Alex Perez vs Sumudaerji ends in no contest at UFC Macau

Sumudaerji was beginning to take control of the biggest fight of his recent UFC run when one misplaced kick erased the result completely.

His flyweight bout with Alex Perez ended in a no contest at UFC Macau after an accidental low blow left the former title challenger unable to continue. The stoppage came at 1:45 of the second round inside Galaxy Arena, ending a fight that had started to swing hard in Sumudaerji’s direction.

There was no celebration for the Chinese fighter and no defeat added to Perez’s record. Just an unfinished main-card fight, a painful exit and a result that leaves both men needing another booking before either can move forward at 125 pounds.

Sumudaerji loses a winning position

The opening round gave both fighters room to work, with Perez trying to settle behind his boxing and close-range exchanges while Sumudaerji looked for space to attack at distance. The fight changed quickly in the second. Sumudaerji landed a heavy punch that dropped Perez and suddenly had the former UFC title challenger scrambling to survive instead of building his own offense.

Perez managed to recover through the grappling exchange and return to his feet, but Sumudaerji still looked like the fighter driving the action. Then came the kick that ended everything. Sumudaerji fired to the body, the strike landed below the belt and Perez immediately collapsed in clear distress.

Officials gave Perez time to recover, but he could not restart the fight. Referee Mark Craig consulted with Marc Goddard at cageside before the contest was officially ruled a no contest due to the accidental foul.

• Alex Perez vs Sumudaerji ended as a no contest after an accidental low blow.
• The official stoppage came at 1:45 of Round 2.
• Sumudaerji had dropped Perez with a punch earlier in the second round.
• Neither fighter received a win or a loss from the UFC Macau bout.

Perez leaves without an answer

For Perez, this was supposed to be another chance to rebuild momentum in the flyweight division. He has already challenged for UFC gold and still carries a respected name at 125 pounds, but his recent career has rarely followed a simple line. Injuries, cancelled bookings and difficult results have repeatedly interrupted any clear run.

UFC Macau did not give him the kind of outcome he needed. Perez was hurt before the foul, but he was still in the fight when the illegal strike brought it to an end. A loss would have been painful. A comeback win would have changed his direction. A no contest leaves him with neither closure nor momentum.

The nature of the stoppage also means there is little useful conclusion to draw about where Perez currently stands. He had difficult moments against Sumudaerji, but he never got the chance to respond over the remaining rounds. His next fight will now carry the same questions that Macau was meant to answer.

A missed chance for Sumudaerji

Sumudaerji may feel the result even more sharply. Fighting in Macau, in front of a crowd ready to get behind him, he had an experienced opponent in trouble and a real opportunity to claim one of the best wins of his UFC career. A victory over Perez would have given him a much stronger argument for a bigger flyweight matchup next.

Instead, the final image of the bout is not the punch that hurt Perez or the pressure Sumudaerji had started to build. It is the foul that stopped the fight. The kick was ruled accidental, but accidents still carry consequences when a fight is beginning to turn in one fighter’s favour.

The most logical next move would be a rebooking, although the UFC has not announced one. Perez deserves a complete result after being unable to continue through an illegal strike. Sumudaerji has reason to want the fight back after losing a strong position without receiving the win.

UFC Macau produced important victories for several fighters on the card. Perez and Sumudaerji left with something far less satisfying: a fight that looked ready to reveal its winner, then ended before either man could claim the result.