The UFC has finalized a big time flyweight matchup for one of their Fight Nights in July. MMA Junkie was the first to report yesterday that the promotion had finalized a fight between Askar Askarov (14-1-1) and Alex Perez (24-6).
The fight will take place at a Fight Night on July 16th. This is actually the second time that the UFC has booked this matchup. Originally, they were supposed to fight last July, but the fight fell through.
Alex Perez has seen a number of fights fall through for a variety reasons. From weight issues to injuries, Perez has been out of the octagon for a significant amount of time. The last time we saw Perez was when he fought for the title back at UFC 255.
That night, Perez was submitted in the first round by Deiveson Figueiredo. The loss snapped a three-fight winning streak for Perez. In eight UFC fights, he’s gone 6-2 overall.
UFC Fight Night
Perez will be looking to bounce back just like Askar Askarov will be. Askarov is coming off of the first loss of his career which took place at UFC Columbus when he took on fellow top contender Kai Kara-France.
He looked sensational in the first round taking Kara-France down and controlling him. However, he couldn’t get him down in the final two rounds and was outstruck which caused him to lose by decision.
It was the first loss of his UFC and professional career. Prior to that, he had gone 3-0-1 in the octagon with the lone draw coming against former champion Brandon Moreno. To this point, he holds wins over Joseph Benavidez and top contender Alexandre Pantoja.
This is a huge fight for both men as they look to get back into the UFC title picture. Whoever wins could be in a good position for a potential title eliminator towards the end of the year.