Alex Perez heads into UFC Fight Night 277 in Macau with his sights set on much more than a win, as he prepares to face Su Mudaerji in the opening bout of the main card at Galaxy Arena this Saturday.
The former UFC flyweight title challenger, who owns a 26-10 professional record and an 8-6 mark in the UFC, says his motivations are layered but increasingly driven by life outside the cage. “A little bit of everything, honestly,” Perez said. “I like to prove people wrong because, you know, people doubt me a lot. People in my hometown that doubted me, friends and family, have made fun of me for the dream that I chase now that I'm here. You know, like, 'Oh, I've always supported you.' Obviously the money's always great, always a plus, but honestly the belt, it's all a little bit combined of everything.”
Perez has been fighting professionally for 15 years and is approaching 40 pro bouts. He credits his UFC run with helping him secure long-term stability. “But my biggest thing is I want the UFC to pay for my house. Be like, 'Hey, the UFC paid off my house, my, you know, this and that.' That's my biggest goal... I just bought another house. I have two properties now. The UFC is helping me with that. So, yeah, I think a little bit of just being able to be financially stable in the future is the biggest goal for me.”
Across the cage, Mudaerji brings a 19-7 professional record and a 6-4 UFC slate, and Perez expects a dangerous version of the Chinese contender. “Louis Smolka, former teammate, fought him and from that fight to this fight, it's big leaps and bounds,” Perez said. “So I'm expecting the best Su Mudaerji out there. He's with a great team. He's with Team Alpha Male, you know, Danny Castillo, Urijah Faber, Song Yadong, you know, all these guys. They have great wrestlers. So, you know, I'm expecting the best version of him.”
Even with a title still on his mind — “I always tell people, like, I want to be UFC champion. That's what I'm striving for,” he said — Perez underlines that his biggest drive is at home. “Obviously, UFC champ and the guy in front of me trying to kill me are very big motivations, but just in general, being able to give my son a better life than I had... I want to give him more opportunities than I had. And that's kind of what drives me.”
