LAS VEGAS, NV – APRIL 27: Alex Perez punches Matheus Nicolau of Brazil in a flyweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on April 27, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
On Saturday, flyweights Matthew Nicolaou and Alex Perez closed out the night at UFC Vegas 91. This pinnacle card was given the less-than-enviable task of following in the footsteps of UFC 300.
UFC Vegas 91 only had a handful of notable names and worthwhile highlights, and was hardly a milestone event. The main event would see someone move up the flyweight ladder even further, but even that fight wasn’t even guaranteed, as Nicolau was originally scheduled for a rematch with title favorite Manel Cape.
Fortunately, the headliner turned out to be explosive and the powder keg exploded in the second round.
Former title challenger Perez took center stage early in the match. Things started out slowly, with about two minutes in and Perez lunged forward, tearing him side to side to the body before going upstairs as Nicolau stepped back with his guard high. Shots to the body are nasty, and Perez seemed to consider them part of his game plan.
Nicolaou clips Perez with a counter late in the round with just over a minute left. However, there wasn’t much of a follow-up after that, and Perez took the shot instead, before charging forward again shortly after.
A competitive first round gave way to more fast-paced action in the second round, where Nicolau mixed kicks into his attack. Perez continued to move forward, sitting occasionally and throwing punches, clipping Nicolau for about two minutes and forcing him to backpedal. Immediately after that, Perez went on the offensive and completely crushed Mateusz Nicolau! When Nicolau fell to the ground, Perez knew it was time for the finish and just held out until the referee arrived. It was a stunning KO for the former flyweight title challenger.
The victory snapped Perez’s three-fight disqualification streak and marked his first win since June 2020, when he defeated Jussier Formiga by TKO. Nicolaou suffered back-to-back losses for the first time in his career.
Official result: Alex Perez def. Mateusz Nicolaou, round 2, 2:16 KO
