Alex Perez is closing in on 40 professional MMA fights, and he’s still chopping away in the premier organization with no plan to retire in sight.
Perez (26-10 MMA, 8-6 UFC), a former UFC flyweight title challenger, returns to the cage this Saturday in the opening bout of the UFC Fight Night 277 (Paramount+) main card at Galaxy Arena in Macau. He takes on hometown favorite Su Mudaerji (19-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC).
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But what exactly is the driving force for Perez now 15 years into his career? Well, the answer is comprised of many parts.
“A little bit of everything, honestly,” Perez told MMA Junkie Radio on Tuesday. “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.”
“Although there are many things fueling Perez, the 34-year-old believes the main one to be his pursuit of financial stability.
“I always tell people, like, I want to be UFC champion. That’s what I’m striving for,” Perez explained. “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. If I never get the UFC title, the next biggest thing would be for me to say like, ‘Hey, the UFC, my career, I was able to buy this house. I was able to do all this stuff with this money, like open my business I have.’ 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.
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“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 had a great life. My mom, I mean, we got to do a lot. We got a lot. Everything we wanted and more and needed. So I want to give him more opportunities than I had. And that’s kind of what drives me.”
Perez expects a tough fight from Su Mudaerji this Saturday. Although this is the first time they’ll meet, Perez is very familiar with the Chinese fighter.
“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.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Macau: Alex Perez fueled by stability from fighting
