Alex Pereira
Alex Sandro Silva Pereira, known inside the cage as “Poatan,” is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former professional kickboxer. Born on 7 July 1987 in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Pereira currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and a former UFC Middleweight Champion. He trains out of Teixeira MMA & Fitness under coaches Plinio Cruz and former UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira, and he lives in Danbury, Connecticut.
Alex Pereira Bio
Alex Sandro Silva Pereira, born 7 July 1987 in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous strikers in modern combat sports. A two-division champion in both kickboxing and mixed martial arts, he holds the distinction of being the ninth fighter in UFC history to become champion in two different weight classes and the only known fighter to hold world titles in two weight classes in both MMA and kickboxing.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in a favela in São Bernardo do Campo, Pereira dropped out of middle school to work as a bricklayer’s assistant and later in a tire shop. Influenced by his colleagues, he began drinking and eventually became an alcoholic. In 2009, he began training kickboxing in order to get rid of his addiction, a decision that redirected the course of his life and introduced him to the sport that would define his career.
His first kickboxing trainer, Belocqua Wera, was also responsible for helping Pereira discover his indigenous ancestry from the Pataxó tribe. His nickname “Poatan” means “Stone Hands” in the Tupi language, a name that has followed him through his rise in combat sports.
Path to MMA
Before becoming a prominent figure in kickboxing and mixed martial arts, Pereira built a foundation in amateur boxing in Brazil, reportedly compiling a record of 25 wins, all by knockout, with just 3 losses across 28 contests. That amateur background, combined with his kickboxing success, gave him a striking base that translated cleanly into professional fighting.
Transitioning from kickboxing, Pereira made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2015 at Jungle Fight 82. He later signed with Legacy Fighting Alliance in late 2020, where he earned a first-round knockout win over Thomas Powell, before ultimately signing with the UFC in September 2021.
Alex Pereira Career
Early Career (2015-2021)
Pereira debuted in MMA in 2015 at Jungle Fight 82 against Quemuel Ottoni, losing the bout via submission. He rebounded with two straight stoppage victories, knocking out Marcelo Cruz and stopping Marcus Vinicius Silveira by TKO, before an attempt to compete on the Brazilian edition of Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018 fell through when Glory did not release him from his contract.
After signing with Legacy Fighting Alliance in October 2020, Pereira made his promotional debut against Thomas Powell on 20 November 2020, winning by first-round knockout. Those performances set the stage for his move to the UFC.
Glory Kickboxing Career (2012-2019)
In 2012, Pereira won the Jungle Fight Middleweight Title and the WGP -85 kg Championship. In 2013, he captured the WAKO Pro Panamerican K-1 -85 kg Championship and earned a silver medal at the W.A.K.O. World Championship ’13, losing the final to Sergej Maslobojev.
He made his Glory debut in 2014 at Glory 14: Zagreb, winning the Middleweight Contender Tournament with a first-round knockout of Dustin Jacoby and a majority decision over Sahak Parparyan. Pereira later won the Glory Middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Simon Marcus at Glory 46: China, defended it four times, and in 2019 won the interim Glory Light Heavyweight Championship by knocking out Donegi Abena at Glory 68, becoming the first double champion in Glory history. He later defeated Artem Vakhitov by split decision to become the first fighter in Glory history to hold two belts simultaneously.
UFC Middleweight Run (2021-2023)
Pereira signed with the UFC on 3 September 2021 and made his promotional debut against Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268, winning by second-round TKO to earn a Performance of the Night award. He followed that with a decision win over Bruno Silva at UFC Fight Night 203 and a first-round knockout of Sean Strickland at UFC 276, claiming another Performance of the Night award.
On 12 November 2022, at UFC 281, Pereira challenged Israel Adesanya for the UFC Middleweight Championship and won via fifth-round TKO, earning a Performance of the Night award and the middleweight title. In the rematch at UFC 287 on 8 April 2023, he lost the belt to Adesanya by knockout in the final minute of round two, ending his middleweight title reign.
