Brando Peričić Reacts To UFC Perth Win, Shamil Gaziev War And UFC Heavyweight Ranking

Brando Peričić has reacted to his UFC Perth win over Shamil Gaziev, his Fight of the Night bonus, and becoming a ranked UFC heavyweight during a wide-ranging interview on the Australian MMA Podcast.

“The Balkan Bear” is coming off a second-round TKO victory in Perth, where he survived heavy exchanges, entertained the crowd, and walked away with one of the biggest wins of his career.

Peričić is now officially ranked inside the UFC heavyweight top 15, but based on his comments after the fight, he has no plans to stay there for long.

Brando Peričić Reacts To UFC Perth Win Over Shamil Gaziev

Peričić’s win over Gaziev was not a clean, cautious performance. It was a heavyweight fight full of pressure, power and damage from both sides.

Speaking after the fight, Peričić admitted he got caught up in the moment and was not as sharp as he could have been.

He said he was “a bit excited” and started overthrowing, adding that if he had landed with cleaner technique, he believes Gaziev would have gone down earlier.

Still, Peričić gave the Perth crowd exactly what they wanted.

He stood in front of Gaziev, traded heavy shots, and embraced the chaos of the fight.

Why Brando Peričić Enjoyed Being Dragged Into A War

One of the most revealing parts of the interview came when Peričić spoke about actually enjoying the damage.

After spending much of his career knocking opponents out quickly, he said there was something satisfying about having an opponent stand his ground and fire back.

“I actually enjoyed getting hit. I was like, oh, that’s nice.”

Peričić explained that he has knocked out many opponents in the first round, sometimes before they were able to properly test him.

Against Gaziev, he got the kind of fight that showed a different side of him.

He was hit. He was pushed. He had to deal with fatigue. And he still found a way to finish the fight.

That could prove important as Peričić moves deeper into the UFC heavyweight rankings.

“I’ll Take One To Give You Three Back”

Peričić said part of his approach was built around standing his ground.

Rather than constantly moving away from Gaziev’s power, he wanted to show that he could take a shot and return with more.

“I’ll take one to give you three back.”

Peričić said he did not want to be the fighter running away. He wanted to entertain the crowd, and he believes that approach paid off.

The Perth crowd loved the fight, and the UFC rewarded both men with Fight of the Night honours.

For Peričić, that was the goal.

He wanted to win, but he also wanted to put on a show.

Brando Peričić On His Broken Hands And Post-Fight Injuries

Peričić appeared to be carrying hand injuries after the fight, along with visible bruising around his face.

When asked about the official injury situation, he played it down in typical fashion, joking that it was “just a scratch” and that he was ready to go again.

The damage was clear, but Peričić did not appear too concerned.

Instead, he leaned into it.

He joked about his black eyes, called himself a “panda bear”, and continued to make light of the injuries that came from one of the toughest fights of his UFC run so far.

Brando Peričić Explains His Game Plan Against Shamil Gaziev

Peričić admitted the fight did not entirely follow the original plan.

He said he could have stuck to a cleaner game plan, used more movement and shown more of his athleticism.

Instead, the fight became more planted, with both men walking each other down.

Peričić joked that “The Balkan Bear” took over and decided it was time to go to plan B.

After the opening round, his corner told him to clean things up, avoid unnecessary damage and box smarter.

Peričić said he listened in the second round, which helped him close the show.

Brando Peričić Clears Up His “Five Minutes In The Cage” Claim

Before the fight, Peričić made a bold claim that no man could survive five minutes in the cage with him.

After the Gaziev fight went into the second round, that comment became a talking point.

Peričić used the interview to explain what he meant.

He argued that if you remove the wrestling exchanges and time spent against the cage, the actual striking exchanges still support what he said.

He also said he was happy to conserve energy when Gaziev held him against the fence, rather than waste effort forcing unnecessary scrambles.

Peričić made it clear that he has wrestling and jiu-jitsu ability, but his main goal is simple.

