HOUSTON – Matt Schnell says declining to compete against Alex Perez at UFC 271 wasn’t an easy decision to make, but he feels comfortable it was the right call.
“The first thing I want to say is I’ve got all the respect in the world for Alex Perez,” Schnell told MMA Junkie. “I like this kid. I was very much looking forward to testing myself against him. I’ve been getting ready for him for well over a year, and no time wasted. You know, I do feel like I’ve gotten a lot better in that time because I’ve been getting ready for a guy that could really fight. The best fighters in the world, they bring the best out of me, and I felt like I was primed to perform.”
At Friday’s official weigh-ins, Perez was the fourth fighter to hit the scale, registering 128 pounds just moments into the two-hour window. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation oversees UFC events in the state and gave Perez an additional hour to cut the remaining two pounds needed to hit the non-title flyweight limit.
