Two-weight GLORY champ and only man to KO Adesanya, close to joining UFC

GLORY kickboxing champion Alex Pereira is expected to be in the UFC sooner than later. | Set Number: X162027 TK9

Alex Pereira, the only man to knock out Israel Adesanya, could be in the UFC sooner than later. The UFC’s …


GLORY kickboxing champion Alex Pereira is expected to be in the UFC sooner than later.
GLORY kickboxing champion Alex Pereira is expected to be in the UFC sooner than later. | Set Number: X162027 TK9

Alex Pereira, the only man to knock out Israel Adesanya, could be in the UFC sooner than later.

The UFC’s middleweight division could be having a big-named addition soon. MMA Fighting received confirmation that two-weight GLORY kickboxing champion Alex Pereira is expected to sign with the organization sometime soon.

Per MMA Fighting’s report, “Poatan” will likely finalize his UFC deal after his rematch with Artem Vakhitov at Glory 78 this Saturday in the Netherlands. Their first fight happened in January, where Pereira won the GLORY light heavyweight title via split decision.

For the uninformed, Pereira is the only fighter to hand current UFC 185-pound king Israel Adesanya a career knockout loss. And if you haven’t seen it yet, here it is.

As a kickboxer, the 34-year-old Brazilian holds an impressive record of 33-6 (21 KOs). In MMA, Pereira holds a record of 3-1 since he made his debut in 2015. He last saw action at LFA 95 against Thomas Powell in November 2020. He won via first-round knockout.