Alex Pérez is happy to put his ranking on the line against undefeated Tatsuro Taira on Saturday UFC on ESPN 58 main event.
Former flyweight title challenger Perez (24-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC) considers himself one of the true fighters in his weight class. He thinks he’s proving it once again by accepting a five-round fight against Japanese challenger Taira (15-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in a headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas (ESPN2, ESPN+).
“People ask me, ‘Why did you take this fight? Could you have a guy in the top five? I’m just here to fight,” Perez told MMA Junkie at Thursday’s media day. “If I keep winning, the title fight will be here. This guy is a great prospect. He has a lot of hype behind him. I can handle his hype when I beat him this weekend.”
Perez, 32, had suffered injuries and fight cancellations for several years leading up to UFC on ESPN 55 in April, where he reappeared with a knockout in the second round by Matheus Nicolau.
Now Perez, No. 5 in the official UFC rankingseeks to gain momentum against Taira, number 13 in the ranking, and show that it will not be used as a springboard.
“He’s 15-0 for a reason,” Perez said. “I know he was a champion outside of the UFC. He fought some really good guys. People are like, ‘Oh, it’s going to be an easy fight.’ He’s tough, a very good striker, doesn’t get hit a lot, a very good grappler. Typically, a lot of Japanese people I’ve trained with in the past are great grapplers and great strikers. They don’t really have that mix. He has this mix.
“He’s a tough guy. He is very good. If you saw his fights, he was able to knock people down, he was able to subdue people, he was able to make decisions. I’m excited for the challenge. I want to be the guy who solves this puzzle.”
Perez is confident in his chances of getting the job done and said as long as he stays within himself, he will be successful.
“The key to winning for me is just going out there, having fun and doing what I want,” Perez said. “When I’m having fun and working, no one can beat me.”
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC on ESPN 58.
