Alex Perez demolishes Matheus Nicolau with brutal one-punch knockout in UFC Vegas 91 main event
A short-notice main event didn’t stop Alex Perez from delivering a jaw-dropping knockout to end Matheus Nicolau’s night at UFC Vegas 91.
After replacing an injured Manel Kape on the card Saturday night, Perez had a lot on the line after three straight losses, but came out guns blazing like usual. He stayed in hot pursuit all night, which paid off when he trapped Nicolau against the cage and started unloading shots.
While several punches failed to connect, Perez uncorked a hellacious right hook that snapped Nicolau’s head around as he slumped to the canvas in a heap. The referee rushed in to stop the fight with the end coming at 2:16 in the second round.
“It feels amazing,” Perez said about the knockout. “Everybody counted me out off three losses. Shit happened in my last camp but three weeks’ [notice], no problem. Any time, any day. I tell people I don’t get paid to sit on the couch. I’m at the gym all the time. I’m always working.”
Perez capped off the night in spectacular fashion, but it was ultimately patience that paid off the most for him.
The flyweights moved a lot but weren’t necessarily engaging in the opening round. Perez was clearly hunting for an opening to throw his combinations and to Nicolau’s credit, he landed the first big shot in the fight when he clipped Perez with a stinging left hand. The one-time flyweight title challenger didn’t blink as he continuously returned fire.
Perez kept forging ahead, throwing four- and five-punch combinations in succession as he looked to catch Nicolau off guard with the Brazilian backing up.
That opportunity finally came in the second round when Perez pressured Nicolau against the cage, which gave Nicolau nowhere to go as the punches came at him in rapid-fire fashion. Perez blasted him with the right hook and Nicolau crumbled to the canvas.
It was an impressive finish, especially with so much on the line as Perez certainly didn’t want to end his night with a fourth straight loss.
Instead, he leaves UFC Vegas 91 with a statement win and a chance to take a big step forward in a wide-open flyweight division with flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja about to defend his belt at UFC 301 against relative newcomer Steve Erceg.