Former Central Forsyth High School state wrestler, Abraham Perez, has begun his fighting career in mixed martial arts. While in high school, Perez becomes the first wrestler in Forsyth Central history to compete in the state playoffs four years in a row. He was a region champion in wrestling his junior and senior years.
“My friend introduced me into the world of MMA when I was a freshman in high school” – Abraham Perez
Perez found a passion for MMA before he even began to train for it, as he dreamed of becoming a fighter while still wrestling in high school. The 21-years-old looks to turn his passion of fighting in MMA into a career. The transition from wrestling to MMA was smooth for Perez because he was able to channel his competitive spirit into a new style of fighting.
The training that an athlete has to endure is heavy in order to make it into the sport, and he does not take this lightly. Perez says he trains Monday through Friday anywhere from two to four hours a day at an established gym of 14 years, Knuckle Up Gym, located in Alpharetta, Georgia.
He has recently competed in a National Fighting Championship event and defeated Cesar Garibay in the 1st round via standing guillotine. The only way to be entered into one of these fights is by decision of an owner of an established gym such as Perez’s and they do a fighter versus fighter match-up based on weight class.
Perez competes in a tough sport because fighters must follow strict guidelines involving their weight class, and his is 125 lbs. At a height of 5 feet, 6 inches, Perez has a substantial reach giving him an advantage in many former fights as well as future fights.
Perez said “I plan on fighting in the future but it takes time in between fights.” Therefore, he plans to schedule a fight in about four months. This is to give his body time to recover from his previous victory as well as more time to train towards the next fight.
“I am very proud to represent my community when I fight” – Abraham Perez
Perez finds himself full of confidence knowing his community supports him through his MMA endeavors. He also states how it motivates every fight and allows him to keep pursuing his passion for the sport.
