Ailin Perez expects an “easy fight” against Darya Zheleznyakova, wants Kayla Harrison to UFC Paris

Ailin Perez is very confident heading into UFC Fight Night 243 – so confident that she already has a few names in mind for her next fight.

Perez (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), a rising women’s bantamweight, doesn’t think she’ll have much trouble getting past Darya Zheleznyakova on Saturday in Paris, even though it will likely feel like hostile territory. Although she is originally from Russia, Zheleznyakova (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) trains outside of France and is expected to count on the support of the crowd this weekend.

Perez is fighting unimpressed in France and rates her chances very well.

“To be completely honest, I think this is an easy fight, my friend,” Perez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I don’t know how else to put it. She is a very green fighter. Her base is boxing and she’s a good boxer, but she’s not on my level in MMA.”

“She underestimates me and always says that my hit rate is zero. I am therefore looking forward to an exchange with her. I’ll be the one to start batting and we’ll see how good she is.”

Perez claims Zheleznyakova destroyed her skills leading up to the fight. These comments didn’t bother Perez, they motivated him.

“It didn’t bother me, but it put a strain on my ovaries,” Perez said. “Fighters who say bad things about me end up having to pay for it in the cage. You can ask Joselyne Edwards. I know I didn’t knock her out, but I hit her pretty hard with the blow. Darya is completely wrong, and I” “I’ll show that in the cage. The more she underestimates me, the more dangerous I become.”

If he wins, Perez would have a four-fight winning streak. She believes this will give her a great opportunity, be it a big name, a main event spot or both.

“After I finish Darya, I will ask my friend Dana White for a main event fight, preferably against Kayla Harrison,” Perez said. “We still insist on this fight because this is the fight I have to prove, to prove that I am worthy of fighting for the belt. And if not, Norma (Dumont), if she stops running from me. She just wants to fight with the people at the top.” She’s ranked, and that’s fine, but one of the reasons she’s ranked is because she didn’t fight and lose against me, so Dumont or Julianna Peña, who is a punching bag.

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For more information on the card, check out MMA Junkie’s UFC Fight Night 243 event hub.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Ailin Perez Expects ‘Easy Fight’ Against Darya Zheleznyakova, Wants Kayla Harrison to UFC Paris