Perez (15-2) came up short against Manoel Sousa in his first DWCS opportunity last year. “Puas” rebounded with a first-round knockout win on the regional circuit to earn another shot at an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract. He took on Logan Paxton in a lightweight bout at Week 2 of DWCS 2026, putting on a striking clinic, knocking down Paxton twice and finishing him the second time.
Cristian Perez changed his DWCS strategy before stopping Logan Paxton for UFC deal
Perez had shown impressive grappling in his first DWCS bout against Sousa. While he’s still confident in his ground game, the 27-year-old knows that UFC CEO Dana White is looking for highlight-reel finishes on Contender Series. Perez knew he had to alter his game plan to put on a show to earn a UFC contract.
“The last time the game plan was exactly that: take him down and try to finish my opponent,” Perez said in a post-fight interview. “I feel that I do have a very solid purple belt in jiu-jitsu. But we needed to change the game plan. When you come here, Dana doesn’t want you to come here just to win the fight; he wants you to come here and impress, to show a savage, that you’re an animal. And that’s what we came here for: to fight and put on a show for everyone.”
Perez not only earned a UFC contract but also an offer from White to compete at Noche UFC 4 on Sept. 12 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Cristian Perez is ready to fight at #NocheUFC 🇲🇽
📺: #DWCS on @paramountpluspic.twitter.com/ffHsrlS4T8— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 19, 2026