Alex Perez, the former UFC flyweight title challenger who once stepped in for Cody Garbrandt against Deiveson Figueiredo, did not run from the scorecards after his rematch with Sumudaerji at UFC Shanghai. One day after the flyweight bout went against him on all three cards, Perez posted a short Instagram statement congratulating his opponent and telling fans this is not the end of the road.
The loss closed a weird two-fight chapter between them. Their first meeting in May ended as a no contest after an accidental low blow left Perez unable to continue, then Saturday’s rematch gave Sumudaerji the clean verdict by 29-28, 29-28 and 29-28. That is not the kind of result that creates a big viral meltdown, but it is exactly the kind of tight ranked flyweight loss that can chew up a veteran’s year.
Perez posted his message after the fight below.
Alex Perez Keeps The Door Open After UFC Shanghai
Perez kept the tone clean, even after a result that had to sting. His complete statement read:
“All glory to God; without him, this would not be possible. Congratulations to my opponent. It wasn’t my night; no excuses. I felt amazing. Camp was great.
“I want to say thank you to everyone who has had my back: wife, son, family, friends, coaches, teammates, and thank you, China. The fans here are amazing.
“I’ll be back better than ever. This isn’t the end. I appreciate all the support and all the hate. Without you guys, I wouldn’t be able to do what I love.
“See you soon.”
That is about as straight as post-fight accountability gets. Perez had moments where his wrestling made the fight ugly, especially early, but Sumudaerji forced enough of the third round into his kind of chaos to leave Shanghai with the result. Perez has been around too long to pretend every close loss means the sky is falling, but at 125 pounds, one late scramble can turn a comeback story into another hard reset.
This has been a strange stretch for Perez. He opened 2026 by knocking out Charles Johnson at UFC 324 after missing weight, then ran into the no contest with Sumudaerji in May before Saturday’s rematch pushed him backward again. It is the kind of three-stop run that makes every next booking feel louder than it should.
Perez has already lived through the meaner side of the flyweight shark tank. Alexandre Pantoja tapped him quickly at UFC 277, and injuries have also messed with his momentum, including the 2023 issue he addressed when he was pulled from UFC San Antonio. This latest message fits that same career pattern. Lose, own it, wrap the hands again, and try to get the next one before the division moves on without you.
