The UFC women’s bantamweight division just picked up one of the most decorated young strikers in combat sports, and the Smilla Sundell record is a big part of why her signing raised eyebrows. She owns only three professional MMA wins, yet she left the Contender Series on October 13, 2026 with a UFC contract in hand.
Sundell, 21, beat Aline Pereira by unanimous decision, 29-28 on all three scorecards, in the Season 10 finale at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. The win kept her unbeaten at 3-0 and made her one of four prospects signed that night.
Smilla Sundell record at a glance
| Detail | Smilla Sundell |
|---|---|
| Pro MMA record | 3-0 |
| Age | 21 |
| Division | Women’s bantamweight |
| Striking background | Former ONE Muay Thai world champion, won as a teenager |
| Latest result | Def. Aline Pereira by unanimous decision, all three judges at 29-28 |
| Event | Dana White’s Contender Series, Season 10, Week 10 (October 13, 2026) |
| UFC status | Signed |
| Next fight | Not announced |
Three fights is a small sample for any new UFC signee. The number undersells her, though, because much of her combat sports experience comes from elite Muay Thai rather than MMA.
From ONE Muay Thai title to the Octagon
Sundell held a ONE Muay Thai world title while she was still in her teens. That is an unusual starting point for an MMA prospect, and it explains why the Smilla Sundell record looks so short next to her overall résumé. Most striking specialists arrive in the cage with a kickboxing base but little elite experience; she arrives with a world title already behind her.
The catch is that a Muay Thai title says nothing about takedown defense or getting up off the mat. The Smilla Sundell record in MMA is still too short to show how she handles a dedicated wrestler, and the official results do not cover her first two pro wins, so we will not guess at them here.
What her Contender Series bout did show is how her Thai style carries over. She walked forward, tied up in close range and used knees, the same tools covered in our guide to Muay Thai clinch grips and strikes.
How Sundell beat Aline Pereira
Pereira is the Brazilian sister of UFC star Alex Pereira and a Karate Combat champion. At 36, she was 15 years older than her opponent and came in at 3-2 in MMA. The loss drops her to 3-3.
- Round 1. Sundell set the tone by marching forward, forcing Pereira to fight going backward. She found knees from the clinch whenever the distance closed.
- Round 2. Pereira pushed back harder and landed some clean counters, but Sundell still took the bigger share of the exchanges and closed the round with knees to the body.
- Round 3. Pereira’s best moment came late, when she put Sundell on the mat. She scrambled up quickly and resumed her march forward until the horn.
A 29-28 sweep means each judge gave Sundell two of the three rounds. The full scorecards are posted with the official Contender Series Week 10 results on UFC.com.
Pereira spent long stretches on the retreat, which is a hard place to win from against a clinch fighter. Our breakdown of fighting on the back foot in Muay Thai explains why that position tends to lose rounds.
Why the Smilla Sundell record nearly cost her a contract
Winning on the Contender Series does not guarantee a deal. Dana White said after the event that he wanted Sundell to gain more experience before joining the UFC, but matchmaker Mick Maynard saw it differently. White conceded that the vote went against him and accepted her onto the roster.
That split tells you how the promotion views her. The talent was never in question. The concern was how few pro fights sit on the Smilla Sundell record compared with most signees, and her youth gave the matchmakers a reason to bet on her development inside the UFC rather than outside it.
The finale produced four contracts in total: Sundell, Luis Francischinelli, Douglas da Lapa and Greg Foster. That pushed Season 10 to 46 contracts, which ties the record for the most awarded in a single Contender Series season. Main event winner Erick Visconde took a 30-27 decision over Ilias Bulaid but was not among those signed.
Smilla Sundell next fight: what is known
The UFC has not announced an opponent or a date for her debut. Until it does, any matchup is speculation.
The Pereira fight does hint at the test she will face. Her only rough moment came when the fight hit the mat, so expect future opponents to chase takedowns early rather than trade with a former Muay Thai world champion. How quickly she adds wins to the Smilla Sundell record will depend on how much she has sharpened her get-ups and wrestling defense before that first UFC walkout.
Frequently asked questions about Smilla Sundell
How old is Smilla Sundell?
Smilla Sundell is 21 years old. She won a ONE Muay Thai world title as a teenager before moving into MMA.
Is Smilla Sundell in the UFC?
Yes. She earned a UFC contract after beating Aline Pereira at Dana White’s Contender Series on October 13, 2026.
Who did Smilla Sundell beat on the Contender Series?
She beat Aline Pereira, the sister of Alex Pereira, by unanimous decision with three scores of 29-28.
What Sundell has to prove in her UFC debut
Her striking is already world class by Muay Thai standards, so the debut will be judged on everything else. Watch her first exchanges against the fence and what she does the first time she is taken down. A 3-0 Smilla Sundell record buys her a spot on the roster; staying unbeaten in the UFC will take a wrestling game that matches her knees.