Rivalries: Alex Caceres

Alex Caceres has exceeded even the most optimistic expectations in his 12-plus years on the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster.

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 quarterfinalist will get another turn in the spotlight when he confronts Daniel Pineda in the UFC on ESPN 46 featherweight co-main event this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Caceres has rattled off six wins across his past seven appearances, a decision defeat to Sodiq Yusuff his only misstep. He last competed at UFC Fight Night 216, where he cut down Julian Erosa with a head kick and follow-up punches a little more than three minutes into their Dec. 17 pairing.

As Caceres moves ever closer to his showdown with Pineda at 145 pounds, a look at some of the rivalries that have helped shape his career to this point:

Edwin Figueroa

The Mohler MMA representative survived a pair of wicked groin shots to notch a split decision over Caceres as part of the UFC 143 undercard on Feb. 4, 2012 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. All three judges scored it 28-27: Chris Lee for Caceres, Sal D’Amato and Glenn Trowbridge for Figueroa. Caceres landed two low blows in the match, one in the first round and another in the second. He was warned by referee Herb Dean for the first infraction and penalized two points for the second. Outside of a first-round head kick that dropped and nearly finished Caceres, Figueroa did little in terms of meaningful offense. Caceres kept him at bay on the feet and controlled him on the ground, mounting him twice inside the first five minutes and seizing back control in all three rounds. Still, the two-point penalty loomed large, and his inability to finish cost him in the win-loss column.

Sergio Pettis

Caceres submitted the prized Roufusport prospect and future Bellator MMA champion with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their featured UFC on Fox 10 prelim on Jan. 25, 2014 at the United Center in Chicago. Pettis tapped out 4:39 into Round 3, tasting defeat for the first time as a professional. Caceres appeared to be outgunned and a step slow through the first five minutes, as “The Phenom” peppered him with an array of punches and kicks. However, everything changed in the second round, where Caceres floored the Milwaukee native with a searing straight left. Pettis, just 20 years old at the time, seemed out of sorts from that point forward. In the third round, he failed on a takedown attempt and wound up in bottom position. Pettis then fished for a heel hook, only to leave himself exposed. Caceres transitioned to his back, cinched the choke and landed the submission with a little more than 20 seconds remaining in the match.

Francisco Rivera

The brick-fisted World Extreme Cagefighting veteran took care of Caceres with punches in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 68 bantamweight showcase on June 6, 2015 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The end came 21 seconds into Round 1. Rivera did not fool around. He countered a lazy Caceres jab with a short right hand and a savage left hook, flooring the Miami native where he stood. Rivera then pounced on his dazed counterpart and closed the deal with standing-to-ground shots from both hands. It remains the only knockout loss of Caceres’ extensive 34-fight resume.

Yair Rodriguez

“The Ultimate Fighter Latin America” winner walked out of his UFC Fight Night 92 main event against Caceres with a split decision on Aug. 6, 2016 at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City. Two of the three cageside judges—Trowbridge and Tony Weeks—saw it 48-47 for Rodriguez, while Derek Cleary gave Caceres an eyebrow-raising 49-46 nod. Rodriguez threw 141 more strikes than “Bruce Leeroy,” found the mark with nearly twice as many (124-65) and connected at a higher clip, 35% to 31%. He outperformed Caceres in the significant strikes department in all five rounds. Broken down further, Rodriguez utilized significantly more variety, outscoring the MMA Lab representative to the head, body and legs. “Pantera” maintained a ridiculous work rate, cutting loose with more strikes (89) over the final five minutes than he did in any other round. Caceres was at his best in the middle stanza, where he swarmed with punches, ripped a knee to the body and scrambled into top position, crouching above the taekwondo black belt before unleashing his ground-and-pound. It did not result in the desired momentum swing. Rodriguez regained control when it mattered most and settled for a split verdict.

Martin Bravo

Caceres was awarded a contentious split decision over Bravo when their featured featherweight attraction helped anchor “The Ultimate Fighter 27” Finale on July 6, 2018 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. All three members of the judiciary struck 29-28 scorecards: Cleary and Dave Hagen for Caceres, Rick Winter for Bravo. Caceres did his best work inside the first 10 minutes. The MMA Lab product countered effectively at times in the first round and dazed Bravo twice with left hands in the second, where he also mixed in a takedown and a spinning backfist. Caceres’ pace dipped noticeably in Round 3. There, Bravo sent his mouthpiece flying with a two-punch combination, backed him up with relentless forward pressure and continued to fire punches with both hands. However, the Entram Gym representative’s efforts went unrewarded, as he failed to dig out of an early hole.