RELATED: Preview Figueiredo vs Perez
Key Stats: 5.31 strikes landed per minute (2nd all-time among FLW), 1.51 knockdowns per 15 minutes (1st all-time among FLW), 5:57 average fight time (1st shortest all-time among FLW)
What It Means: Although Perez has a strong, credentialed wrestling base, his striking is fundamentally sound and powerful. He keeps a tight, high guard and displays solid footwork when entering and exiting the pocket. His attack is varied, and he has shown a nice mixture of leg kicks to set up punching combos as well as utilization of his hands to set up low calf kicks that have won him fights in the past. He is constantly peppering his opponent with shots and does well to string together multiple strikes, rarely just throwing one at a time.
What to Look For in the Fight: Perez is definitely the more active of the two on the feet, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him open up on Figueiredo’s legs early. That said, the champion is adept at working off the back foot and waiting for his chance to counter, so Perez will need to focus on getting out of the way of any incoming fire when he throws those meaningful leg kicks. If Figueiredo finds his timing and distance, he is as good as any at stalking his opponent to the fence and unleashing strikes that either lead to an immediate finish or a grappling sequence. If the latter happens, Perez does have tricky submissions himself, as well as that wrestling acumen, so he should provide resistance either way.
