At UFC Macau last week, an accidental foul during a flyweight bout turned out to be so bad that it probably made many live viewers visibly uncomfortable. In the second round of their fight, Sumudaerji landed an accidental kick to Alex Perez’s groin that sent Perez to the canvas in visible agony. The severity of the pain was evident on his face, and Perez quickly needed a bucket to throw up in. The ringside doctors and referee gave the former title challenger the standard five-minute recovery time. When it became clear he could not continue even after the time had elapsed, referee Mark Craig declared the bout a no-contest.

After the match, Alex Perez was quickly transported to the hospital, where a groin ultrasound was administered to determine the extent of his injury. But what happened after is what prompted Sumudaerji to begin to question the severity of the foul he had delivered.

“I really didn’t feel anything at the time,” the Chinese MMA star said in a recent interview. “If I had felt it, I’m sure I would’ve known. That’s why I was so frustrated in the end, you know. First of all, we athletes are the ones who feel it the most, right? Because we wear groin guards. If you really get hit there, you’re right that ordinary people might not know because they have never experienced it. But professional athletes would know whether they have been kicked there for real.  

“If I get kicked in the groin, I’m definitely going to react. Then, after the game, I saw a lot of fans posting about him eating McDonald’s. After finishing his McDonald’s, he came back to the hotel and was jumping around like crazy. At the time, I just thought, well, there’s nothing I can do about it; it’s just a competition. But the more he acted like that, the more I couldn’t stand it. I really felt so miserable.”

To the Chinese star’s credit, he rightly pointed out that Alex Perez actually had a meal at McDonald’s after the fight. Popular MMA content creator Kevin K posted a picture of the Californian at the fast-food chain on X. That image definitely raised questions among viewers, who also started doubting the extent of the foul as Perez was seen munching down on fast food.

However, Alex Perez recovering from the low blow quickly isn’t all that surprising if we consider Cody Garbrandt’s case. At UFC 326, the former bantamweight champion also threw up in a bucket after Long Xiao landed not one but three low blows. For this, Xiao was deducted two points in round 3. Despite the severity of the injury, ‘No Love’ continued the scrap and ended up winning the fight via unanimous decision. In that case, it’s possible that Perez made a quick recovery in the hospital and went out for food.

Groin injuries, while painful, require comparatively lower recovery time as compared to a broken bone or tendon, especially if guards are worn when the strike happens. Regardless, for a fighter like Sumudaerji who was ahead on the cards up until the illegal strike ended the bout, its natural to feel there might be foul play here.

But after the fiasco at UFC Macau, Alex Perez has finally broken his silence on what happened.

Alex Perez addresses controversial no-contest against Sumudaerji at UFC Macau

Following the controversial ending of the UFC Macau fight, the 34-year-old addressed the nature of his injury.

“The first round was close, and the second round, Sumudaerji was winning until my nuts got smashed,” Perez wrote on social media, as per Verdict MMA. “The results came back, no major damage, just bruising and swelling.”

While it may look suspicious from outside, the UFC star thankfully evaded serious injury. He was fortunate in this case because some groin shots can be nasty. Famously, Victor Henry suffered a grueling low blow from Javid Basharat in their fight at UFC 294 that sent him to the hospital. Though he didn’t require surgery, his testicles apparently swelled up, and it took some time for the swelling to go down.

That said, with the Sumudaerji vs. Alex Perez fight ending in a no-contest, the bout will likely be rebooked. Both fighters now have unfinished business, and the controversy surrounding the no-contest makes a rematch a natural booking for the UFC.