Markus Perez

Markus Perez's path to professional MMA was unconventional. After training in kung-fu as a teenager to emulate Bruce Lee, he transitioned to mixed martial arts through his brother's introduction to jiu-jitsu. Before dedicating himself to fighting full-time, Perez worked as an IT engineer and software developer, eventually quitting that career to teach Muay Thai and compete in Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments so he could pursue MMA without financial hardship. His family came around only after he reached the preliminary round of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3, at which point they recognized his commitment was serious.

Perez built an impressive 9-0 record in Brazilian regional promotions and captured the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) middleweight championship before the UFC signed him in late 2017. His time in the octagon, however, proved challenging. He won twice by submission, most memorably finishing Anthony Hernandez with an anaconda choke in the second round and James Bochnovic with a rear-naked choke in the first. But he lost five of his eight UFC fights, including a devastating first-round knockout by Dricus du Plessis in a short-notice debut that du Plessis (now the UFC's middleweight champion) has since reflected upon as a pivotal moment in his own career. Perez was released by the promotion in February 2021.

A grappler first and foremost, Perez relies on his submission skills and positional wrestling to finish opponents when things go his way. Against elite strikers and wrestlers at the UFC level, however, his distance management and durability fell short. After his UFC release, he competed in regional circuits, Cage Warriors, Thunder Fight, and bare-knuckle MMA events, winning some bouts and losing others. In December 2024, Perez was signed by Global Fight League, though that promotion's events were cancelled indefinitely in 2025. He remains active as a middleweight competitor, a testament to his persistent drive despite a difficult run at the highest level.