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PITTSBURGH – Despite a pretty decent little list of things not in his favor, Alex Reyes is plenty confident heading into his UFC debut.

Took the fight on three days’ notice? No big deal. Had to travel from California to Pittsburgh, arriving only a dozen hours before he had to get on the scale? Whatever. Going up a weight class? So what? Only one fight in the past two or so years? Meh …

Reyes (13-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on Saturday fights welterweight Mike Perry (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 116, which takes place at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh and airs on FS1. And his opponent is another thing on that list that on paper seems to be working against Reyes.

Mike Perry and Alex Reyes

Perry is a 5-1 favorite against Reyes and is coming off the most devastating win of his career. Perry’s massive elbow knockout of Jake Ellenberger in April got him back in the win column after the first loss of his pro career, a decision setback this past December to Alan Jouban that snapped a 10-fight streak of 10 knockouts.

Reyes today told MMAjunkie none of the drawbacks of such a short-notice fight were enough to keep him from making the trip. Not even close.

“I’ve been working very, very hard and talking with my managers and coaches – and they believe, and I believe and I know that I belong here,” Reyes said. “I was hoping something like this would happen. God willing, it did, and I jumped on the opportunity as soon as it presented itself.

“I’m ready, and I was ready for the call. Stepping up a weight class is not a big deal to me. I’m a bigger ’55er. I’m comfortable, and I’m excited to get in there and throw down with this guy.”

Throw down is something that doesn’t usually come as a problem for Perry thanks to that 100 percent knockout rate in his wins. But even though casual fans may not have eyes on Reyes before Saturday, they should know he’s got a 100 percent finish rate of his own with nine knockouts and four submissions.

Alex Reyes

He comes into the UFC as a former King of the Cage lightweight champ. Even Perry acknowledges he hopes to get more of a fight than the oddsmakers are expecting with their 5-1 odds in his favor.

Those odds don’t bother Reyes much. If anything, he’s using them as motivation.

“I like the element of surprise – I like all the odds against me,” Reyes said. “It pushes me more. It drives me to go out there and show the world who I am and what I can do, and I’m excited for that.”

Reyes obviously was quick to answer the UFC’s call when Thiago Alves dropped out just this week. He knows what kind of knockout power Perry brings to the table, but that didn’t stop him.

He also said he’s not using the fight as merely a means to get into the UFC with a likely free pass to a second fight, regardless of what happens on Saturday night. Some in his shoes might accept a loss knowing that’s what was expected, and that they’d be back for a second one with the benefit of a full camp, given they’re doing the promotion a solid by stepping up under far less-than-ideal circumstances.

But the way Reyes is seeing it, he might as well go out there and win the damned thing.

“He’s explosive – he’s tough. He’s a contender in the 170-pound division – he’s a tough fighter, and I’m excited to challenge myself against that. I love the challenge and I love getting pushed. He’s tough, but I believe I’m better than him and I’m more technical than he is.

“I wouldn’t have taken the fight if I didn’t think I can beat the guy. Just because it’s the UFC, I’m not gonna, ‘Oh, I’m going to take this fight’ and go in there to lose. I can beat this guy, and I’m gonna beat this guy.”

For more from Reyes, check out the video above.

And for more on UFC Fight Night 116, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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