The fights that occur in the octagon distinguish who will progress forward and expose who will crack under pressure. Alex Perez, 34 year old Mexican American UFC fighter knows the game a little all too well. “I’m proud I was able to cancel out the noise and make it to the UFC. A lot of my friends were way better than me, they didn’t ever make it, Perez admitted.
When Alex was a child, he had an interest in the art of MMA, wrestling with his brothers, and gaining a respect for the game. “I wanted to try it, I didn’t know if I would be able to make it into a career, but if I wasn’t a fighter I have no idea what I’d be doing,” Alex continued, “I didn’t have many options in my case, I have some education but not a college degree so I’d have to start from the bottom up.” Much like other working class communities, starting from the bottom is the only option.
Growing up in the Central Valley of Southern California, Perez understood the limited opportunities growing up in a small town. Leemore, California, could not contain the drastic dreams Perez was destined to achieve. “I love being able to inspire kids to get out of a small town. Lemoore is a very small town and we get that small town curse where you feel too scared to take opportunities,” he said. Although he knew he needed to move on to elevate in his career, his love for the 559 never faded away.” I love representing my town, we are hardworking, blue collar people. Top to bottom, I love how everybody works and grinds it out.”
Mexican American identity carries a legacy of resilience and pride. The commonly used phrase “fight like a Mexican” reflects an image of Mexicans as machismos, fighting with their heart, using relentless force. Perez embraces the phrase as his fighting style and authentic self.
Perez even explains how one of his managers gave him the nickname, “The Decision”. Early in his career, his scorecards kept resulting in a decision and when one of his managers called him boring, he gained a new name. Competing in the flyweight division at 126 pounds Perez is ranked No. 15 in the Meta UFC flyweight rankings. With 26 wins and 11 losses, consisting of; seven knockouts/ technical knockouts, seven submissions, and 12 decisions.
This achievement of even being signed to the UFC already surpasses the odds of making it to the top 1% of global MMA fighters. The cost Perez pays to be in this position is significant to his personal life as outside of fighting as a father and a husband. Without a set schedule, he has to be prepared for his next fights. With a career that is so unpredictable and non promising, the ‘risk vs reward’ is in question when inequitably UFC fighters only receive 15% to 20% of their total revenue.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has granted dreams while simultaneously breaking another’s. Where success stories ultimately erase the majority of reality, this vulnerable game challenges physical and mental permanence. Alex expresses, “You can do everything right and lose and you can do everything wrong and win. Sometimes it’s just not your time.”
