Late martial arts instructor to be honored

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - One might be forgiven for not thinking that NASCAR and martial arts being connected in any one, but an exception should be made come Saturday, at the Phoenix International Raceway.

On Saturday, as the NASCAR XFINITY series race gets underway, driver Joey Gase, who drives the "Donate Life" car, will honor a local martial arts instructor who saved four lives, following a tragic car accident.

Dante Perez was a young Jiu-Jitsu fighter and instructor who was on the top of the world. He was teaching at-risk kids the skill of the Brazilian martial arts when everything changed in an instant.

The 24-year-old was killed in November 2016, in a car crash. Perez may be gone, but the four people's lives he saved would become his legacy. On Saturday, Olympic gold medalist and UFC Flyweight Henry Cejudo will honor Perez at the race.