Alex Perez returned fire when his back was against the wall at UFC on ESPN 55 to snap a three-fight losing skid.
After years of losses, injuries and fight withdrawals, Perez (24-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC) sent a message to the flyweight division with a second-round knockout of Nicolau (19-4-1 MMA, 7-3 UFC) on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Although Perez has more work to do before getting back to a second title shot, his triumph puts him back into relevance in the weight class.