Alex Pereira Career Highlights (2024)

Alex Pereira’s journey to the belt was a quick, but impressive, one. Just three fights into his UFC career, “Poatan” got his first crack at UFC gold against familiar foe Israel Adesanya, whom he had defeated twice in his kickboxing days.

At UFC 281, Pereira and Adesanya met once again, this time for the UFC middleweight championship. Pereira then went on to defeat Jiří Procházka and secure the light heavyweight title. Learn more about Pereira’s journey below.

Career Highlights

Alex Pereira Career Highlights (1)

Alex Pereira of Brazil reacts after his TKO victory over Israel Adesanya of Nigeria in the UFC middleweight championship bout during the UFC 281 event at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

  • In 2017, Pereira became the Glory Kickboxing middleweight champion. He had five successful title defenses.
  • Pereira became the Glory Kickboxing interim light heavyweight champion in 2019 before becoming the undisputed light heavyweight champion in 2021.
  • At UFC 268, Pereira made his UFC debut against Andreas Michailidis, winning via second round TKO.
  • Pereira became the UFC middleweight champion after he stopped Israel Adesanya in the fifth round of their fight at UFC 281.
  • After losing the belt to Adesanya at UFC 287 in Miami, Pereira moved up to 205 pounds and faced Jiří Procházka at UFC 295. Pereira defeated Procházka to win the light heavyweight title

Pereira’s Journey To The Title

UFC 268: Alex Pereira vs Andreas Michailidis (11/6/2021)

Highlight: Alex Pereira Delivers With TKO In UFC Debut | UFC 268

Alex Pereira Career Highlights (2)

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Highlight: Alex Pereira Delivers With TKO In UFC Debut | UFC 268

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There was a lot of hype behind Pereira ahead of his UFC debut, as he came into the promotion with two victories over Adesanya when the pair were kickboxers. His first fight in front of UFC fans did not disappoint, and it was a small glimpse into what was to come for “Poatan.”

Order UFC 287: Pereira vs Adesanya 2

In the first round, Andreas Michailidis brought the kickboxer down to the canvas, forcing him to grapple. But things changed in the second round, as Pereira delivered a flying knee 18 seconds into the round that sent Michaildis down. After following up with some punches, Pereira came out victorious and made a statement in his debut.

UFC Fight Night: Alex Pereira vs Bruno Silva (3/12/2022)

Alex Pereira Career Highlights (3)

Alex Pereira of Brazil punches Bruno Silva of Brazil in their middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on March 12, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

A lot of people didn’t expect Pereira and Silva to go the distance after Pereira had earned six straight stoppage wins prior to that fight. But regardless of it going three rounds, it was still another dominant performance by Pereira.

View Pereira's Athlete Profile Here

Silva and Pereira exchanged a series of punches throughout the first round, with Silva landing a takedown halfway through the round, but Pereira was quick to get back to his feet. The fight continued in a similar way in the second round, with Pereira showing more technique with some punches that made Silva wobbly and almost finished him before the horn sounded. Pereira won by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

UFC 276: Alex Pereira vs Sean Strickland (7/2/2022)

Alex Pereira Career Highlights (4)

Alex Pereira of Brazil punches Sean Strickland during the UFC 276 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 02, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC)

It was an easy night at the office for Pereira as he knocked out Sean Strickland two minutes and 36 seconds into the first round. Prior to the fight, Strickland was ranked in the Top 5, while Pereira was unranked, making the case for high risk / high reward.

The first-round knockout and his third straight win in the Octagon would set Pereira up for a title shot against Adesanya.

UFC 281: Alex Pereira vs Israel Adesanya (11/12/22)

Alex Pereira Career Highlights (5)

Alex Pereira of Brazil punches Israel Adesanya of Nigeria in the UFC middleweight championship bout during the UFC 281 event at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Almost exactly one year after Pereira made his UFC debut, he became the new middleweight champion.

Heading into the fifth round, the Brazilian was down on the scorecards but that wasn’t going to stop him from going for the gold. The power that Pereira possesses was once again shown as he pressed forward, with Adesanya ending up pinned on the fence. One jab rattled Adesanya and from then on, the challenger continued to fire off shots, forcing the referee to stop the fight with three minutes left in the fight. The rematch is now set as Adesanya looks to take his belt back at UFC 287 in Miami.

UFC 295: Alex Pereira vs Jiří Procházka (11/11/23)

Just one year after defeating Adesanya inside Madison Square Garden, Pereira became the light heavyweight champion after stopping former champion Jiří Procházka in the second round.

As Procházka started to find success and start to move forward, Pereira threw a counter left hook that stunned Procházka. From there, the Czech native tried to get back to his feet, but "Poatan" threw elbows that hurt the former champ, sending him the ground and forcing the ref to stop the fight. Pereira became the only fighter to win the middleweight title and the light heavyweight title and he did so in 7 bouts and 736 days.

