UFC on ESPN 55 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.
LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 55 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $175,000.
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 55 took place at the UFC Apex. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN 55 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’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 $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,550; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $55,000 while title challengers get $55,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-55 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
For the first time since 2020, Alex Perez notched a UFC win – and it was a brutal knockout.
It’s been a tough and unlucky few years for former UFC title challenger [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag], but Saturday night may have turned that around.
For the first time since 2020, Perez (25-8 MMA, 7-4 UFC) picked up a victory when he knocked out [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag] (19-5-1 MMA, 7-3 UFC) with a right hand at 2:16 of Round 2. The flyweight bout was the UFC on ESPN 55 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
With the victory, Perez wins for the first time since he defeated Jussier Formiga by leg kick TKO in June 2020. While that win was nearly four years ago, Perez had only competed three times since in losses to Deiveson Figueiredo, Alexandre Pantoja, and Muhammad Mokaev.
In defeat, Nicolau falls into a skid for the first time under the UFC banner. He was finished with strikes in his previous outing, a first-round loss to Brandon Royval.
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The up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 55 results include:
Alex Perez def. Matheus Nicolau via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 2:16
Analyzing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 55 odds between Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez, with MMA picks and predictions.
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In a 5-round flyweight bout on the main card, Matheus Nicolau and Alex Perez meet Saturday at UFC on ESPN 55 — also known as UFC Vegas 91 — at the UFC’s Apex Facility in Las Vegas. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC on ESPN 55: Nicolau vs. Perez odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.
The prelims begin at 4 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN/ESPN+, while the main card starts at 7 p.m. ET and is on pay-per-view.
Records: Nicolau (19-4-1) | Perez (24-8-0)
Nicolau had won his first 4 fights at the UFC level, including 3 by decision. However, he suffered a 1st-round knockout loss to Brandon Royval last time out to take a little wind out of his sails. Prior to that, he had scored his first UFC finish with a KO/TKO of Matt Schnell in Round 2 in early Dec. 2022.
Nicolau was expected to fight Manel Kape in the main event, with the latter unable to make it to the octagon for a pair of previous bookings, including missing weight badly in January. Kape is reportedly dealing with a rib injury, which is why Perez was subbed in.
Perez takes Kape’s place, and he is looking to halt a 3-bout losing skid. He was on the short end of a unanimous-decision loss to Muhammad Mokaev last time out, and he has 2 submission losses to Alexandre Pantoja and Deiveson Figueiredo prior to that.
Nicolau holds a slight half-inch reach advantage over Perez, while the latter has a 4.12-to-3.66 significant strikes landed per minute advantage. Nicolau is more accurate with those strikes at 60.9%, though, while Perez lands at a 55.6% clip. Both are solid in the takedown and grappling departments.
Nicolau (-185) is a little too expensive on the 2-way line, costing nearly 2 times your potential return. That’s too much risk for not enough return. Remember, Nicolau is also coming off his first loss at the UFC level, while Perez (+150) is just 3 fights removed from fighting for the flyweight championship. This is a pretty evenly matched fight, talent-wise.
Instead, let’s get specific. Nicolau has won 3 times by decision, while Perez has ended up going the distance in 3 of his past 9 fights. Perez does his best work on the ground, posting 3 submission wins since Aug. 8, 2017, in Dana White’s Contender Series while also getting tapped twice against Pantoja and Figueiredo. Nicolau can hold his own on the ground, so we’re not likely to see a submission finish.
NICOLAU BY DECISION/TECHNICAL DECISION (+275) for a chance to nearly triple up is by far the best play on the board.
OVER 3.5 ROUNDS (-130) is a strong play, as this one is expected to need the assistance of the judges to determine a winner.
In addition, YES: WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? (+120) at plus-money is too tempting to pass up. Every time the fight goes to the canvas, there will be a lot of butterflies for distance bettors, but it’s the best play.
Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.
The main event for the UFC’s latest home show is official after the flyweight headliners made weight Friday.
LAS VEGAS – The main event for the UFC’s latest home show is official after the headliners made weight Friday.
Ahead of UFC on ESPN 55 ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN+), which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex, [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag] (19-4-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) and former flyweight title challenger [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] (24-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC) stepped on the scale at the official weigh-ins.
Nicolau was 125.5 pounds, while Perez came back at 126 pounds.
Check out the video from their trips to the scale above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the UFC on ESPN 55 main event between Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez.
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC on ESPN 55 flyweight main event between Matheus Nicolau and Alex Perez.
