LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 21: Deiveson Figueiredo of Brazil celebrates his submission victory over Alex Perez in their flyweight championship bout during the UFC 255 event at UFC APEX on November 21, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Figueiredo submits Perez to retain UFC flyweight title

5 years ago
Jeff Bottari / UFC / Getty

UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo made quick work of Alex Perez in his first title defense.

Figueiredo submitted Perez with a guillotine in the first round of the UFC 255 main event Saturday. The stoppage came at 1:57 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The finishing sequence started when Figueiredo transitioned to a leg lock as Perez looked to secure a takedown. The challenger managed to get on top but Figueiredo sunk in a deep guillotine. After making an adjustment to tighten the choke, he forced Perez to tap.

After the win, Figueiredo called out No. 1-ranked contender Brandon Moreno, who finished Brandon Royval in Saturday's featured preliminary bout.

"(UFC president) Dana (White), make this happen," Figueiredo said in his postfight interview. "That's the fight that I want to happen."

Figueiredo and Perez engaged as soon as the fight started, trading heavy leather on the feet until Perez went in for a takedown about 75 seconds into the round.

With the victory, Figueiredo retained his 125-pound belt for the first time after capturing it in July, extending his winning streak to five. The Brazilian also earned the second-fastest finish in a UFC flyweight title bout behind Henry Cejudo's 32-second TKO of TJ Dillashaw in 2019, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

Perez saw his three-fight winning streak come to an end. The 28-year-old became the first alum of "Dana White's Contender Series" to challenge for a UFC championship.

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