Aline Pereira announced a new UFC contract chase on Wednesday, revealing a Dana White’s Contender Series matchup with Smilla Sundell for October 13.
The verified Instagram post lists Pereira as signed for a bantamweight bout and shows her professional MMA record at 3-2. The booking puts Alex Pereira’s sister across from a 21-year-old former ONE Championship Muay Thai champion who has moved into MMA with a 2-0 record.
For Pereira, the matchup extends a combat-sports path that has already moved through GLORY kickboxing, LFA, Karate Combat, and the May 2026 MVP MMA card where she defeated Jade Masson-Wong by split decision. Her Karate Combat run included the promotion’s women’s flyweight title, giving the UFC a recognizable striking name for a Tuesday-night contract opportunity.
Sundell Brings A Different Striking Test
Sundell is not a routine early-career opponent. She became the youngest champion in ONE history when she won the inaugural women’s strawweight Muay Thai title at 17, later defended that belt, and left the promotion with a 5-0 record in ONE striking bouts.
Her MMA move has been quick, which is what makes this booking stand out beyond the Pereira name. Aline has the older, more varied combat-sports background, while Sundell brings elite Muay Thai experience, size, and unbeaten momentum into a fight that can put either woman one strong performance away from a UFC deal.
The matchup also keeps DWCS active as a direct roster-building lane after this week’s Adam Livingston contract win over Hunter Smith and Silvestre Sanchez finish of Liam McCracken. The UFC has leaned on those performances to refresh divisions fast, and this one gives the women’s bantamweight pool a pair of striking-heavy names to watch while the series keeps producing headlines beyond fights like Kevin Holland’s DWCS-linked Dana White response.
Pereira’s family connection will draw attention, but the matchup itself is the real hook. The October 13 bout pairs a 35-year-old former Karate Combat champion trying to make her UFC push with a much younger former ONE titleholder trying to prove that her striking can translate cleanly under MMA rules.
If the winner earns a contract, the UFC could add a ready-made storyline without needing to manufacture one. Pereira carries the familiar surname and cross-sport history, while Sundell brings the prospect label and a resume built before most fighters reach their prime years.
