Alex Perez says a seizure while warming up caused UFC on ESPN 43 cancelation vs. Manel Kape
Alex Perez has revealed why he could not compete at UFC on ESPN 43.
Just minutes before he was scheduled to fight Manel Kape on the main card at AT&T Center in San Antonio, the commentary team announced the fight was off due to an undisclosed medical issue with Perez (24-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC).
In a pair of tweets after the event, Perez addressed what happened, revealing a seizure occurred during his pre-fight warm up, which led to the medical team pulling him out of the fight against Kape (18-6 MMA, 3-2 UFC).
“First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for all the support and concerns,” Perez wrote on Twitter. “I was doing my pre-fight warm up and had a seizure. I immediately received medical attention. My hydration, electrolytes, etc were all more than adequate. This has nothing to do with weight cut. It was one of the easiest cuts of my career. I will be undergoing further testing in the upcoming weeks to determine the cause. I would appreciate privacy. My apologizes to my opponent and fans. Thank you to the UFC medical team for their help and support.”
First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for all the support and concerns. I was doing my pre-fight warm up and had a seizure. I immediately received medical attention. My hydration, electrolytes, etc were all more than adequate. This has nothing to do with weight cut. It was
— Alex Perez (@alexperezMMA) March 26, 2023
one of the easiest cuts of my career. I will be undergoing further testing in the upcoming weeks to determine the cause. I would appreciate privacy. My apologizes to my opponent and fans. Thank you to the UFC medical team for their help and support.
— Alex Perez (@alexperezMMA) March 26, 2023
Kape, who may or may not have been aware of the medical issue, shared some harsh words for Perez on social media after the cancelation of the bout, calling Perez a “coward” for not making it to the cage.
Perez, a former UFC flyweight title challenger, has had a string of unfortunate events that has prevented him from competing. Since his title shot against Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 255 in November 2020, Perez has been scheduled to fight a total of 10 times, yet only made it to the cage once due to both his or his opponents’ issues.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 43.