UFC 226: Yancy Medeiros to Throw Down with Mike Perry

UFC 226 Yancy Medeiros Mike Perry
Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Mike Perry and Yancy Medeiros are two fighters that provide essentially guaranteed excitement when they step in the cage, and they’ll face each other at UFC 226.

The promotion announced the addition to UFC 226 today, and it was first reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

With seven performance bonuses between the two in 19 combined UFC appearances, Las Vegas has been given a great bout for their International Fight Week pay-per-view. Yancy Medeiros has showcased his grit and heart in memorable fights with Alex Oliveira and Francisco Trinaldo. Mike Perry is an aggressive welterweight who only knows how to move forward. It’s a recipe for excitement that will likely open up the UFC 226 main card.

Yancy Medeiros is the long-lost Hawaiian Diaz brother who struggled at lightweight in the Octagon, posting a 3-4 record with one overturned victory at 155 pounds. Medeiros then bulked up to welterweight, and rattled off three straight victories (all stoppages), including what some consider last year’s fight of the year against the larger Alex Oliveira. Medeiros headlined UFC Austin opposite Donald Cerrone in his last appearance, but was knocked out in the first round.

Mike Perry is a fan favorite due to his aggressive style and trash talk. He is 4-3 in the Octagon, with all his wins coming via knockout. Perry has struggled when he takes a step up in competition though, as Alan Jouban handed him his first career loss in his third Octagon appearance, and rising contender Santiago Ponzinibbio put an end to the two-fight win streak that followed. Perry was unable to recover from the loss, as he dropped a decision to Max Griffin in February.

UFC 226 is International Fight Week’s premier attraction this year, taking place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 7. The card is headlined by a superfight between champions Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic, and will also feature the Octagon return of kickboxing legend Gokhan Saki.