Tag: Alex Perez

UFC 250 prelims pre-event facts: Why isn’t Jussier Formiga higher on card with these stats?

The best facts, figures and footnotes about the UFC 250 prelims, where Alex Caceres meets Chase Hooper in the featured bout.

Before the UFC returns to pay-per-view on Saturday with UFC 250, the event’s preliminary lineup goes down at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is set to air on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

The featured prelim bout sees longtime octagon veteran [autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag] (15-12 MMA, 10-10 UFC) take on the youngest fighter on the roster, 20-year-old [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] (9-0-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), in a featherweight affair.

For more on the numbers behind the lineup, check below for 25 pre-facts about the UFC 250 prelims.

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Featured ESPN prelim

Alex Caceres

Caceres is 5-4 since he returned to the UFC featherweight division in January 2015.

Caceres has earned seven of his 10 UFC victories by decision.

Caceres is one of seven fighters in UFC/WEC bantamweight history to land 100 or more significant strikes in two different fights.

Hooper, 20, is the youngest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Other ESPN prelims

Ian Heinisch

[autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since May 2019.

[autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] (30-12 MMA, 6-4 UFC) has earned 28 of his 30 career victories by stoppage. That includes all six of his UFC wins.

Meerschaert’s five submission victories in UFC middleweight competition are tied with Demian Maia, Rousimar Palhares, Thales Leites and Antonio Carlos Junior for most in divisional history.

Meerschaert is one of 17 fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by anaconda choke. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 102.

[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag] (18-2-1 MMA, 4-1-1 UFC) has earned all four of his UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag] (21-10 MMA, 5-3 UFC) makes his second UFC appearance in a 24-day stretch. He won at UFC on ESPN+ 29 on May 13.

[autotag]Charles Byrd[/autotag] (10-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC) enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since March 2018.

ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass prelims

Jussier Formiga

[autotag]Jussier Formiga[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 9-6 UFC) competes in his 16th UFC flyweight bout, the second most appearances in divisional history behind Joseph Benavidez (17).

Formiga enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since March 2019.

Formiga’s nine victories in UFC flyweight competition are third most in divisional history behind Benavidez (13) and Demetrious Johnson (13).

Formiga’s three submission victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Johnson (five).

Formiga defends 87.1 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC flyweight competition, the third best rate in divisional history behind Kai Kara-France (90.9 percent) and Ian McCall (90 percent).

[autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]’s (23-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is one of 17 fighters in UFC history to earn a submission victory by anaconda choke. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 123.

[autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned all of his career victories by stoppage. Eight of those wins are by knockout.

[autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past seven fights. He was victorious his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN+ 25 in February.

Clark has earned all five of his UFC victories by decision. He’s suffered all of his losses by stoppage.

Evan Dunham

[autotag]Evan Dunham[/autotag] (18-8-1 MMA, 11-8-1 UFC), 38, is the oldest of the 24 fighters scheduled to compete at the event.

Dunham returns to competition after retiring from MMA following a loss at UFC Fight Night 137 in September 2018.

Dunham’s three-fight winless skid is tied for the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since September 2016.

Dunham has landed 1,225 significant strikes in UFC lightweight competition, the most in divisional history. He also holds the record for most total strikes with 1,587.

Dunham is one of three lightweights in UFC history to land 100+ significant strikes in four separate fights. Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson also accomplished the feat.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

Alex Perez targets another bonus-winning performance at UFC 250

Alex Perez is targeting another eye-catching display – and another post-fight bonus check – ahead of his UFC 250 fight with Jussier Formiga.

[autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] is more focused on his performance than the implications of his next fight.

Perez (23-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC) faces [autotag]Jussier Formiga[/autotag] this Saturday at UFC 250 as he looks for his third consecutive win.

Perez is coming off a “Performance of the Night” submission over Jordan Espinosa in January – the first bonus of his UFC career – and said he’d like to secure another post-fight bonus check for his fight with Formiga.

“I’m always looking for the finish, whether it’s on the feet (or) on the ground,” Perez told MMA Junkie. “So I’m going to be coming forward. I’m going to be attacking from every which way. I’m not scared to take this guy down, I’m not scared to stand with him. I’m looking for a finish, I’m looking to get another ‘Fight of the Night’ performance, make some extra money, and then move on to the next (and) hopefully fight in August.”

