Welcome to the UFC: Benito Lopez and Markus Perez

The main card of UFC Fresno: Swanson vs. Ortega features the debuts of a undefeated Alpha Male brawler and a Brazilian Bruce Lee

The second installment of this week’s Welcome to the UFC features two more newcomers set to make their debuts on the main card of UFC: Swanson vs. Ortega. First up is Team Alpha Male’s “Golden Boy,” Benito Lopez. The bantamweight shined on Dana White’s Tuesday Night contender series and has apparently been training since the age of 12. Along with him is an undefeated Brazilian middleweight who fights like he was ripped out the roster of a Tekken game.

Who is Benito Lopez?

23-year-old UFC greenhorn Benito Lopez, is one of the few fighters to be signed from the Contender Series without finishing his opponent. Lopez unloaded his entire arsenal on Steven Peterson’s cranium, but the former LFA champ kept moving forward till the final bell. Lopez is a ‘new breed’ fighter who has trained specifically for MMA since the age of 12. He came up with the MMA Gold team, but switched over to Alpha Male two years ago after beating Matt Wagy (a long time member of the Sacramento fight team). The “Golden Boy” is maturing into a consummate fighter inside and outside of the cage, if his career continues on it’s current path he will be a name we will be talking about for many years to come.

What should you expect?

An mma fighter since day one Lopez’s skills are as diverse as you might expect. But if his opponent likes to scrap, don’t expect Lopez to look for a takedown. At 5’11 with a 73” reach Lopez is a very long bantamweight, a length that he utilizes supremely with flying knees and a long, solid jab. His style is comparable to training partner Andre “Touchy” Fili, except Fili is a better wrestler while Lopez is the more dynamic striker. Being an Alpha Male his guillotine is solid, but he mainly uses his jits to work for scrambles and get back to his feet. At his core Lopez is a crowd-pleaser and he will do what ever it takes to make the fans remember his fight.

What this means for his debut?

Lopez will meet fellow Californian Alberto Morales in a fight that was supposed to go down last May. The two were scheduled to meet in West Coast FC, but Lopez was force to withdraw after he suffered a concussion in a sparring session with teammate Cody Garbrandt. The exit from the fight prompted Morales to question the legitimacy of Lopez’s condition, which has added fuel to Lopez’s fire. Not that this fight will need any additional story lines, these two next-gen athletes both move forward with manslaughter on the mind and zero regard for personal safety.

Lopez has more weapons, while Morales has the superior boxing. Morales will likely look to get it to the mat after falling behind in early striking exchanges, where he will have a small but valuable advantage in the wrestling department. I expect Morales to land a few take downs, but Lopez is really good at creating scrambles to get back to his feet. In the end it could be a bloody war, from which Lopez seems likely to come away with another close one. Lopez Split Decision

Here is Lopez’s contract winning performance in a bloody battle with Steven Peterson:

Who is Markus Perez?

27-year-old Sao Paulo native Markus “Maluko” Perez’s first appearance in a UFC cage was an unsuccessful one. The inexperienced Perez (3-0 at the time) was submitted by former ‘Mr. Demi Lovato’ Gulilherme “Bomba” Vasconcelos in a bid to get into the TUF Brazil 3 house. Following his TUF fight, Perez went on a tear on the regional circuit. He took out a ‘who’s who’ of Brazilian fighters, including UFC veterans Paulo Thiago and Ildemar Alcantara. He would ultimately earn his invite back to the UFC by submitting emerging prospect Ian Heinisch to capture the vacant LFA Middleweight title. Perez trains under former UFC welterweight and USADA bust, Viscardi Andradre at Gracie Fusion in Sao Paulo.

What should you expect?

Maluko is a self proclaimed Bruce Lee nerd and his fighting style would make the Jeet Kune Do inventor proud. Much like fellow Lee disciple Alex Caceras, Perez is a creative, high risk/reward striker who keeps his hands low and will throw a head kick like a orthodox fighter throws a jab. His BJJ is just as creative, frequently attempting unorthodox submission attempts like arm triangles from the bottom and an array of leg locks. He’s not the strongest wrestler, and will give up take downs to the stronger grapplers in the division. While he is an exciting prospect with highlight reel skills, his lack of wrestling will hurt his chances of becoming a top 15 fighter in the UFC.

What this means for his debut?

Perez will meet former Crimson Tide linebacker “Ya Boi” Eryk Anders in a main card showcase. Perez might look prettier on the feet and have a distinct speed advantage, but Anders is a brute and he has one-punch fight changing power. Perez may get the better of the early exchanges, but sooner or later Anders will probably land hard and separate Maluko from his consciousness. It’s a low percentage chance, but if Anders submission defense is not on point, Perez could catch him with something from the bottom. Anders TKO 2nd

Check out a compilation of Perez’s finer moments in combat: