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Alex Pereira

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Alex Pereira
Born (1987-07-07) July 7, 1987 (age 39)
Brazil
Occupation(s)Mixed martial artist, kickboxer
Years active2012–present
Known forTwo-division UFC champion (Middleweight and Light Heavyweight), former Glory middleweight and light heavyweight champion

Alex Sandro Silva Pereira (born 7 July 1987) is a Brazilian athlete specializing in mixed martial arts and formerly in kickboxing. He competes within the UFC's Light Heavyweight category, where he has previously held both the UFC Light Heavyweight and Middleweight titles. As of 11 March 2025, he holds the top position in the UFC light heavyweight rankings and is ranked tenth in the UFC men's pound-for-pound list.

Pereira is distinguished as the ninth competitor in UFC history to secure championships across two weight classes and notably the first to simultaneously possess titles in both middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. In his kickboxing career, he uniquely held Glory middleweight and light heavyweight championships at the same time, making him the sole fighter to achieve this feat. His experience also includes competing in kickboxing organizations such as It's Showtime and Superkombat Fighting Championship, alongside MMA promotions like Jungle Fight and Legacy Fighting Alliance. Pereira stands out as the only athlete recognized for being a two-division world champion in both mixed martial arts and kickboxing, earning widespread acclaim as one of combat sports’ all-time greats. By February 2021, he was ranked number one in both middleweight and light heavyweight kickboxing divisions.

Early life

Raised in a favela, Pereira left middle school prematurely to work initially as an assistant to a bricklayer and subsequently in a tire repair shop. Influenced by peers, he developed an alcohol dependency. In 2009, he began training in kickboxing as a means to overcome his addiction.

Amateur boxing career

Prior to establishing himself in kickboxing and MMA, Alex Pereira had a significant amateur boxing tenure in Brazil, where he fought 28 bouts, winning 25—each by knockout—and losing three times. His formidable power, particularly his left hook, was apparent early on, with widely shared videos capturing multiple knockouts, including an instance where he knocked an opponent out of the ring. This striking prowess drew attention from notable combat sports figures such as Ryan Garcia, who expressed interest in training alongside Pereira, highlighting his adaptability and influence across fighting disciplines.

Kickboxing career

In 2012, Pereira claimed the Jungle Fight Middleweight Title along with the WGP -85 kg/187 lb Championship. He contended for the It's Showtime 85MAX Championship against Jason Wilnis, but was defeated by TKO in round two.

During 2013, he earned the WAKO Pro Panamerican K-1 -85 kg/187 lb title. That same year, he returned briefly to amateur competition at the W.A.K.O. World Championships competing at -91 kg and secured a silver medal after advancing to the finals. Two months later at the WGP tournament, Pereira overcame Camilo Ferraz in the semifinals but was edged out by decision against César Almeida in the finals, balancing their rivalry at one win apiece.

In 2014, Pereira made his Glory debut by winning the Glory 14: Zagreb - Middleweight Contender Tournament held in Croatia—he knocked out Dustin Jacoby in the semifinals before prevailing over Sahak Parparyan via majority decision in the final. He was selected among eight participants for the Glory 17: Los Angeles - Last Man Standing middleweight tournament but was eliminated by eventual winner Artem Levin through unanimous decision during the quarter-finals.

Pereira engaged in a trilogy series against César Almeida at WGP Kickboxing 25 for the vacant WGP Middleweight Championship, securing victory by decision. He successfully defended this title with a knockout win over Maycon Silva in round two at WGP KB 40.

Across his subsequent five fights, Pereira recorded four wins and one loss—the defeat coming at the hands of pound-for-pound elite Artur Kyshenko. Within this timeframe, he achieved significant wins over future UFC Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, defeating him twice: initially by unanimous decision and later with a counter left hook knockout.

Pereira also competed in the Glory Contender Tournament where he beat Burim Rama in the semifinals but was bested by Yousri Belgaroui in the final during Glory 40.

Glory Middleweight Championship

Pereira captured the Glory Middleweight title by defeating Simon Marcus via unanimous decision at Glory 46: China. He went on to defend this championship successfully in a rematch against Yousri Belgaroui during the Glory 49 Superfight Series, and again in 2018 at Madison Square Garden during Glory 55, where he achieved a first-round knockout over Belgaroui. This victory marked his 28th professional win and his sixth within Glory.

