Brendan Miller
It would be a feat for any card to follow UFC 300, but the difference between the pay-per-view and this week’s Fight Night is astronomical. Matheus Nicolau and Alex Perez, two flyweights coming off defeats, are the main attraction at the UFC Apex, in Las Vegas, on Saturday.
Nicolau (19-4-1) was scheduled to meet Manel Kape several times, including this weekend. The January streak was canceled after Kape weighed in 3.5 pounds over the flyweight limit. Kape later withdrew from booking the main event, allowing Perez to advance with advance notice. Nicolau looked like a solid contender before his six-fight, decision-heavy winning streak was halted by Brandon Royval via first-round knockout last year. Having trained with UFC Hall of Famer José Aldo ahead of UFC 301 next week, Nicolau is ready for a five-round war with Perez.
“I was training boxing with him,” Nicolau told CBS Sports. “We went to the Navy in Brazil. The Brazilian Navy has a very good boxing team. five-round fights. This is the first time I’m doing a five-round fight.
“It’s amazing to be around him. He always has a lot of energy. He’s always trying to get us to the top. He’s a great guy.”
Check out the full interview with Matheus Nicolau below.
Perez (24-8) deserves plaudits for stepping up on short notice, but it’s hard to get excited seeing him on the marquee. Perez is a complete fighter whose only losses in the UFC are to elite competition, but the reality is that he leads a card with three consecutive losses. Perez suffered a spirited loss to highly touted contender Muhammad Mokaev, following losses to current flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja and former titleholder Deiveson Figueiredo in their title fight. Perez recognizes the situation, but will not allow this writer or anyone else to harm his morale.
“You have to have short-term memory,” Perez told CBS Sports. “This may sound crazy, but this is how I deal with life in general. If I’m sick, something bad happens or the car breaks down, you can’t really sit there and think about it, think about it too much or cry. that. Life still goes on. You still have to pay your bills. Yes, I lost, but look at my losses, I lost to Deiveson.
“I’m not really a guy who feels bad about myself. I never have. I know a lot of guys sitting there and crying about it. Everyone does their own thing the way they want to deal with it… Let’s move on. forward to the next one. Life is too short to think about these sad moments.
Check out the full interview with Alex Perez below.
There isn’t much about UFC Fight Night that will pique the average consumer’s interest. Dedicated fans will be excited to see Karine Silva extend her perfect record of 17 stoppages in 17 wins against Ariane Lipski. The double submission threat has been on a submission spree, eliminating all four opponents under the UFC umbrella. Tim Means vs. Uros Medic is a solid main card opener. Meanwhile, Ryan Spann and Bogdan Guskov can be reasonably trusted to score knockouts in the co-main event.
Below is the rest of the fight card for Saturday with the latest odds before we come up with a prediction and pick the main event.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
| Matheus Nicolau -190 | Alex Pérez +160 | Flyweight |
| Ryan Spann-195 | Bogdan Guskov +165 | Light heavyweight |
| Karine Silva -160 | Ariane Lipske +135 | Women’s flyweight |
| Jhonata Diniz -260 | Austen Street +215 | Heavy weight |
| Jonathan Pierce -170 | David Onama +143 | Feather weight |
| Doctor Uros -300 | Tim means +240 | Welterweight |
UFC Fight Night Viewing Information
Date: April 27 | Start time: 7pm ET (main card)
Location: UFC Apex – Las Vegas
Television channel: ESPN+
Prediction
Matheus Nicolau x Alex Perez: This fight is expected to last five full rounds. This does not bode well for the fighter arriving on short notice. Perez is most successful in overwhelming fighters with his tenacious pressure. He’s aiming for a 25-minute war against Nicolau, but his slower pace in the third round against Mokaev calls into question Perez’s effectiveness in the end. The underdog averages more than two takedowns every 15 minutes, but breaking Nicolau’s 93% takedown defense will be complicated. Perez is durable and defensively responsible, but Nicolau appears to be the better striker and ground fighter. He expects Nicolau to score points on his feet and avoid most of the takedowns on the way to a decision win. Nicolau by unanimous decision
