Poatan’s sister fights tonight for a UFC contract against a 21-year-old prodigy
The 36-year-old Brazilian faces Sweden’s Smilla Sundell, a former ONE muay Thai champion, on the final episode of the Contender Series season at 7 p.m. ET.
Aline Pereira, the sister of former UFC champion Alex “Poatan” Pereira, steps into the Octagon this Tuesday, Oct. 13, in Las Vegas with a UFC contract on the line. The 36-year-old Brazilian faces 21-year-old Smilla Sundell of Sweden, a former ONE Championship muay Thai champion, on the final episode of the 2026 season of Dana White’s Contender Series. The show starts at 7 p.m. ET on Paramount+, and five Brazilians are on the card looking for a spot in the UFC.
Two strikers at heart
Both women came to MMA from stand-up fighting. Aline followed her brother into kickboxing and fought for Glory, the same promotion where Poatan made his name before the UFC. She then went 3-0 in Karate Combat and won the promotion’s women’s flyweight title. Back in MMA, she has won her last two fights, most recently a split decision over Jade Masson-Wong at MVP MMA in May. She is 3-2 as a pro, and Tuesday’s bout is at bantamweight.
Sundell brings an even heavier striking résumé for someone her age. At 17, she won the ONE women’s strawweight muay Thai title and became the youngest champion in the promotion’s history. She defended the belt once and was stripped in May 2024 after missing weight for her second defense. She is 36-5-1 in muay Thai. She moved to MMA in 2026 and won both of her fights by TKO under the Tuff-N-Uff banner.
Favorite, age gap and doubters
Sundell is a heavy favorite at U.S. sportsbooks. The age gap of more than a decade and Aline’s modest MMA record even became a talking point in the comments of UFC Brasil’s post introducing the Brazilians on the card. On the other side, Aline brings years of experience on big stages, while Sundell has only two MMA fights on her résumé.
Poatan won’t be fighting, but he will be close by. According to UFC Brasil’s official account, the former light heavyweight champion will be there to support his sister in Las Vegas. On the Contender Series, a win alone doesn’t guarantee a spot: Dana White hands out the contracts at the end of the night based on each fighter’s performance.
Five Brazilians chasing a contract
The main event also features a Brazilian. Erick Visconde, the LFA featherweight champion at 17-3, takes on unbeaten Ilias Bulaid (9-0) of the Netherlands in a fight that was originally set for Week 8 and got postponed. At middleweight, two unbeaten 27-year-old Brazilians meet: Douglas da Lapa (6-0) faces Davi Cabral (7-0), a fighter with a jiu-jitsu base. Luis Francischinelli (6-1) rounds out the group against American Will Rentz at welterweight.
Here is Tuesday’s Contender Series lineup:
- Featherweight: Erick Visconde vs. Ilias Bulaid
- Women’s bantamweight: Aline Pereira vs. Smilla Sundell
- Welterweight: Luis Francischinelli vs. Will Rentz
- Middleweight: Douglas da Lapa vs. Davi Cabral
- Lightweight: Jason Asher vs. Greg Foster
Poatan was also in the news on VF Comunica earlier Tuesday, when he accused the UFC of manipulating fans to book Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit. Read the full story here.
What do you think: is Aline Pereira’s experience enough to stop the young Swedish champion and bring another Pereira to the UFC? Let us know in the comments.
