Informed sources close to the situation said of the fight’s organization.
Muhammad Mokaev, 23, picked up his fifth UFC victory in October, finishing former title challenger Tim Elliott with an arm-triangle choke in the third round.
Alex Perez, 31, has had just two fights in the last three years, losing by guillotine choke to Deiveson Figueredo in a title fight and losing by neckbreaker to Allesandre Pantoja, both losses coming in the opening rounds in less than two minutes.
Alex Perez and Muhammad Mokaev are currently ranked seventh and ninth in the UFC’s lightweight division rankings, respectively.