Alex Perez dispatches Matheus Nicolau as late replacement moves into contention for UFC flyweight glory

Alex Perez knocked out Matheus Nicolau at UFC Fight Night to stake a claim for a flyweight title shot.

The pair went at it in Las Vegas on Saturday night, and the No. 8 ranked fighter in the division came out on top, with Perez having been a late replacement for Manel Kape.

Perez had been looking to get back to winning ways after three consecutive defeats, and he returned to the cage with determination amid a flurry of blows that culminated in a knockout from a brutal right hand.

Nicolau was ranked No. 5 going into the match-up, and while he started adroitly, he was largely on the back foot before striking with a left.

Perez was throwing an overwhelming number of punches and an effort with his right rendered Nicolau vulnerable, forcing him back against the cage wall and unable to resist his opponent any longer.

"It feels amazing," Perez said after the win. "Everyone counted me out after three losses."

The return was a little premature for Perez after he was originally scheduled to fight Tagir Ulanbekov on June 15 but stepped in to get back to action after a March defeat to Muhammad Mokaev.

He explained: "I tell people I don't get paid to sit on the couch, I get paid to fight and this is the reason why.

"Tough times don't last, but tough people do."

Two more talented flyweights, Alexandre Patoja and Steve Erceg fight at UFC 301, and he may be eyeing up the winner of that bout to position himself in line for a title fight.

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