After years of persistent effort, Norma Dumont managed to firmly establish herself as a top contender in the UFC women’s bantamweight division. She earned a spot in the rankings and is currently ranked No. 4. However, the days of her chasing a UFC title are sadly officially over.

In a shocking decision, Dumont announced on her social media platforms that she had been released by the UFC. Although her chapter at Dana White’s promotion has ended, the 36-year-old has already revealed that she is receiving lucrative and “worthwhile” offers from other organizations.

“We were approached by a major boxing promotion which I have to admit is more appealing to me at the moment because I’ve always wanted to have a boxing match,” Dumont said on Instagram. “It’s a major event, which is incredible.

“Spending this final year competing in boxing would be amazing for me. And there’s another MMA organization offering a title fight, and financially, both options make the move worthwhile.”

The 13-4 bantamweight has clarified that she has received considerable interest from various promotions in both boxing and MMA, but she refrained from sharing any further details about the reason for her shocking split from the UFC. However, there are a couple of thriving promotions outside the UFC that could potentially sign her.

One of those promotions could be Misfits Boxing, which has brought several UFC fighters under its banner. The promotion has signed fighters like Tony Ferguson and Darren Till, and it recently added Michael ‘Venom’ Page to its roster. Plus, Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions is also a serious player in boxing, having signed former UFC champion Holly Holm.

Alongside the boxing options, Dumont is considering opportunities in MMA as well. There are several enticing options, such as PFL and Scott Coker’s new MMA venture. But despite multiple offers being on the table, the Minas Gerais native has chosen to remain secretive about where her next move is going to take her, although she admitted to exploring the opportunities in boxing.

“I have to admit that I’m leaning a little more toward boxing,” she added. “I think… it would be a really cool transition, an incredible opportunity, and I felt that excitement again.

“I think it’s going to be great and I believe you’ll see me boxing next year, but I can’t reveal anything yet. Everything is still being discussed and is confidential.”

If Norma Dumont eventually makes the switch to boxing, it would mark her first professional appearance in the ring. But as the Brazilian eyes a potential shift in her career, she revealed an important detail about her departure from the UFC.  

Norma Dumont parts ways with the UFC despite having fights left on her contract

It’s not very unusual for the UFC to part ways with top contenders in a division. The promotion has previously released Ketlen Vieira, who was also a prominent name in the bantamweight title picture. However, what makes Dumont’s case different is that she had two fights left on her contract.

“I still had two fights left on my contract with the organization, but even before my last fight, when I still had three fights remaining, I already had information that the UFC probably wouldn’t renew my contract once those fights were over,” Dumont added in her statement. “And I had already been told that the UFC wouldn’t renew it after my final two fights either.

“So I started thinking, there’s no way I’m going to reach the title with only two fights left, so I started having those thoughts like, ‘Oh, I’m going to retire.’”

Dumont’s words strongly suggest that she asked for the release from Dana White’s promotion after learning that the UFC may not renew her contract after her next two fights.

Typically, UFC fighters are expected to fight out the remainder of their contracts before being released by the company. For example, Michael ‘Venom’ Page and Ketlen Vieira were both released by the promotion after completing their contracts, following which the UFC chose not to re-sign them.

Dumont, who is coming off a controversial unanimous decision loss against Ailin Perez at UFC Vegas 121 in late September, has explained that she began thinking about the UFC not re-signing her.

A title shot would have been almost impossible to achieve with only two fights remaining under contract. As a result, she appeared to have asked the promotion for a release, and they granted it. 

While the situation may sound unusual, it is not the first time a fighter has been granted a release with multiple fights left on their contract. The UFC previously granted a release to former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold before his contract expired.

Norma Dumont made her UFC debut in February 2020, suffering a first-round knockout loss against Megan Anderson. From there, she established herself as one of the most recognized fighters in the women’s bantamweight division. In total, she spent over six years competing in the UFC.

Though the Brazilian’s dream of becoming a UFC champion went unfulfilled, she managed to build a good resume. Dumont’s notable wins include a victory over former UFC women’s featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie in 2024.

Alongside that, she also defeated contenders like Ketlen Vieira, Irene Aldana, and Chelsea Chandler. In the end, Dumont left the UFC with an impressive 9-4 promotional record.

As Dumont looks ahead to the next chapter of her career, she also disclosed that she wants to start a family with her boyfriend and UFC middleweight Marco Tulio. For now, she has nothing but optimism for her future endeavors.