UFC Light Heavyweight Title Era (2023-Present)
On 13 April 2023, Pereira announced his move to the Light Heavyweight division. He debuted at 205 pounds with a split-decision win over Jan Błachowicz at UFC 291, then faced Jiří Procházka for the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 295 on 11 November 2023, winning by second-round TKO to claim the title and become the ninth fighter in UFC history to hold championships in two weight classes. He earned a Performance of the Night award for the finish.
Pereira defended the belt against Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 with a first-round knockout left hook, then accepted a rematch with Procházka on two weeks’ notice at UFC 303, finishing the Czech fighter in round two to claim another Performance of the Night bonus. His third defense came against Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307, a fourth-round TKO that earned him his first Fight of the Night award. Pereira set the record for the shortest time for three title defenses in the UFC at 175 days, breaking Ronda Rousey’s previous mark of 189 days, and became the seventh UFC fighter to record three title defenses in a calendar year. He lost the title to Magomed Ankalaev by unanimous decision at UFC 313 on 8 March 2025, then reclaimed the championship with a first-round TKO over Ankalaev in their rematch at UFC 320 on 4 October 2025, earning another Performance of the Night award.
Driving Style and Strengths
Pereira’s style is heavily rooted in his kickboxing background, with a composed stance and deliberate pressure. He uses low kicks to slow opponents and set up power shots, throwing many of his strikes with knockout intent. His left hook is his most dangerous weapon, finishing multiple opponents as a counter, and despite entering MMA with minimal grappling experience, he has shown clear progress in takedown defense and clinch work under Plinio Cruz and Glover Teixeira.
Notable Events and Milestones
Pereira is the first and only fighter to hold Glory titles in two weight classes simultaneously, the ninth UFC fighter to become champion in two weight classes, and the only known two-division world champion in both MMA and kickboxing. He has earned multiple Performance of the Night bonuses, a Fight of the Night award, and set the UFC record for fastest three title defenses at 175 days.
Alex Pereira Career Wins
Across his professional career, Pereira has built a reputation as one of the most prolific finishers in striking. He has captured championships in Glory, the UFC middleweight division, and the UFC light heavyweight division, with multiple title defenses in each promotion.
Glory Highlights
Pereira won the Glory Middleweight title by unanimous decision over Simon Marcus at Glory 46: China and defended it four times against Yousri Belgaroui, Simon Marcus, and Jason Wilnis. He also won the Glory Light Heavyweight Championship, becoming the first double champion in Glory history.
UFC Highlights
In the UFC, Pereira won the Middleweight Championship by stopping Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 and later won the Light Heavyweight Championship by TKO over Jiří Procházka at UFC 295. He has since defended the light heavyweight title against Jamahal Hill, Jiří Procházka, and Khalil Rountree Jr., before reclaiming the belt from Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320.
Alex Pereira Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Pereira has indigenous ancestry from the Pataxó tribe, a heritage he has publicly embraced throughout his career, including wearing traditional indigenous garbs at weigh-ins and bringing the middleweight belt to the Porto do Boi Pataxó indigenous reservation after his title win over Israel Adesanya. His younger sister, Aline Pereira, is also a combat sports athlete, competing in Karate Combat and previously for Glory and LFA.
Personal Life
Pereira has two sons with his ex-wife. Outside of competition, he founded the “Instituto Poatan” in São Paulo, an organization that offers free combat sports training, English lessons, and computer classes, with over 700 registered kids benefiting from the program.
2025 Season Performance
Pereira’s 2025 campaign began with a setback at UFC 313 on 8 March 2025, where he lost the light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev by unanimous decision. The loss marked the end of his first reign as UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, though 11 out of 21 media outlets scored the bout for Ankalaev, reflecting how competitive the contest was.
He rebounded emphatically in the rematch with Ankalaev at UFC 320 on 4 October 2025, reclaiming the championship with a first-round TKO via punches and elbows and earning another Performance of the Night bonus. The victory returned Pereira to the top of the light heavyweight division and reinforced his status as one of the most dangerous finishers in the sport.
Following the win, Pereira expressed his desire to face former UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones at the planned UFC White House event, a match-up that Jones has publicly supported, setting up a marquee storyline heading into the end of 2025 and beyond.