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Though Formiga (23-7 MMA, 9-6 UFC) is currently ranked in the top five and even holds a win over title challenger Deiveson Figueiredo, Perez isn’t concerned about where a win places him in the division. His plan is simply to stay active until he gets to the top.

“There’s also guys up there, as well,” Perez said. “You got Pantoja, you got Moreno, you got all those guys, Figueiredo, you got Benavidez – I mean, we’re still without a champion. So, to me, I’m not really worried about what happens. Like I said, when I win this fight, then it’s on to the next one. Whether it’s No. 1 contender or whether I have to fight a few more times to get it, it doesn’t matter to me. Just better for me, I guess. I get to rack up more checks.”

UFC 250 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

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UFC 250 lineup finalized: Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer gets top billing

The UFC’s upcoming pay-per-view event has a finalized card and location.

The UFC’s upcoming pay-per-view event has a finalized card and location.

Wednesday, the Nevada Athletic Commission approved two UFC events for the first time since COVID-19 – UFC on ESPN 9 on Saturday and UFC 250 on June 6, both of which will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The NAC also unanimously approved COVID-19 protocols for the events, which won’t include the presence of a live audience.

UFC 250 will be headlined by bantamweight and featherweight champion [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (19-4 MMA, 12-1 UFC), who will make her first 145-pound title defense when she takes on [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC).

In the co-main event, former UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag] (11-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) will look to snap his three-fight skid when he takes on [autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] (27-7 MMA, 11-3 UFC).

A pivotal 135-pound clash between contenders [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) and [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) will also take place, as well as another showcase bantamweight bout between rising star [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and [autotag]Eddie Wineland[/autotag] (24-13-1 MMA, 6-7 UFC).

The complete UFC 250 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer – for featherweight title
  • Raphael Assuncao vs. Cody Garbrandt
  • Cory Sandhagen vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Anthony Rocco Martin[/autotag]
  • Sean O’Malley vs. Eddie Wineland

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)

  • [autotag]Alex Caceres[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Brian Kelleher[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Charles Byrd[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Maki Pitolo[/autotag]

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • [autotag]Jussier Formiga[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alonzo Menifield[/autotag]

Jussier Formiga meets Alex Perez at UFC 250 on June 6

A flyweight bout between Jussier Formiga and Alex Perez is the latest addition to June’s UFC 250.

A flyweight bout between [autotag]Jussier Formiga[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] is the latest addition to June’s UFC 250.

MMA Junkie verified the matchup between Formiga (23-7 MMA, 9-6 UFC) and Perez (23-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC) with a person close to the situation following an initial report from Combate. The person requested anonymity because the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.

UFC 250 takes place June 6, but does not have an official location or venue, though the UFC Apex in Las Vegas is possible, pending the resumption of combat sports in the sate of Nevada. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims likely on ESPN and ESPN+.

Formiga, 35, enters the event on the first losing skid of his career. He’d previously put together a four-fight winning streak that set up title contention, but then he faltered in consecutive bouts against Joseph Benavidez and Brandon Moreno.

Perez, 28, meanwhile, comes in on a bit of a hot streak. He’s 10-1 in his past 11 fights, including five octagon wins in that stretch. His lone blemish came against Benavidez in November 2018, but he’s since rebounded with a pair of wins.

The latest UFC 250 lineup now includes:

  • Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer – for women’s featherweight title
  • Raphael Assuncao vs. Cody Garbrandt
  • Jussier Formiga vs. Alex Perez

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Alex Perez vs. Kai Kara-France booked for flyweight fight at UFC San Diego

Alex Perez returns to fight in his home state of California when he takes on Kai Kara-France at UFC San Diego.

Flyweights are headed to San Diego.

[autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] returns to fight in his home state of California when he takes on [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag] at UFC San Diego, two persons with knowledge of the booking told MMA Junkie on Friday. They asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

UFC San Diego takes place May 16 at Pechanga Arena. The card is expected to stream on ESPN+.

Perez (22-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who inked a new four-fight deal in addition to his bout agreement, has won back-to-back fights. After losing to Joseph Benavidez in November 2018, Perez returned and defeated Mark De La Rosa by unanimous decision. His most recent outing took place in January when he submitted Jordan Espinosa with an arm-triangle choke in the first round.

