Alex Perez is finally back in the win column after delivering a devastating knockout to betting favorite Matheus Nicolau in the main event of UFC Vegas 91.
After suffering back-to-back-to-back defeats in the octagon, former title challenger Alex Perez not only fired himself back into the title picture at 125lbs last night at UFC Vegas 91 but also fired back at critics for counting him out.
Alex Perez earns stunning knockout win over Matheus Nicolau
Heading into UFC Vegas 91, Alex Perez was riding a three-fight losing streak and was understandably a heavy betting underdog against Brazilian contender Matheus Nicolau.
Yet Perez made excellent use of his superior movement and hand speed early on to steal the opening round, 10-9 on all three of the judges’ scorecards, before ending the fight via a vicious right hand in the second.
The former flyweight title challenger was overjoyed in the post-fight celebration and speaking to media, made sure the rest of the division was acutely aware that he’s far from dropping out of the title conversation at 125lbs.
Perez believes the upset win has put the flyweight division ‘back on notice’
Speaking on the post-fight show via the ESPN MMA YouTube channel, Perez noted that after being counted out by so many fans and pundits, such a devastating knockout over a top contender like Nicolau will “help remind the division that I’m still here.”
“My last couple of fights weren’t the best; that Mokaev fight was tough, and I had a lot of stuff going on, but I feel like I’ve just set the whole division back on notice…I am still here to stay and to all the people counting me out, hopefully I proved them wrong, and hopefully I made a lot of people some money betting on me.”
“I’ve gotten better throughout the last couple of years, [but] I haven’t been able to show it,” said Perez, before noting that he’s still only come up short against the very best in the world:
“I’m also fighting the best guys in the world in Deiveson, Pantoja, Mokaev – so I kind of haven’t shown it too much, [but] I was able to show a little bit more [of that] tonight, and I still got a lot more to show.”
The 32-year-old also told UFC News that a big finish has “been a long, long time coming,” adding “That was my first knockout ever so ain’t no one can say that I’ve got pillow hands anymore.”
Speaking to media at the post-fight press conference, the fan favorite flyweight contender reiterated that he never thought of himself as out of title contention:
“I’m still here but I never thought I went anywhere – I think the division kind of did. You know obviously coming off all those fights being canceled and my last three fights not going the way I wanted.”
“But thank God for my team, my friends and family for pushing me in the right direction; just show the division that I’m back.”
The flyweight title will be contested in just a few days time
As Perez looks once again up the flyweight tree, the 125lb title will be up for grabs next weekend at UFC 301 when champion Alexandre Pantoja defends his shiny gold belt against Australian contender Steve Erceg.
When asked how he thinks next weekend’s main event will go down, Perez admitted: “Honestly, I want Pantoja to win – not to say anything to Steve that he can’t win or anything just because when I fight for the title again, I want to beat the guy who beat me.”
“Steve’s tough and people aren’t giving him enough credit, I think he’s a tough guy with really good boxing so he can definitely hurt Pantoja, and Steve’s a big guy, tall, has some power – it’s an interesting fight.”
Yet Perez settled on the champion to successfully defend his title: “Pantoja has way more experience in these big fights, going into hostile territory as well, so we’ll see what happens but good luck to both of those guys.”
Pantoja vs Erceg is the main event of UFC 301, scheduled to go down next weekend from Rio de Janeiro.