For a small town kid who has come an awfully long way, UFC Vegas 93 headliner and former title challenger Alex Perez is in awe of how far he’s progressed in his fighting career.
“I have every pair of fight shorts I’ve ever had, from when I was an amateur until now. I look back at that stuff, it amazes me how far I’ve come,” Perez (25-8) stated during this week’s UFC Vegas 93 media day. “I’m a small kid from a small town, you only dream of things like this, to get out of there, get out and do more, do things like this, travel the world. Get to be on TV.”
“I have friends, family hitting me up, some of the guys I used to coach sent me videos of them knocking me out in the UFC game. Things like that, it’s all fun and games, I love it, I enjoy it. I’m very blessed and grateful.”
Already entering his third fight of 2024, Perez is paired up with undefeated Japanese flyweight Tatsuro Taira. Asked about the match-up, Perez said that “he’s 15-0 for a reason. I know he was a champ outside the UFC. He’s fought really good guys.”
“Very good striker, doesn’t really get hit a lot. Very good grappler. Usually a lot of the Japanese guys I have trained with in the past are very good grapplers, or very good strikers. They don’t have that blend, and he has the blend. He is a tough guy. He’s very good.”
Calling Taira “well-rounded” after noting the various methods of victory Taira has shown, Perez added that “I’m excited for the challenge. I want to be the guy that solves that puzzle.”
Perez wants to “take his type when I beat him this weekend,” he later added. While he’s not too focused on when another title shot might arrive, he is focused on getting back there, after falling to Deiveson Figueiredo in 2020.
“I keep winning, they can’t deny me that title shot. So I keep racking up these wins and we go from there.”
Watch the full UFC Vegas 93 media day appearance by Alex Perez above.
