UFC Headliner Alex Perez Cracks Top 5 Rankings with KO Win, Books Third Fight in 2024

From inactivity to consistency, Perez is finally finding his footing in the flyweight division.

Jan 25, 2020; Raleigh, NC, USA; Alex Perez (blue gloves) defeats Jordan Espinosa (red gloves) / Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Alex Perez is making up for lost time.

Heading into last weekend, the former UFC title challenger hadn't won in nearly four years, and his activity was at an all-time low, with three fights in three years and a number of fight cancellations in that span. But that's in the past, as Perez is making sure to turn it all around.

Perez took a step in the right direction in a short-notice main event spot against Matheus Nicolau. No problem for Perez as he knocked out the top contender in a blitz mirroring featherweight champion Ilia Topuria against Alexander Volkanovski.

I’m sorry I had to… it looked too familiar😬 #UFCVegas91 pic.twitter.com/zT685FsB8X

— Spectrum MMA (@SpectrumMMA) April 28, 2024

The flyweight finish snapped Perez's three-fight losing streak and earned him an extra $50K bonus for the performance. The #8-ranked Perez would additionally take Nicolau's ranking at #5 in the world, moving past his former foe Muhammad Mokaev (#6). After the KO, Nicolau fell to #8, and his original opponent, Manel Kape, dropped to #7 after his withdrawal.

Having his back against the wall in his last appearance, Perez refuses to take a victory lap. Instead, the UFC veteran has already booked his next fight, and he goes way down the rankings. With over a month to go, Perez is set to meet #12 contender Tagir Ulanbekov at UFC Vegas 93 on June 15th, Marcel Dorff reported on Tuesday.

🚨🚨It's Back On🚨🚨

Alex Perez (@alexperezMMA) returns on June 15th at #UFCVegas93. He takes on Tagir Ulanbekov (@Ulanbekov_Tagir) in the flyweight division. pic.twitter.com/jNNMTU1f42

— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) April 30, 2024

Dagestan's Ulanbekov is currently 4-1 in the Octagon, coming off back-to-back submission wins over Cody Durden and Nate Maness. This is a massive opportunity for Ulanbekov to reinsert himself into the top of the heap at flyweight, especially at this time, with Alexandre Pantoja taking on #10 contender Steve Erceg in the headliner of UFC 301 this upcoming weekend.

Alex Perez might not be too far off from a second title shot himself, which would most certainly serve as redemption for his first title opportunity - a first-round submission loss to Deiveson Figueiredo in 2020.

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