Erik Perez

Erik Gregorio Pérez Ruvalcaba, known professionally as “Goyito,” was born on November 19, 1989, in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, Mexico. He commenced his professional mixed martial arts career in 2008, establishing a track record across various promotions. Perez’s family has a notable history in sports, with his older brother, Jorge Pérez, being a professional boxer, and his brothers Iván and Jair Pérez also competing in mixed martial arts. This background immersed him in combat sports from an early age.

Perez garnered significant attention during his tenure with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). After a permanent move to the United States, he refined his skills at Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He made his UFC debut on June 1, 2012, where he secured a win via armbar submission. A significant milestone in his UFC career occurred on August 11, 2012, at UFC 150, where he achieved a first-round knockout in 17 seconds against Ken Stone. This performance set a record for the fastest Bantamweight knockout in UFC and WEC Bantamweight history. Throughout his UFC career, he demonstrated consistent performance, including wins against Byron Bloodworth, Edwin Figueroa, Taylor Lapilus, Francisco Rivera, and Felipe Arantes.

Following his departure from the UFC in 2017 after fulfilling his contract, Perez signed with Combate Americas, where he continued to compete, securing victories against David “DJ” Fuentes and Andres Ayala. Subsequently, he joined Bellator MMA, making his promotional debut on December 20, 2019. His career with Bellator included bouts against Toby Misech, Josh Hill, and Blaine Shutt, with a notable unanimous decision win against Shutt. Perez has consistently shown a dedication to the sport, navigating through different promotions and competing at a high level.