Perez Reveals Strategy Shift That Earned UFC Deal

Cristian Perez won his UFC contract by scrapping the wrestling-heavy approach that failed him a year earlier.

The 27-year-old lightweight stopped Logan Paxton with strikes at Week 2 of Dana White's Contender Series on Tuesday, dropping his opponent twice before finishing him in the opening frame. Perez had lost his first DWCS appearance in 2025 to Manoel Sousa despite strong grappling, then rebounded with a first-round knockout on the regional circuit to earn a second shot.

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Perez Abandoned Grappling For Striking Finish

Perez told reporters after the fight that he recognized White's preference for violent finishes over technical grappling. "The last time the game plan was exactly that: take him down and try to finish my opponent," he said, per Sherdog. "I feel that I do have a very solid purple belt in jiu-jitsu. But we needed to change the game plan. When you come here, Dana doesn't want you to come here just to win the fight; he wants you to come here and impress, to show a savage, that you're an animal."

White not only awarded Perez a contract but offered him a slot at Noche UFC 4 on Sept. 12 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Perez now holds a 15-2 record and will make his promotional debut in less than a month.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Cristian Perez explains game-plan change that earned UFC contract