Michael Morales? Pericic Can Push Past Gaziev at UFC Perth

michael morales is not the fighter in the cage this weekend, but Brando Pericic is the heavyweight on the rise at UFC Perth. He meets Shamil Gaziev at RAC Arena with a third straight win potentially moving him to the doorstep of the Top 15.

Pericic’s fast finishes

Pericic needed less than two minutes to beat Elisha Ellison and then Louie Sutherland, a short stretch of fights that has put the 31-year-old in position to take a bigger step with only seven professional bouts behind him. He stands 6-foot-5 and trains at City Kickboxing.

That quick run is why this fight matters. A third straight win would accelerate his climb in a heavyweight division that is starting to clear, and the matchup with Gaziev gives him a chance to do it against a fighter who has already won three times in the UFC.

Gaziev brings experience

Gaziev has also already faced a couple Top 10 opponents, which makes him a useful test for Pericic at this stage. The step up is clear: one fighter is trying to keep building momentum, while the other has already spent time against upper-tier heavyweight names.

Pericic’s path has been built on speed. Two sub-two-minute wins are enough to get attention, but they do not settle where he fits in the division. Beating Gaziev at RAC Arena would do more than extend the streak; it would put him in range of a rankings push that has already been framed around this weekend in Perth.

City Kickboxing pair

Pericic is not the only City Kickboxing fighter drawing notice in Perth. Cam Rowston, also a teammate at the gym, is heading into his third UFC start on Saturday against Robert Bryczek.

Rowston has won six straight since his loss on Dana White's Contender Series, with those victories split across the regional circuit, the Contender Series and the UFC. He is a 31-year-old Sydneysider who has won his last three fights inside the distance, while Bryczek arrives off his first UFC win, a third-round stoppage of Brad Tavares.

For Pericic, though, the assignment is simpler. Get past Gaziev, and the conversation shifts from prospect to ranking threat. Stay at two straight, and the Top 15 stays just out of reach for one more fight.