Supplemental info:
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ Multiple grappling accolades
+ Amateur boxing experience
+ 5 KO victories
+ 5 submission wins
+ 4 first-round finishes
+ Solid feints and footwork
^ Good pivots and lateral movements
+ Excellent boxing ability
^ Prefers to counter and work the body
+ Underrated wrestling ability
^ Defensively and offensively
+ Excellent grappling ability
^ Dangerous submissions in transition
+/- 2-0 in the UFC Apex
Supplemental info:
+ Tachi Palace flyweight title
+ Wrestling base
+ Multiple wrestling accolades
+ 5 KO victories
+ 7 submission wins
+ 11 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Consistent pace and pressure
+ Improved striking ability
^ Combinations and bodywork
+ Hard calf kicks
+ Excellent wrestling ability
+ Solid transitional grappler
^ Dangerous from front-headlock
+/- 1-2 in the UFC Apex
Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez point of interest: Leg kicks and counters
Dec 3, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Matheus Nicolau (red gloves) fights Matt Schnell (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
The main event in Las Vegas features a pairing of flyweights who are familiar with leg kicks and their associated counters.
Despite growing up as a wrestler, [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] has developed more and more of a taste for the striking arts since stepping onto the MMA scene.
Initially implementing more of a wrestle-boxing style to start his career, Perez has steadily refined his approach after years spent working with Team Oyama and company. Applying better feints and footwork, Perez will typically prod with jabs off of a high guard as he looks to make his way inside.
Perez displays a decent ability to slip to the outside, usually looking to change levels off it by going to the body. This range of motion also lends itself to the left hooks and leg kicks that the 32-year-old contender has been punctuating his combinations with – skills that were on full display in his fight opposite Jussier Formiga.
I’ll be curious to see what progressions have been made to Perez’s game since working with Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas, but he’ll have to be mindful of what’s coming back at him this Saturday.
Enter [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag].
A counter fighter by nature, Nicolau presents a potentially tricky puzzle for his opponents to solve.
Utilizing heavy doses of feints and footwork to fuel his lateral movement, Nicolau will often frustrate his opposition into making mistakes when trying to desperately close the distance on him. From counter crosses to checking hooks, Nicolau demonstrates excellent eyes in exchanges and savvy pivots when exiting to safety.
Nicolau is also an underrated leg kicker, but I suspect that his patent body jabs will serve him well in this contest.
Akin to Alex Pereira, Nicolau loves to lean on his body jab at range. Not only do body jabs help set up left hooks, but they can also assist with both manipulating and disguising level changes.
Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez breakdown: Potential grappling threats
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 21: (L-R) Alex Perez punches Deiveson Figueiredo of Brazil in their flyweight championship bout during the UFC 255 event at UFC APEX on November 21, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Considering each fighter’s acumen with chokes from the front-headlock position, I will be curious to see how eager either man is to take this party to the floor.
Despite his accolades in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Nicolau has displayed some solid wrestling chops since stepping onto the UFC scene. Not only does Nicolau hail from an underrated MMA wrestling camp in Nova Uniao, but the 31-year-old Brazilian has also spent time training stateside at super camps like Jackson-Wink MMA.
Whether Nicolau is shutting shots with good sprawls or is smoothly changing his level off punches, the TUF Brazil alum has proven that there are few positions in the cage that he’s not competent from.
Nevertheless, I’m not sure how much success Nicolau will have when it comes to dictating grappling exchanges with a wrestler like Perez.
Indoctrinated into wrestling from a young age, Perez followed the path of his brothers, Julian Perez and Silverio Esparza (who were also Lemoore High School wrestling champs), excelling as a two-time divisional champ who maintained a top-12 state ranking for his weight class. And by his sophomore year at West Hills College Lemoore, Perez received All-American honors before eventually crossing over into MMA.
Stumbling into his fair share of submission losses on a deceptively tough regional circuit, Perez’s transition into MMA certainly wasn’t an easy one. But since his time spent on the Tachi Palace scene, Perez has appeared to make some serious strides, displaying the ability to both finish and control fighters at a high level.
Whether Perez is chaining off of singles and doubles in the open or getting things done inside of the clinch, the former Selma High School wrestling coach can pretty much do it all. And when he’s able to establish his favored front-headlock position, Perez is quick to abuse a plethora of options that range from front-chokes to back-takes, often chaining them off of each other (as seen in his fight with Carls John de Thomas).
However, if Perez does find himself underneath Nicolau this Saturday, then he’ll need to be careful with the back exposure that his wrestling-style getups typically offer.
A longtime Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Nicolau is an incredibly smooth transitional grappler who can quickly take backs when they become available. Nicolau also wields a wicked submission arsenal from front-headlock variations, which could dissuade some offense from his American counterpart.
Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez odds
Matheus Nicolau
The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Brazilian, listing Nicolau -200 and Perez +154 via FanDuel.
Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez prediction, pick
Despite my official pick, I don’t disagree with the betting spread above. Aside from the fact that Nicolau will be the competitor with a full training camp, the Nova Uniao product is quietly one of the more technically impressive fighters at 125 pounds.
Bodywork and counter striking may not get the credit they deserve from MMA judges, but Nicolau’s brand of body shots and counters could have some serious play opposite Perez’s propensity to utilize a shelling guard.
Add in Perez’s unfortunate history with opportunistic submissions, and no one should be surprised if Nicolau gets a win with or without the scorecards this weekend. That said, I still find myself leaning toward the American underdog in this spot.
Even though Perez is technically riding a three-fight skid, the majority of those losses came with some serious extenuating circumstances (and fouls) attached. But regardless of the fact that Perez arguably won his last fight, he provides some unique threats that make stylistic opportunities a two-way street in this contest.
Not only does Perez have the wrestling ability to dictate grappling exchanges, but the 32-year-old also has some crushing calf kicks that can potentially punish the boxing-centric stance of Nicolau.
Couple that with the fact that this fight will be taking place in the smaller octagon, and I suspect that Perez’s cage-corralling pressure striking could produce some serious moments opposite Nicolau’s out-fighting sensibilities. I’ll take a flier on Perez to find a knockout by the beginning of Round 2.
Prediction: Perez inside the distance
Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez start time, where to watch
Nicolau and Perez are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 9:45 p.m. ET (6:45 p.m. local time in Las Vegas). The fight airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.
After back-to-back bookings against Manel Kape fell through, Matheus Nicolau is focusing on “the top of the mountain” after UFC on ESPN 55.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag] has his eyes set on challenging for the UFC flyweight title, and Manel Kape is no longer a stop on that journey.
Nicolau (19-4-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) headlines UFC on ESPN 55 (ESPN, ESPN+) at the UFC Apex this Saturday against former title challenger Alex Perez. It will be Nicolau’s first fight in a year, due to Kape being unable to make it to the cage for a pair of bookings. Luckily, Perez (24-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC) stepped up as a replacement.
“Right away when we got the news that Manel was out, we got frustrated,” Nicolau told reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “I was thinking about him since last year, like we started preparation around November, December because the fight was in the beginning of January.
“Right in the moment, you get frustrated, you get worried like, ‘Oh, is my fight going to get postponed? Is my fight going to get canceled? Are they going to get another opponent? Who are they going to get to fight? Is it a ranked guy or not?’ But on the same day, we closed the fight against Alex, so that was good, and right away I changed my mentality. I was already focused on Alex.”
Nicolau and Kape were scheduled for a rematch in January, but “Starboy” missed weight by 3.5 pounds, scrapping the fight. Their first meeting in March 2021 resulted in a split decision, going Nicolau’s direction. They were set again for April 27, but due to a rib injury, Kape was forced to pull out earlier in the month.
“Good thing was like four weeks before the fight, so we have enough time to make all the adjustments on the training, the strategy part, the technical part,” Nicolau said. “So, it was enough time to make all the adjustments that we needed and to be ready to get this victory.”
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The winner of the UFC on ESPN 55 main event will likely be the next man up for a shot at the title Alexandre Pantoja currently holds. Steve Erceg will have his opportunity to become the new champion in the UFC 301 main event in Brazil on May 4.
Nicolau believes the timing of his main event, and the title fight following the next weekend will give the winner solid momentum to claim No. 1 contender status. If victorious, Nicolau will happily fly to Rio de Janeiro to be cageside for the main event, leaving any thought of Manel Kape in the rear view.
“Honestly, after the fight, I will be looking up,” Nicolau said. “That is the direction that I’m going, to the top of the mountain. I don’t want to think about Manel anymore.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.
On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses the back-and-forth between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway, the Diaz-Masvidal press tour, and more.
Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.
This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Dan Tom and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:
Things between [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] and [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] are heating up. The UFC featherweight champion responded to Holloway’s callout at UFC 300, sparking a public back-and-forth between the two that’s rapidly turning into a rivalry and potentially a fight. Is this the fight to make? It’s certainly starting to draw a lot of interest.
“The Baddest Tour” promoting the upcoming boxing match between [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] and [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] has wrapped. The press tour stopped in Las Vegas, New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, with MMA Junkie attending to two of the stops. So was the tour a success? Is there interest around the June 1 matchup? It’s a clash involving two major MMA names going head-to-head against the UFC 302 pay-per-view.
