Joselyne Edwards shook up the women’s bantamweight division on Saturday after scoring a unanimous decision win over Norma Dumont in the UFC Vegas 116 co-main event.
While far from a thrilling affair, Edwards showcased an aggressive game plan and a heavy-handed striking attack that had her pursuing Dumont for the vast majority of the fight. She was constantly looking to find an opening for her biggest and best shots while Dumont seemed resigned to circling away and avoiding any potential damage.
In
the end, Edwards got the nod with the judges scoring the fight 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 in her favor as she picks up her fifth win in a row overall.
“I feel I did enough to win this fight,” Edwards said after the decision was announced. “I know I did enough for the win and I need more opportunities. I wanted the knockout from the beginning. But basically I got the win.”
Dumont worked from the clinch to start the fight before eventually dragging Edwards to the ground. Edwards powered out of the bottom position and reversed to end up on top of Dumont before picking her up and slamming her back down to the canvas just before the horn sounded to end the round.
On the restart, Dumont looked to chip away at Edwards from the outside with a series of kicks to the legs and body before going back up top to the head with punches. Edwards continued to move forward but she just wasn’t able to connect with any of her strikes, typically just throwing one at a time before resetting.
But the aggression was allowing Edwards to dictate the pace and with five minutes remaining, she really started pursuing Dumont across the octagon. Edwards kept trying to find a home for her biggest shots but Dumont was elusive, showcasing good forward to move and circle away before getting hit.
As time ticked away, Edwards cracked Dumont with a stiff right hand as she invited Dumont to throw down with her. Edwards also popped Dumont in the face with a good jab as she continued to come after the Brazilian in hopes that she could either score a late finish or get ahead on the scorecards.
That strategy paid off with Edwards getting the victory and she now jumps right near the front of the line when it comes to title contention after Dumont had called for her own shot at gold numerous times prior to Saturday night. With Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes expected to be rescheduled sometime in 2026, Edwards suddenly becomes a fresh face to give the eventual winner a possible challenge in the future.
