#8 ranked UFC flyweight Alex Perez will take on Matheus Nicolau in the main event of their UFC Fight Night on Saturday. While the 32-year-old is coming off of a three-fight skid, two of them have come at the hands of men who went on to become champions, including reigning flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja, and then-champion Deiveson Figueiredo.

The other loss was a decision loss to Muhammad Mokaev, who is up there toward the top on the 125-pound title ladder. His upcoming fight is crucial for the Lemoore alumni since it is likely to prove consequential to his chance of getting back into the title contention. Ahead of his exciting matchup against the Brazilian, let us take a look at Alex Perez’s parentage, ethnicity, nationality, and martial arts background.

Alex Perez’s ethnic and martial arts background

Alex Perez was born to Mexican parents in the city of Hanford in the sunny state of California. The Mexican-American grew up in a large family, being one of eight siblings. Because of his parentage, Perez is of Mexican descent and thus is a Hispanic or Latino. Born in the United States, the 32-year-old holds American nationality and citizenship. And the fighter’s martial arts journey, too began in a very American manner.

In high school, the young Perez started wrestling along with his two brothers and took to the sport like a fish to water. Perez went to the West Hills College Lemoore, where he showed his wrestling prowess in his very first year. The Contender Series’ alumni became the regional champion and an All-American wrestler in his sophomore year.

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Perez’s first foray into MMA began after he graduated from Lemoore, when he started training his fighter friends for their MMA fights. The wrestler transitioned to MMA soon after and turned pro in 2011. He began his career with a bang, knocking out Jesus Castro in the very first round, and started making his way in the regional American circuit.

After twenty professional fights and compiling a record of 16-4, Perez was called to fight for a potential spot on the UFC roster on ‘Dana White’s Contender Series’ (DWCS) in August 2017. He won and was signed to the UFC soon after.

Sparks expected to fly at Perez-Nicolau

The matchup between Alex Perez and Matheus Nicolau is a mouth-watering one given their recent record and how their styles stack up. Like the Mexican-American, the Brazilian is coming after a loss to an opponent at a UFC event last year. This is why both men are coming into the bout determined to win. A win for the #5 Nicolau will see him get back on track for a title shot, and may even see him fight for the 125-pound crown by the end of the year.

Perez, too, has an opportunity to get back in the title mix, but given that he is coming off of three consecutive losses, his path to a title shot will be significantly more challenging. Both men are excellent strikers and have high finish rates, with Perez being a no-nonsense brawler who gets straight to work and tries to get his opponents out of the octagon as quickly as possible.

Nicolau may be more deliberate with his striking, picking his shots, and leading with a strong defense, but he is no less dangerous on the feet if he is given even a small opening. Their fight will almost definitely be a mostly stand-up affair with a good chance someone is going to sleep.

Who do you think is going to win? Let us know in the comments.