Alex Perez, who had lost three fights in a row, made a comeback by knocking out Matheus Nicolau in the main event of UFC Vegas 91, which he sees as proof that he never fell off.
Alex Perez is back in the game. Well, he insists he never really left.
Saturday night, Perez delivered a knockout punch to Matheus Nicolau at UFC Vegas 91. Many would argue it was Perez’s finest performance to date. The timing couldn’t have been better, considering the Team Oyama fighter was on a three-fight losing streak. Perez sees this victory as evidence of his constant assertion: he never lost his edge.
“I’m still here,” Perez declared at the post-fight press conference. He added, “I never went anywhere. I think the division kind of did.” Perez acknowledged the disappointment of his last three fights not going as planned and the cancellation of many others. But he’s grateful for his team, friends, and family who kept him on track. “I showed the division that I’m back in it,” he affirmed.
Remember, Perez vied for the UFC title in 2020. Unfortunately, he was quickly defeated by champion Deiveson Figueiredo. This loss triggered a three-fight losing streak over the next few years. But the real blow was the bad luck streak that followed. Perez had nine separate fights fall through for various reasons. When he did make it to the cage, he ended up losing. Yet, Perez never lost focus, thanks to his team’s unwavering support.
“Honestly, I had to change a lot of mental things,” Perez admitted. He confessed to feeling down when fights started getting canceled. But he also realized that life doesn’t stop when things go wrong. He has a son, bills to pay, and a life to live. He had to keep pushing.
“My boy told me to ‘stuff those feelings way deep down until it’s time to come out,'” Perez shared, chuckling. He followed his team’s advice and kept moving forward. His team’s constant reassurances that he was one of the best in the world kept him going. He trained with them, sparred with them, and proved he could keep up with them. His confidence never wavered. “It was just showing the world that I still had it and I think I did that tonight,” he said.
This victory certainly proved his point. It thrust him back into the title hunt. Currently ranked No. 8 in the UFC flyweight rankings, Perez is set to move up after defeating the No. 5-ranked Nicolau. One or two more wins could earn him another shot at the title. But perhaps the sweetest part of this victory? It might have earned him a bit of respect from his friends back home.
“All my friends always call me ‘Pillow Hands,’ so now they can’t call me that anymore,” Perez said, laughing. He recalled how a friend would call him “A.S.P. — Alex Sleeping Pill Perez.” Not because he was knocking people out, but because his friend would fall asleep while commentating his fights. Perez was known more for taking people down than knocking them out. “So it just shows I am evolving,” he said. “It showed off tonight and we’re going to keep working and go from there.”