UFC Matchmaker Overrules Dana White to Hand Smilla Sundell Her Contract

Smilla Sundell's route into the UFC needed a second opinion. The 21-year-old Swede defeated Aline Pereira — the sister of UFC star Alex Pereira — by unanimous decision at Dana White's Contender Series 96 on Tuesday night, and was awarded a UFC contract at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. But the deal was not straightforward. UFC CEO Dana White liked what he saw yet felt the young fighter needed more experience outside the promotion, only for matchmaker Mick Maynard, who oversees the women's divisions, to step in and overrule him in favor of signing her.

Sundell admitted the uncertainty had her worried while White was deliberating, but said everything happens for a reason and that she was thrilled with how it played out. Despite sitting at just 3-0 as a professional mixed martial artist, she carries far more fight experience than the record suggests, revealing she has logged over 40 professional muay Thai bouts and has been competing since the age of 12. "I need to ease my way into the rankings," she told reporters afterward, acknowledging she has the least cage time on the roster while insisting she belongs. The former muay Thai standout said she is working daily on her grappling to close the gap, and when asked about a dream matchup, she smiled: one day, whoever holds the championship.