The second time has been the charm for
Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight contender
Matheus
Nicolau. A brief first stint in the world’s premier mixed
martial arts organization ended with an abrupt release from the
promotion in July 2018. Undeterred, he continued on his path,
collecting two victories in
Future Fighting Championships and two more in the
Brave Combat Federation before signing with the UFC again.
In his return, Nicolau managed to compile four straight wins over
formidable names before succumbing to a knockout loss against
perennial threat
Brandon
Royval. A year later, he has his next assignment booked against
Alex
Perez in the
UFC on ESPN 55 main event this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las
Vegas. It has been a long road for the 31-year-old—one that came
with its fair share of scrapes and scratches, all absorbed at the
highest level of the game. As Nicolau approaches his forthcoming
battle with Perez, a look at some of the rivalries that have helped
shape his career to this point:
Rematches are always a recipe for excitement, particularly when the
first competitive arrangement does not determine a conclusive
outcome. In their first outing at
Brasil Fight 5, the three-round contest was declared a draw,
setting the stage for a rematch just over a year later at
Brasil Fight 6. The bantamweight showcase on Sep. 21, 2012 at
the Minas Tennis Club Arena in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, marked a
decisive ending to the rivalry, as Nicloau secured a technical
knockout victory at the 4:09 mark of Round 3.
In his first fight during his second stint with the UFC, Kape was
positioned as the rival to thwart the Brazilian’s attempt to make a
resounding statement. Two minutes into the first round of their
UFC Fight Night 187 showcase, Nicolau secured a takedown and
scrambled for dominant position against the cage. On his way up,
Kape was trapped in a guillotine choke but managed to survive the
scare without any significant damage. However, Kape opened up with
his striking more effectively in the second round, managing to hurt
Nicolau with an uppercut while pushing his foe to the defensive
brink. Recognizing that the bout was probably even on the
scorecards leading up to the final round, Nicolau came out
swinging, outworking Kape for a notable stretch. However, Kape
would not go out without a fight, landing a couple of knees down
the stretch that jarred Nicolau. In the end, Nicolau got his hand
raised by split decision—a verdict that visibly aggravated Kape.
They were scheduled for a rematch on two occasions, once at
UFC Fight Night 234. Kape weighed three and a half pounds over
the flyweight limit, which forced the bout to be canceled.
Interestingly, the rivalry was set to be the marquee attraction for
this weekend’s event before “Starboy” pulled out of the fight due
to a rib injury.
At
UFC Fight Night 194, Nicolau endured Elliott’s patent
unorthodox offensive onslaught before finding his mark. The
American stifled Nicolau with his awkward in-and-out movements,
preventing the Brazilian from getting his rhythm. With careful
evaluation, he managed to gauge Elliott’s trajectory and started
connecting with crisp left-right combinations. He consistently kept
digging into the body before going back up to the head and then
circling away before Elliott could return fire. Elliott amplified
the pressure in the final round, charging with punches that he
hoped would eventually lead to a takedown. Nevertheless, it was
Nicolau who managed to secure the takedown, peppering away with
punches to the body and controlling his opponent on the ground for
the better stretch of two minutes. The judges scored the bout 29-28
unanimously in his favor.