He wants to knock people out.

Brando Peričić Enters The UFC Heavyweight Rankings

The win over Gaziev has pushed Peričić into the UFC heavyweight rankings.

That is a major milestone for the Australian MMA scene and for Peričić, who has now broken into the top 15.

However, Peričić does not appear satisfied with simply being ranked.

When asked about the fighters above him, he dismissed the idea that anyone in the division is truly above him.

“No one’s above me, brother.”

For Peričić, the rankings are only numbers. He still believes the real test is what happens when the cage door closes.

The Balkan Bear Wants The UFC Heavyweight Belt

Peričić was asked whether any particular name above him stood out.

His answer was simple.

He wants all of them.

Peričić said he believes he can knock out everyone from number 15 to number one, and even said he would go through the list twice if needed.

The message was clear.

Peričić is not trying to protect his ranking. He is trying to climb quickly, stay active and put himself in the title conversation.

He has previously spoken about wanting to fight for the UFC heavyweight title by the end of 2026, and after UFC Perth, that goal feels far more realistic.

Brando Peričić On His Athletic Background

Peričić also spoke about the athletic background that helped build him into a UFC heavyweight.

Before fighting, he played rugby, AFL and soccer, and also competed in athletics, including javelin, shot put and discus.

He said he used to weigh around 150 kilograms during his rugby days and now walks around closer to 124 kilograms.

Peričić joked about his body shape but said people should not underestimate the power and athleticism underneath.

He believes his sporting background has played a major role in his success as a fighter.

Carlos Ulberg, Alexander Volkanovski And Life After UFC Perth

The interview also touched on Peričić’s growing profile outside the cage.

He spoke about being recognised on a flight home alongside Carlos Ulberg, with both fighters receiving a shoutout.

Peričić said it was a cool moment, especially because he was trying to eat with injured hands when Ulberg approached him.

He also joked about Alexander Volkanovski and the idea of “Cooking With Volk” eventually becoming “Cooking With Bulk”.

It was another reminder of why fans are connecting with Peričić.

He brings power and violence inside the cage, but outside it, he is funny, honest and extremely entertaining.

Brando Peričić Backs Antonio Caruso For A UFC Shot

Peričić also gave his thoughts on Antonio Caruso, who picked up a big win in Perth.

Although Peričić did not watch the fight live because he avoids watching teammates compete before his own bouts, he praised Caruso after seeing the result.

Peričić said Caruso has the skills, experience and entertainment value to deserve a UFC opportunity.

He made it clear that he is not Caruso’s manager, but he believes the UFC should sign him.

Brando Peričić Praises Benny Johnston And Ollie Smith

Peričić also took time to praise Benny Johnston and Ollie Smith.

He described Johnston’s return after two years away from competition as impressive, especially given he was making his UFC debut.

Peričić said he was proud of Johnston and believes he will come back strongly.

He also praised Ollie Smith for taking on a difficult short-notice opportunity, cutting a significant amount of weight and still showing heart and composure in his debut.

That part of the interview showed the loyalty Peričić has to the Australian and New Zealand MMA scene.

What’s Next For Brando Peričić?

The next question is how quickly Peričić can return.

He is dealing with hand injuries, but he downplayed the timeline and said he wants to fight again as soon as possible.

Now that he is ranked, the UFC has several options.

They could match him with another top 15 heavyweight, build him gradually, or give him a major test to see how quickly he can climb.

Whatever comes next, Peričić has made it clear he wants to stay active.

He wants to fight, entertain and keep moving toward the belt.

Final Word

Brando Peričić’s UFC Perth win over Shamil Gaziev was more than just another victory.

It was the night he proved he could take damage, win a war, earn a Fight of the Night bonus and enter the UFC heavyweight rankings.

Now ranked inside the top 15, “The Balkan Bear” is not talking like someone who is happy just to be there.

He believes he can beat everyone above him.

And in his mind, the belt is already the target.

Source: Australian MMA Podcast transcript.

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