Alex Pereira's UFC Record

Alex Pereira Career Highlights (6)

Alex Pereira of Brazil poses for a portrait after defeating Jiri Prochazka of the Czech Republic in the UFC light heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 295 event at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Roach/

(Watch All Of Pereira's Fights On UFC Fight Pass)

UFC 300 (4/13/24) Pereira knocked out Jamahal Hill at 3:14 of the first round to retain his UFC light heavyweight title

UFC 295 (11/11/23) Pereira stopped Jiri Prochazka via strikes at 4:08 of the second round to win the vacant UFC light heavyweight title

UFC 291 (7/29/23) Pereira won a three-round split decision over Jan Blachowicz

UFC 287 (4/8/23) Pereira was knocked out by Israel Adesanya at 4:21 of the second round, losing his UFC middleweight title

UFC 281 (11/12/22) Pereira stopped Israel Adesanya via strikes at 2:01 of the fifth round to win the UFC middleweight title

UFC 276 (7/2/22) Pereira knocked out Sean Strickland at 2:36 of the first round

UFC Fight Night (3/12/22) Pereira won a three round unanimous decision over Bruno Silva

UFC 268 (11/6/21) Pereira stopped Andreas Michailidis via strikes at :18 of the second round

Alex Pereira Quick Hits

What is Alex Pereira’s record?

  • 10-2

What is Alex Pereira’s age?

  • 36 years old

How tall is Alex Pereira?

  • 6’4’’

What is Alex Pereira’s reach?

  • 79 in

Where is Alex Pereira from?

  • Alex Pereira was born in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil, but fights out of Danbury, Connecticut.

What weight class does Alex Pereira fight in?

  • Alex Pereira fights in the middleweight division and is currently the UFC middleweight champion.

What is Alex Pereira’s kickboxing record?

  • Alex Pereira’s kickboxing record is 33-7 with 21 knockouts. His record in Glory Kickboxing was 12-4 with eight knockouts.

Alex Pereira Career Highlights (7)

UFC 303: Pereira vs Procházka 2 took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 29, 2024. See the Final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!

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Alex Pereira

Middleweight

Light Heavyweight

Alex Pereira Career Highlights (2024)

FAQs

Why is Alex Pereira famous? ›

As of 2 July 2024, he is #2 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings. Pereira is the only known fighter to be a two-division world champion in MMA and kickboxing and is regarded as one of the greatest combat athletes of all time. Bethel, Connecticut, U.S.

How many title defenses does Alex Pereira have? ›

He had five successful title defenses. Pereira became the Glory Kickboxing interim light heavyweight champion in 2019 before becoming the undisputed light heavyweight champion in 2021. At UFC 268, Pereira made his UFC debut against Andreas Michailidis, winning via second round TKO.

Does Alex Pereira have a black belt? ›

Plinio Cruz | Alex Pereira - our newest Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt It takes a village to raise a child… #ufc #brazilianjiujitsu #blackbelt… Instagram.

What title does Alex Pereira hold? ›

He put himself in position after delivering a vicious left kick to Prochazka's head and then pounded him, ending the fight 13 seconds into the second round to retain his light heavyweight championship. “I think that's in my future,” Pereira, who is from Brazil, said through an interpreter.

What makes Pereira so good? ›

As the first simultaneous two-division Glory Kickboxing champion, Alex Pereira is an educated striker who pours all of his knowledge into his left hook. First, 'Poatan' understands that for any fighter to land a left hook, one must stand close enough to be countered by their opponent's left hook.

Has Alex Pereira ever lost? ›

Pereira has only lost eight professional fights in his entire professional career.

At what age did Alex Pereira start kickboxing? ›

Most of the time he was able to handle himself, due to his natural power and instincts, but the idea began occurring to him that he should perhaps learn how to fight properly. So at the age of 21, he found himself walking into a kickboxing gym for the first time.

Why does Alex Pereira say chama? ›

However, Pereira uses "chama" in a slang context, similar to the English expressions "let's go" or "come on." This became clear during a backstage interaction with UFC 300 title challenger Jamahal Hill, where Pereira explained the term's meaning.

Who has the most title defenses in MMA history? ›

Here's a list of the top five UFC champions with the most title defenses. Jon Jones leads the list with 13 title defenses. Other champions included in the list are Demetrious Johnson, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Jose Aldo, and Valentina Shevchenko.

How big is Alex Pereira UFC? ›

He was born on July 7, 1986 in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Saou Paulo, Brazil, and has been active in MMA since 2015. Pereira stands 6'4 feet tall (1.93 m) and weighs 205 pounds (93 k), and has a reach of 79 inches (2.0 meters).

How much does Alex Pereira make? ›

Alex Pereira's Salary

In his fight against Israel Adesanya at UFC 287, Pereira earned his biggest paycheck of $1.24 Million, which included $500,000 in base salary, $700,000 in PPV share, and $42,000 in sponsorship deals.

Is Pereira a heavyweight? ›

After coming to the rescue to save UFC 303, light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has a date in mind for his return and plans to defend his light heavyweight title in his next fight, but he is still focused on challenging Jon Jones for the undisputed heavyweight championship in the near future.

Why is Alex Pereira called Poatan? ›

Alex Pereira has earned the nickname "Poatan" due to his infamous knockouts. "Poatan" translates to "Stone Hands" in Tupi. Pereira is indigenous and belongs to the Pataxo tribe. According to the Tupi language, “Po” means hands, and “Atan” means stone or solid.

How many belts does Alex Pereira have right now? ›

Alex Pereira's Belts

He won the Glory kickboxing interim light heavyweight title in 2019 and became undisputed champion in 2021 in the weight class. In professional mixed martial arts, Alex Pereira won the UFC middleweight title by beating Israel Adesanya at UFC 281.

Does Alex Pereira have kids? ›

However, Alex Pereira was once married and was blessed with two children from his first marriage. The children are boys named Lohan Vidal Silva and Alessandro Vidal Silva, who live and train with Alex Pereira to become MMA fighters.

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