In November 2018, Pereira revealed intentions to transition into mixed martial arts following the expiration of his Glory contract in April 2019; however, he later renewed his contract with Glory, which included clauses allowing him to compete in MMA.

After four successful defenses of the middleweight title—against Belgaroui twice, Marcus, and Jason Wilnis—Pereira advanced to challenge Donegi Abena for the interim Glory Light Heavyweight Championship at Glory 68. He secured the interim belt with a knockout in the third round, becoming the first athlete in Glory history to hold two titles simultaneously.

Following this achievement, Pereira opted to defend his middleweight championship against Ertugrul Bayrak at Glory Collision 2 on December 21, 2019. He delivered a commanding performance, winning by knockout in the opening round.

Glory Light Heavyweight Championship

Pereira was set to challenge Artem Vakhitov for the Glory Light Heavyweight title at Glory 77. He emerged victorious via split decision, making him the first competitor in GLORY's history to simultaneously hold two championship belts.

Subsequently, Pereira was stripped of his Middleweight title.

In his first defense of the light heavyweight crown, Pereira faced Artem Vakhitov again at Glory 78: Rotterdam. He lost by majority decision after receiving a point deduction in the fourth round for repeated clinching—a ruling that sparked controversy among observers.

Early career

Making the transition from kickboxing, Pereira debuted professionally in mixed martial arts in 2015 at Jungle Fight 82 against Quemuel Ottoni, suffering a submission loss. He rebounded with back-to-back victories at Jungle Fight over Marcelo Cruz and Marcus Vinicius Silveira by knockout and technical knockout respectively. Pereira announced plans to compete against Diego Henrique da Silva on Brazil's edition of Dana White's Contender Series in August 2018; however, this fight was canceled due to Glory's refusal to allow his participation.

On October 22, 2020, Pereira signed with Legacy Fighting Alliance and made his promotional debut versus Thomas Powell on November 20, 2020, earning a first-round knockout victory.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Pereira joined the UFC on September 3, 2021, making his debut against Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268 on November 6, 2021. He won by technical knockout in the second round and received a Performance of the Night bonus.

He then faced Bruno Silva on March 12, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 203, securing a unanimous decision win after outstriking Silva throughout all three rounds.

Initially booked to fight Sean Strickland on July 30, 2022, at UFC 277, their matchup was rescheduled to July 2 at UFC 276. Pereira achieved a first-round knockout victory, earning another Performance of the Night honor as well as third place in the Crypto.com Fan Bonus of the Night, receiving $10,000 paid in bitcoin.

UFC Middleweight Title

On 12 November 2022, at UFC 281, Pereira challenged Israel Adesanya for the UFC Middleweight Championship. He secured victory by technical knockout in the fifth round, earning the Performance of the Night accolade.

The two met again on 8 April 2023 at UFC 287, where Pereira was defeated by knockout in the closing moments of the second round.

Transition to Light Heavyweight

Pereira is recognized for his large physique and capacity to cut extensive weight. He typically weighed around 215 pounds during middleweight bouts and ranged between 225 and 235 pounds when competing as a light heavyweight. In contrast, Israel Adesanya usually weighed approximately 196 pounds on fight night.

On 13 April 2023, Pereira officially announced his move up to the Light Heavyweight division.

He made his light heavyweight debut against former titleholder Jan Błachowicz on 29 July 2023 at UFC 291, prevailing via a narrow split decision. The majority of media outlets—22 out of 26—scored the contest in Pereira’s favor.

UFC Light Heavyweight Title

Pereira faced ex-UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jiří Procházka for the vacant championship on 11 November 2023, at UFC 295. He claimed victory by TKO in the second round, once again receiving the Performance of the Night bonus. This triumph made him the ninth fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two different weight classes.

His first title defense came against former champion Jamahal Hill on 13 April 2024 at UFC 300, where he achieved a first-round knockout using a left hook.

Stepping in on short notice to replace an injured Conor McGregor, Pereira faced Procházka in a rematch on 29 June 2024 at UFC 303. After flooring Procházka late in the opening round, he finished the fight early in round two with a head kick followed by punches. This performance earned him another $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus along with an undisclosed $303,000 secret bonus.

For his third defense, Pereira fought Khalil Rountree Jr. on 5 October 2024 at UFC 307, winning by TKO in the fourth round. This bout garnered him his inaugural Fight of the Night award. He set a new UFC record for the quickest three title defenses at middleweight/light heavyweight within just 175 days, surpassing Ronda Rousey’s previous mark of 189 days, and became only the seventh fighter to complete three defenses within a single calendar year.

