{"id":4102,"date":"2026-05-04T00:51:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T00:51:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/4102\/"},"modified":"2026-05-04T00:51:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T00:51:18","slug":"ufc-perth-bonus-winner-grateful-to-ufc-for-saving-his-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/4102\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC Perth bonus winner grateful to UFC for \u2018saving his life\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Brando
\nPericic<\/a> wants everyone to know that he is a company man through
\nand through.<\/p>\n

Pericic battled on Shamil
\nGaziev<\/a> in a titanic heavyweight tilt at
\nUFC Perth<\/a> on Saturday. While Pericic hurt Gaziev early, the
\nBahraini refused to hit the canvas. When Pericic gain the
\nadvantage, Gaziev fired back with a vengeance, leading to a brutal
\nslugfest. Pericic kept inflicting punishment, and Gaziev finally
\nwent down in the second round. Both fighters walked home with $100K
\n\u201cFight of the Night\u201d checks for their efforts.<\/p>\n

Pericic made sure to express his gratitude to the promotion as much
\nas he could. He credited both the sport and this organization for
\nchanging his life, which inspires him to put on a show for fans
\nevery time he steps inside the Octagon. Pericic notes that he is
\ncalm and collected when he fights, as he believes he has already
\nwon tougher battles in life. Pericic expressed in his post-fight
\ninterview:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very thankful to this company,\u201d the Aussie exclaimed. \u201cThis
\ncompany saved my life. Mixed martial arts saved my life. So that\u2019s
\nwhy when I go out there, I wanna represent the struggles that I\u2019ve
\nbeen through and give that to the crowd, give them that big win,
\nthat KO win. Because the s–t that I\u2019ve been through in life,
\nthat\u2019s the true fight. This is easy. There [were] no nerves in
\nthere for me. I wouldn\u2019t have cared if it was the champion, I would
\nhave done the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Proud of his Croatian heritage, the Australian-born Pericic trains
\nout of City Kickboxing in New Zealand. Pericic saw hard times early
\nin his career, when he used to live in the gym or in his car.
\nPericic is grateful to Australasian veterans like Israel
\nAdesanya<\/a> and Tyson Pedro<\/a>
\nfor believing in him when he was at his lowest point. While Pericic
\nis yet to reach the pinnacle of stardom, \u201cThe Balkan Bear\u201d believes
\nhe will become a household name over time. Pericic continued:<\/p>\n

\u201cI love the Aussies\u2013my people. They don\u2019t even know who I am
\nproperly. Give it a couple of years. I\u2019ve got 10 years in this
\ncompany. So, I wanna be around for a long time, be a household
\nname. I love this company, I love the UFC. Thank you to Dana White,
\nSean Shelby, Mick Maynard, Hunter Campbell, all you boys, you saved
\nmy life,\u201d he gushed.<\/p>\n

Win or lose, \u201cThe Balkan Bear\u201d has never competed beyond 8:44 in a
\npro fight\u2014and that new personal record was set against Gaziev.
\nPericic (7-1) has earned stoppages in all seven of his career wins,
\nincluding three in the UFC. Along the way, the slugger has claimed
\na pair of post-fight bonus honors. Meanwhile, Gaziev (14-3) was
\ncoming off a stoppage loss against Waldo
\nCortes-Acosta<\/a>, falling to .500 as a UFC fighter with his second
\nconsecutive knockout defeat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m here to f***ing throw down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brando Peri\u010di\u0107 continued his march up the heavyweight ladder as he
\npicked up another knockout victory.
\n#UFCPerth<\/a><\/p>\n

Complete Main Card Results \u27a1\ufe0f https:\/\/t.co\/toXKeYREAL<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/RFLo101zUS<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 UFC News (@UFCNews)
\nMay 2, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n