Why is Alex Caceres nicknamed 'Bruce Leeroy'?

Alex Caceres is nicknamed ‘Bruce Leeroy’, which is a reference to the cult classic movie ‘The Last Dragon’ and its protagonist Leroy Green.

Caceres using Bruce Leeroy as his nickname is believed to be his way of paying homage to the movie and its lead character.

Alex Caceres is an incredibly creative and fearless martial artist

Alex Caceres is just 32 years of age but has already amassed a wealth of experience, having competed as a professional MMA fighter since 2008. Additionally, Caceres, who hails from Florida, is also known to have competed in backyard fighting organizations during his younger days.

These underground backyard fighting organizations in Florida, particularly in Miami, featured several other notable combat sports personalities as well. Names such as Kevin Ferguson aka Kimbo Slice, and UFC BMF champion and MMA megastar, Jorge Masvidal, partook in street fights that eventually became a part of combat sports folklore.

Tales of these underground street fighting legends, who turned into professional combat sportspersons, are well-known in the MMA community and retold to this date. Alex Caceres too comes from similar, humble beginnings. Furthermore, Caceres has been a UFC mainstay since his days on The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck back in 2010.

Alex Caceres has time and again spoken about how he believes in being inventive and creative in his fights. Caceres has never been shy of performing high-risk moves in his fights. Be it in the striking or the grappling realm, Alex Caceres always hunts for the stoppage win. He often risks his own safety by choosing to pursue the finish rather than worry about defense.

Wow! @BruceLeeroyGlow flattens Rolando Gabriel Dy at #UFCSingapore pic.twitter.com/SklZQsisCC

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) June 17, 2017

GOOD NIGHT 😴@BruceLeeroyGlow needed less than a round to end the night.We're live on @ESPN & #ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/FkQua3xJC0

— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2020

Alex Caceres – The real-life Bruce Leeroy

Considering his innovative martial arts style, Alex Caceres’ nickname is a perfect match for him. The Last Dragon was released in March 1985 and went on to impress audiences worldwide, becoming a true cult classic. The action-comedy movie chronicled its lead character Leroy Green aka Bruce Leeroy’s martial arts journey.

Leeroy’s primary goal in the movie is to become a great martial artist, akin to his idol – real-life martial arts guru and Hollywood icon, Bruce Lee.

The movie received mixed responses from film critics but was praised by the vast majority of fans. And to this very day, The Last Dragon is regarded as one of the best action-comedy movies made in the 1980s. Similarly, the real-life Bruce Leeroy, veteran UFC fighter Alex Caceres, pursues martial arts greatness, unafraid of the myriad of challenges that a professional fighter has to overcome.

Presently, Alex Caceres is set to fight Kevin Croom in a Featherweight bout. Caceres’ matchup will be the first fight on the main card of the UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gane event (February 27th, 2021).