It’s been a tough and unlucky few years for former UFC title challenger Alex Perez, but Saturday night may have turned that around.
For the first time since 2020, Perez (25-8 MMA, 7-4 UFC) picked up a victory when he knocked out Matheus Nicolau (19-5-1 MMA, 7-3 UFC) with a right hand at 2:16 of Round 2. The flyweight bout was the UFC on ESPN 55 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
ALEX PEREZ WITH A STATEMENT 😤#UFCVEGAS91 pic.twitter.com/sFqLGrSsLN
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 28, 2024
With the victory, Perez wins for the first time since he defeated Jussier Formiga by leg kick TKO in June 2020. While that win was nearly four years ago, Perez had only competed three times since in losses to Deiveson Figueiredo, Alexandre Pantoja, and Muhammad Mokaev.
In defeat, Nicolau falls into a skid for the first time under the UFC banner. He was finished with strikes in his previous outing, a first-round loss to Brandon Royval.
The up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 55 results include:
- Alex Perez def. Matheus Nicolau via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 2:16
- Bogdan Guskov def. Ryan Spann via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:16
- Karine Silva def. Ariane da Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Jhonata Diniz def. Austen Lane via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 2:12
- David Onama def. Jonathan Pearce via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Uros Medic def. Tim Means via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:09
- Victor Henry def. Rani Yahya via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 2:36
- Austin Hubbard def. Michal Figlak via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Don’Tale Mayes def. Caio Machado via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Ketlen Souza def. Marnic Mann via unanimous decison (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Chris Padilla def. James Llontop via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:33
- Ivana Petrovic def. Liang Na via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 3, 1:29
- Hayisaer Maheshate def. Gabriel Benitez via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.