On 8 March 2025 at UFC 313, Pereira lost his belt to former contender Magomed Ankalaev via unanimous decision. Eleven out of twenty-one media scores favored Ankalaev.

A rematch with reigning champion Ankalaev is scheduled for October 4, 2025, at UFC 320.

Combat Approach

Pereira’s approach to fighting is strongly influenced by his kickboxing pedigree as a two-division Glory champion. He adopts a calm and measured stance, applying steady pressure through calculated footwork and utilizing low kicks to impede opponents and create openings for powerful strikes. Although his pace is not rapid, his striking is precise and often delivered with knockout intent.

His left hook stands out as a critical weapon, frequently used to finish fights or counterattack. Despite entering MMA with limited grappling skills, Pereira has significantly enhanced his takedown defense and clinch techniques, largely attributed to training alongside former UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira. Nonetheless, he remains predominantly a striker who emphasizes timing and precision rather than volume.

Personal life

Pereira is a father to two sons from his previous marriage.

He traces his heritage to Brazil’s indigenous Pataxó people. His moniker "Poatan," which translates to "Stone Hands" in the Tupi language (distinct from the Pataxó dialect), was bestowed by his initial kickboxing coach Belocqua Wera, who also played a key role in reconnecting him with his indigenous background.

His younger sibling, Aline Pereira, is an active competitor in Karate Combat and has formerly competed in Glory and LFA promotions.

Mixed martial arts

Kickboxing

Professional

  • Glory
    • Inducted into Glory Hall of Fame in 2023
    • Held Glory Light Heavyweight Championship in 2021
    • Interim Light Heavyweight Champion in 2019
    • Middleweight Champion since 2017 with five successful defenses
    • Winner of Middleweight Contender Tournament in 2014
  • WGP Kickboxing
    • Middleweight Champion in 2015 with one title defense
    • Champion at -85 kg/187 lb division in 2012
  • World Association of Kickboxing Organizations
    • WAKO Pro Panamerican K-1 -85 kg/187 lb Champion in 2013
  • Jungle Fight
    • Middleweight Champion crowned in 2012

Amateur

Awards

  • Glory
    • Named Fighter of the Year in 2019
  • Combat Press
    • Awarded Fight of the Year in 2017 for bout against Israel Adesanya
    • Received Knockout of the Year honors in 2019 for victory over Jason Wilnis

Mixed Martial Arts Record

|- |Loss |align=center|12–3 |Magomed Ankalaev |Unanimous Decision |UFC 313 | |align=center|5 |align=center|5:00 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- |Win |align=center|12–2 |Khalil Rountree Jr. |TKO (punch strikes) |UFC 307 | |align=center|4 |align=center|4:32 |Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | |- |Win |align=center|11–2 |Jiří Procházka |TKO (head kick and punches) |UFC 303 | |align=center|2 |align=center|0:13 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- |Win |align=center|10–2 |Jamahal Hill |KO (punches) |UFC 300 | |align=center|1 |align=center|3:14 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |} {‌{small |Successfully retained the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.}} |- |Win 

|align=center |9–2 
|Jiří Procházka
|TKO (elbows)
|UFC 295
|
|align=center |2 
|align=center |4:08 
|New York City, New York, United States 
|

|- 

|Win 
|align=center |8–2 
|Jan Błachowicz 
|Split Decision 
|UFC 291 
| 
|align=center |3 
|align=center |5:00 
|Salt Lake City, Utah, United States 
|

|- 

|Loss  
|align=center |7–2  
|Israel Adesanya  
|KO (punches)  
|UFC 287  
|  
|align=center |2  
|align=center |4:21  
|Miami, Florida, United States  
|

|- 

|Win  
|align=center |7–1  
|Israel Adesanya  
|TKO (punches)  
|UFC 281  
|  
|align=center |5  
|align=center |2:01  
|New York City, New York, United States  
|

{‌{small } Captured the UFC Middleweight Championship. Awarded Performance of the Night.} |-   ...