Kara-France (21-8 MMA, 4-1 UFC), a product of City Kickboxing in New Zealand, is fresh off a unanimous decision victory over Tyson Nam on Feb. 22. In his five-fight UFC tenure, Kara-France’s lone loss came to Brandon Moreno. He also holds wins over De La Rosa, Raulian Paiva and Elias Garcia.

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With the addition, the latest UFC San Diego lineup includes:

  • Daniel Hooker vs. Dustin Poirier
  • Anthony Hernandez vs. Puna Soriano
  • Luana Carolina vs. Ariane Lipski
  • Cortney Casey vs. Lara Procopio
  • Kai Kara-France vs. Alex Perez

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After choking Espinosa out cold at UFC Raleigh, Alex Perez wants Askarov

Take a look inside Alex Perez’s technical submission win over Jordan Espinosa at UFC on ESPN+ 24 in Raleigh, N.C.

RALEIGH, N.C. – [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] beat Jordan Espinosa with a technical submission Saturday on the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 24 in Raleigh, N.C.

Take a look inside the fight with Perez, who won for the second straight time after a loss to upcoming title challenger Joseph Benavidez in November 2018.

Result: Alex Perez def. Jordan Espinosa via technical submission (arm triangle) – Round 1, 2:33
Updated records: Jordan Espinosa (14-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) vs. Alex Perez (22-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC)
Key stat: Perez outstruck Espinosa 16-2.

Perez on the fight’s key moment

“The position I got him with was a little unorthodox, but I just felt that it was tight enough, so I kept my squeeze going and put him out. I practice my squeeze all the time. I burn my arms out and then go through those sequences. I was ready if he survived. I was ready for war. But I’ll take this for sure.”

Perez on starting 2020 with a win

“(It) feels great to kick off the year like this. Jordan is great – probably one of the tougher opponents I’ve had to go up against. His style is crazy. Thank you to my team – my training partners and camp were amazing for this one. ”

Perez on what he wants next

“I’d like Askar Askarov next. He’s a wrestler, I’m a wrestler, and we both like to stand, so why not? I’d love to get on that Khabib (Nurmagomedov) vs. Tony Ferguson card. That’d give me a little break, and then come back ready to work.”

To hear more from Perez, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

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Callout Collection: Who UFC on ESPN+ 24 winners want next – and how likely they’ll get them

Curtis Blaydes, Michael Chiesa and Herbert Burns were among those with specific names in mind for their next fight after UFC Raleigh.

Earning wins in the UFC is certainly no easy task, but what comes next is often even more important: the post-fight callout.

So after Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 24 event in Raleigh, N.C., who took advantage of their time on the mic? See below for this week’s Callout Collection – and just how realistic each one is.

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First up, let’s take a look at the night’s prelim winners.

Herbert Burns

Wants to fight: Chase Hooper, Makwan Amirkhani or Ryan Hall

Ryan Hall. (MMA Junkie)

The callout: “I’ll take on whoever is next, but there are a lot of guys I’d like to fight next: Chase Hooper, (Makwan) Amirkhani, Ryan Hall is looking for a dance partner. He says he has the best grappling in the division. Let’s see.”

The reality: The UFC’s featherweight division is one of the most stacked weight classes in the promotion, and that means anyone coming off a solid win should have a variety of possible matchups waiting for him.

Hooper is still very young in his career, and the UFC may look to slow-play him a little, so that may be less likely, but [autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag]’ mention of Ryan Hall is a fascinating one. Hall has made no secret of his frustration at not being able to find himself an opponent, and Burns will be confident in his own grappling against the noted heel-hook specialist. It would represent a solid next test for the “Dana White’s Contender Series” graduate, while also getting Hall back into action after a longer-than-intended layoff. I like it.

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Next up, let’s check out the main card.

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UFC on ESPN+ 24 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Three veterans take home $20k

UFC on ESPN+ 24 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 24 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $169,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN+ 24 took place Saturday at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. The entire card streamed ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN+ 24 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Jordan Espinosa[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Hannah Cifers[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Darko Stosic[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Bevon Lewis[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Dequan Townsend[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Arnold Allen[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Nik Lentz[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Justine Kish[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Lucie Pudilova[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Felipe Colares[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Sara McMann[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Lina Lansberg[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Tony Gravely[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Nate Landwehr[/autotag]: $3,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $334,000
2019 total: $7,370,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $31,338,500

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN+ 24 with AC/DC, Ted Nugent and Whitney Houston

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 24 event.

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.

Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN+ 24 went with as their backing tracks in Raleigh, N.C.

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