Alex Pereira is one of MMA’s biggest stars.
It’s crazy to think that just a few short years ago, the former two-division GLORY Kickboxing champion was just another prospect looking to transition from one combat sport to another. But as the wins started to stack up for the Brazilian boogeyman, the UFC could see that they had something truly special on their hands
Fast forward to 2025 and ‘Poatan’ is a bonafide superstar. A former middleweight world champion and the reigning UFC light heavyweight king.
During a recent appearance on the JAXXON podcast with Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Pereira shared that once upon a time, he was an aspiring footballer, but ultimately pivoted to the fight game after admitting to himself that he just wasn’t that good at his nation’s favorite sport.
But football wasn’t the only thing Pereira had to give up in pursuit of a career in fighting.
“I used to drink a lot, drink a lot. And man, I said, ‘Sports save lives.’ Football is huge in Brazil, but I was always bad at playing,” Pereira said. “So I thought, ‘When I was a kid, I liked to fight, getting into street brawls.’ Then I said to myself, ‘I think fighting might be interesting for me.’ That’s when I discovered kickboxing. Real talk—I had to stop drinking first. I drank too much.”
Alex Pereira goes for his fourth 205-pound title defense at UFC 313
2024 was a banner year for Alex Pereira. He successfully defended his light heavyweight title three times, scoring a trio of knockouts against Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, and Khalil Rountree Jr.
Next, he’ll look to notch a fourth straight defense when he meets the division’s top-ranked contender, Magomed Ankalaev, at UFC 313 on March 8 when the promotion heads back to the familiar confines of T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