The 2024 PFL season is fully underway, as all six divisions have had their first round bouts for their respective divisions. It’s an important year for the PFL, since this is the first season they host with the addition of the Bellator roster. What to make of the first three PFL events of 2024? Has it made the impact many expected in the MMA industry?
This upcoming Saturday, both BKFC’s KnuckleMania 4 and UFC on ESPN 55 will go down. It’s two different sports, but both share a similar crowd. So which event is drawing the most interest? As far as the fights themselves, who will reign supreme between [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] and [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag]? How important is [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] for the UFC’s flyweight division? Plenty to preview between both cards.
UFC flyweight standout Manel Kape simply can’t catch a break.
[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] can’t catch a break.
Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) on Tuesday pulled out of his UFC Fight Night 241 headliner vs. [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag] (19-4-1 MMA, 7-2) scheduled for April 27 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and was replaced by Alex Perez.
Kape and Nicolau were originally scheduled to run things back in January, but the fight was scrapped after Kape missed weight by 3.5 pounds.
In a social media post Wednesday morning, “Starboy” revealed that he broke his rib and required surgery.
This is the first time I’ve ever pull out of a fight, I broke the cartilage of my rib and I couldn’t move for a week. On Thursday last week my surgery went extremely well. Bare in mind that all my fights that got cancelled in the past was due to my opponents.
Where I came from…
— マネル・ケイプ موسى Manel Kape (@ManelKape) April 3, 2024
“This is the first time I’ve ever pull out of a fight, I broke the cartilage of my rib and I couldn’t move for a week. On Thursday last week my surgery went extremely well. Bare in mind that all my fights that got cancelled in the past was due to my opponents. Where I came from we used to fight for free, I’m not bragging about I’m just being honest so don’t ever think I’m like some of you guys. ALLAH IS THE GREAT #notimeforbrokepeople#mytimeismoney.”
After four fights in 2021, Kape competed only once each in 2022 and 2023. Currently riding a four-fight winning streak, Kape has seen nine fights scrapped since joining the UFC roster in March 2020. Many of those fights were canceled because of his opponents, but it was Kape who withdrew from his past two scheduled bouts vs. Nicolau.
Alex Perez replaces Manel Kape to fight Matheus Nicolau in the main event of UFC Fight Night 241 on April 27.
[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag]’s 2024 return to the octagon has been delayed again.
The UFC flyweight contender is out of his bout against [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag], which was to serve as the headliner of a UFC Fight Night event on April 27 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Now, veteran [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] has been pulled from a scheduled matchup of his own to step in as a replacement to face Nicolau.
The news was announced by the promotion on Tuesday and later independently confirmed by MMA Junkie.
Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and Nicolau (19-4-1 MMA, 7-2) were originally supposed to rematch in January, but the fight was scrapped after Kape missed weight by 3.5 pounds. Kape has had many fight cancellations in the last couple of years, leaving him to fight only once in 2022 and once more in 2023.
Nicolau was the last fighter to defeat Kape, winning a split decision in March 2021. He looks to rebound from a loss to former title challenger Brandon Royval, which snapped the 31-year-old’s six-fight winning streak.
Replacing Kape, Perez (24-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC) is also looking to bounce back from defeat. “Turbo” was scheduled to face Tagir Ulanbekov on June 15 before the shift to facing Nicolau. The former UFC title challenger is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Muhammad Mokaev in March. He’s currently on a three-fight losing streak, with his last win coming in 2020.
Flyweight Manel Kape and Matheus Nicolau will run it back, this time headlining an April UFC Fight Night event in Las Vegas.
[autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] and [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag] will run it back again, this time in a UFC Fight Night headliner.
The pair were previously booked for a rematch in January, and made it as far as an official faceoff, but the fight was scrapped after Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) missed the flyweight limit by 3.5 pounds. Nicolau (19-4-1 MMA, 7-2) made weight and initially agreed to accept a percentage of Kape’s purse, but the fight did not proceed.
Now the flyweight contenders are set to meet again in the main event on April 27 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. MMA Junkie confirmed the news with two sources with knowledge of the matchup following a first report from MMA Mania.
Kape, 30, said an illness and antibiotics use led to the weight miss in January. In his statement on Instagram, he said he offered his entire purse to save the fight, but to no avail. “Starboy” has won four consecutive fights, with six cancelations occurring during that stretch.
Nicolau was the last fighter to defeat Kape, winning a split decision in March 2021. He will look to rebound from a loss to former title challenger Brandon Royval. Before that setback, the 31-year-old flyweight won six straight contests.
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With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup on April 27 includes:
