Trevor Peek graduated from Dana White Contender Series and made his debut in the UFC this past weekend, when he delivered a stunning first-round knockout victory against Erick Gonzalez at UFC Vegas 70.
Trevor Peek gained notoriety for his southern drawl and hard-nosed performance on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022, where he showcased his skills and impressed UFC president Dana White, who awarded him a contract.
He quickly gained popularity among MMA fans, with many comparing him to another southerner, Bryce Mitchell. Despite the high expectations, Peek remained calm and focused, and went into his UFC debut looking to continue his undefeated run.
Erick Gonzalez had lost his first two in the UFC to Jim Miller and Terrance McKinney, respectively. So, he was looking to get back on track with a win against Peek, who was considered a step down in competition. However, Peek had other plans.
Peek started aggressively, throwing wild punches and kicks, but Gonzalez failed to land any significant strikes. Peek targeted Gonzalez’s body, which proved to be effective, and he hurt Gonzalez within the first minute. Gonzalez responded with a takedown, but Peek quickly reversed the position and got back to his feet. The two continued to exchange strikes, with Peek landing more significant shots.
Gonzalez attempted another takedown, but Peek defended it well, and when the two separated, Peek landed a powerful hook that dropped Gonzalez to the mat. Gonzalez managed to survive and clinched up with Peek, but Peek broke free and landed two more punches that forced the referee to stop the event just half a second before the end of the round.
Haha them standing hammer fists pic.twitter.com/FlBUc8ME19
— calfkicker (@calfkickercom) February 27, 2023
The lightweight’s debut was made even more special when UFC’s veteran announcer, Bruce Buffer, gifted him with an intro card, which he had been eagerly waiting for.
In his press conference, Trevor Peek expressed his gratitude to Bruce Buffer, who gifted him with the intro card following his victory.
He revealed that he had been waiting for the moment when Buffer would announce his name, and it was a dream come true.
“He blessed me with that. I watched but I guess I missed all the introductions”
“and I didn’t even know Bruce [Buffer] was here tonight. I seen him in the cage and I was like, ‘Well, here we are man.’ I even turned around to all my coaches smiling, I was like, ‘Dude, it’s Bruce Buffer.'”
Peek continued:
“I’ve been waiting on him to go ‘Trevor Peek’ for a long time so it was definitely a dream come true. I guess I fanboyed over him a little bit, but I just checked it off my list of dreams. It was real cool meeting Mr. Buffer.”