Sherdog PreviewsWomen's Bantamweights
Norma Dumont (10-2) vs. Germaine de Randamie (10-4)Advertisement
Germaine de Randamie makes her return after three and a half years on the shelf, and it'll be fascinating to see what the 39-year old brings to the table; a former featherweight champion and perennial bantamweight contender, de Randamie has been out of action for so long that her return feels like an injection of some much-needed fresh blood into the bantamweight division. De Randamie wasn't a particularly active fighter even at her peak, but "The Iron Lady" would impress whenever she made it to the Octagon; a former kickboxing standout, de Randamie's precision was usually enough to pick apart her opponents with counters for as long as the fight took place on the feet. A 16-second knockout of Aspen Ladd in 2019 earned de Randamie a title shot at Amanda Nunes a few months later, which wound up as a Nunes decision win that laid things pretty bare; de Randamie could frustrate anyone as a striker, but didn't have the wrestling chops to compete at an elite level, even if her grappling had improved over the years. A subsequent fight against Julianna Pena was going much the same way until the unthinkable happened, as de Randamie clamped on a guillotine choke that sent Pena unconscious, a result that seemingly had de Randamie right back in the title picture - only for the Dutchwoman to vanish for the next three and a half years due to a combination of injuries and travel issues. Norma Dumont makes for a solid comeback opponent, as she's someone that a prime de Randamie should beat, but brings enough to cause some issues if there's been any major slippage since 2020. Dumont came to the UFC as a featherweight with a game built on pure aggression, an approach that got her obliterated in short order by Megan Anderson. But the Brazilian has done an impressive job of learning from her adversity, completely changing her style to function as a counter-heavy striker that can also smother her opponents in the clinch. It's not always the most entertaining approach, but Dumont brings enough physicality to the table to make it work, at least at 145 pounds; an interesting subplot is that Dumont has never actually made the bantamweight limit in the UFC, missing weight in her few trips down to 135 pounds and competing as a featherweight otherwise. This does look like de Randamie's fight to lose if she looks anywhere near her previous form; she's the longer and sharper striker who can also land the more effective offense in the clinch, and she's also proven that she can fight in this weight class without draining herself. The combination of de Randamie's age and the long layoff is certainly a risk, but it's not worth banking on until something becomes apparent on fight day; the pick is de Randamie via decision.
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