exchanges. In the closing minute, the referee called for more action, and Rendon shot a single but lacked the leverage to finish. Back in open space, both fighters swung until the bell, with Rendon possibly edging it—highlighted by a punch that sent Pereira’s mouthpiece flying.
Official Result: Montserrat Rendon def. Alice Pereira by split decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
