TLDR
- Alex Perez weighed 128.5 pounds, missing the 126-pound flyweight limit by 2.5 pounds at UFC 324
- He forfeited 25% of his purse ($25,000) to opponent Charles Johnson as a penalty
- Perez still fought and finished Johnson with strikes in about three minutes
- The victory ended Perez’s two-fight losing streak despite the weight miss controversy
- UFC 324 introduced new $25,000 bonuses for all knockout and submission wins
Sources: Sportsnet | Wikipedia | Total Pro Sports
Former flyweight title challenger Alex Perez lost $25,000 before he even stepped into the octagon at UFC 324 on Saturday night. The fighter missed the 126-pound flyweight limit by 2.5 pounds at Friday’s weigh-ins, weighing in at 128.5 pounds.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission fined Perez 25 percent of his fight purse, totaling $25,000. That money went directly to his opponent Charles Johnson as compensation for the weight violation.
The bout proceeded as scheduled, but was changed to a catchweight fight instead of an official flyweight contest. Johnson agreed to take the fight despite Perez coming in heavy.
Perez Delivers Quick Finish Despite Weight Controversy
The financial penalty didn’t seem to affect Perez’s performance inside the cage. He wasted no time attacking Johnson once the fight began at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Perez repeatedly landed clean punches that hurt Johnson early in the first round. He dropped his opponent multiple times with strikes before the referee stopped the fight.
The finish came approximately three minutes into the opening round. The win snapped a two-fight losing streak for Perez, who had been struggling to regain his form after challenging for the flyweight title.
Perez wasn’t the only fighter to miss weight on the UFC 324 card. Former two-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo also came in 2.5 pounds over the bantamweight limit for his featured preliminary bout.
Figueiredo received the same 25 percent purse fine as Perez. He went on to lose a unanimous decision to Umar Nurmagomedov in that matchup.
New Bonus Structure Debuts at UFC 324
The event marked the introduction of new financial incentives for fighters. The UFC announced that all knockout and submission winners would receive an automatic $25,000 bonus added to their fight purse.
The organization also doubled its Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night awards. Those bonuses increased from $50,000 to $100,000 starting with this event.
Perez’s quick knockout victory likely made him eligible for both the new stoppage bonus and a potential Performance of the Night award. However, the $25,000 he earned from any stoppage bonus would have only offset the $25,000 he lost for missing weight.
UFC 324 was the first of 43 planned UFC events scheduled for 2026. The card took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
One scheduled lightweight bout between Michael Johnson and Alexander Hernandez was cancelled on the day of the event. The UFC removed the fight from the preliminary card for undisclosed reasons hours before the show began.
The flyweight division’s 126-pound weight limit has proven challenging for several fighters throughout UFC history. Missing weight by even half a pound results in automatic financial penalties and can damage a fighter’s reputation with the promotion.
