Exclusive: Matheus Nicolau talks new opponent after Manel Kape’s pull-out, addresses concerns about Alex Perez’s weight-cut issues

Matheus Nicolau recently discussed his highly anticipated match against Alex Perez at UFC Vegas 91, taking place later this month. The Brazilian fighter also addressed concerns surrounding Perez’s weight-cutting struggles.

Despite being initially scheduled to face Manel Kape in an anticipated flyweight match on April 27, Nicolau’s opponent had to withdraw due to a rib injury and subsequent surgery. In place of Kape, Perez has been chosen by the promotion to take on Nicolau in the upcoming bout.

The Brazilian emphasized that the majority of highly-ranked flyweight contenders were either injured or unavailable, and remarked:

“He’s [Perez] the only one that my manager came back to me and said is an opportunity to fight. We talked about [Muhammad] Mokaev but we have Ramadan now, so I doubt he would be able to get it. Also, [Brandon] Royval, as I know, is injured after his fight against [Brandan] Moreno. All of the guys on top of me in the rankings, they are all busy or injured.”

He proceeded to say:

“Moreno said he needs a little retirement, little vacation. Kai Kara [Kara-France], I think, is still injured, and [Amir] Albazi is also still injured. So, Perez was the fight that made sense, they offfered to us and right away we accepted.”

Matheus Nicolau’s comments can be found at the timestamp of 1:34 below.

Matheus Nicolau discusses Alex Perez’s struggles with weight cutting

In that interview, Matheus Nicolau discussed Alex Perez’s struggles with making weight prior to his fights.

Regrettably, the American fighter has faced a string of fight cancellations in recent years. Since 2020, he has had approximately ten bouts cancelled, including matchups against renowned flyweights such as Kai Kara-France, Amir Albazi, Askar Askarov, and Matt Schnell, due to various reasons.

Despite suffering seizures backstage while warming up, Perez’s fight against Kape was ultimately cancelled at the last minute. However, he later clarified that his medical condition was unrelated to his weight cut.

“This has crossed my mind, but I think he just fought recently, so I think he’s still in fighting shape. With an opportunity like this, to do the main event, I don’t think he’s going to screw with that. I think he’s going to do his part of the deal and I hope he comes in on weight all good and do an excellent fight.”[5:02]