Pay-Per-View Events

No. Event Matchup Date Venue Location PPV Purchases
1. UFC 281 Adesanya vs. Pereira November 12, 2022 Madison Square Garden New York City, New York, United States Not Disclosed
2. UFC 287 Pereira vs. Adesanya 2 April 8, 2023 Kaseya Center Miami, Florida, United States Not Disclosed
3. UFC 295 Procházka vs. Pereira November 11, 2023 Madison Square Garden New York City, New York, United States Not Disclosed
4. UFC 300 Pereira vs. Hill April 13, 2024 T-Mobile Arena Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Not Disclosed
5. UFC 303 Pereira vs. Procházka 2 June 29, 2024 T-Mobile Arena Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Not Disclosed
6. UFC 307 'Pereira' vs. 'Rountree Jr.' 'October 5, 2024' 'Delta Center' 'Salt Lake City, Utah', United States' 'Not Disclosed'

Kickboxing Record

|- style="background:#fbb;" |2021-09-04||Defeat||align=left| Artem Vakhitov||Glory 78: Rotterdam||Rotterdam, Netherlands||Majority Decision||5||3:00 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |2021-01-30||Victory||align=left| Artem Vakhitov||Glory 77: Rotterdam||Rotterdam, Netherlands||Split Decision||5||3:00 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |2019-12-21||Victory||align=left| Ertugrul Bayrak||Glory Collision 2||Arnhem, Netherlands||KO (Left Hook)||1||3:00 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2019-09-28"||Win||align=left|"Donegi Abena"||Glory 68: Miami||Miami, USA||KO (Left Hook)||3||2:08 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2019-05-17"||Win||align=left|"Jason Wilnis"||Glory 65: Utrecht||Utrecht, Netherlands||KO (Left Flying Knee)||1||1:31 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2018-09-14"||Win||align=left|"Simon Marcus"||Glory 58: Chicago||Chicago, USA||Unanimous Decision||5||3:00 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2018-07-20"||Victory||align=left|"Yousri Belgaroui"||Glory 55: New York City||New York City, USA||KO (Right Hook)||1||2:16 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2017-12-09"||Victory ||align=left|"Yousri Belgaroui" ||Glory 49: Rotterdam ||Rotterdam, Netherlands ||TKO (Doctor Stoppage) ||3 ||1:54 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2017-10-14" ||Win ||align=left|"Simon Marcus" ||Glory 46: China ||Guangzhou, China ||Unanimous Decision ||5 ||3:00 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2017-09-16" ||Win ||align=left|"Maycon Silva" ||WGP Kickboxing 40 ||Paraná, Brazil ||KO (Left Hook) ||2 ||2:00 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" |"2017-04-29" ||Loss ||align=left|"Yousri Belgaroui" ||Glory 40: Copenhagen Final ||Copenhagen, Denmark ||Unanimous Decision ||3 ||3:00 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2017-04-29" ||Win ||align=left|"Burim Rama" ||Glory 40: Copenhagen Semi Final ||Copenhagen, Denmark ||TKO (Right Hook) ||3 ||1:42 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2017-03-04" ||Win ||align=left|"Israel Adesanya" ||Glory of Heroes 7 ||São Paulo, Brazil ||KO (Left Hook) ||3 ||N/A |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" |"2016-07-31" ||Loss ||align=left|"Artur Kyshenko" ||Kunlun Fight 48 ||Jining, China ||TKO (Punches) ||2 ||2:55 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2016-05-08" ||Victory ||align=left|"Junior Alpha" ||WGP Kickboxing 30 ||Brazil ||KO (Right Hook) ||4 ||N/A |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2016-04-02" ||Victory ||align=left|"Israel Adesanya" ||Glory of Heroes 1 ||China ||Unanimous Decision ||5 ||N/A |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2015-07-25" ||Win ||align=left|"César Almeida" ||WGP Kickboxing 25 ||São Paulo, Brazil ||Decision ||5 ||3:00 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" |"2015-04-03" |||Loss|||align=left|"Jason Wilnis"|||Glory 20: Dubai - Middleweight Contender Tournament Semi Finals|||Dubai, UAE|||Unanimous Decision|||3|||3:00 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2014-12-20" |||Victory||| align=left|"Ivan Galaz"|||WGP Kickboxing 24|||São Paulo, Brazil|||TKO (Three Knockdowns)||2|||N/A |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2014-09-27" |||Win||| align=left|"Robert Thomas"|||WGP Kickboxing 22|||Brazil|||Unanimous Decision |||3 |||3:00 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" |"2014-06-21" |||Defeat ||| align=left|"Artem Levin" |||Glory 17: Los Angeles - Middleweight Last Man Standing Tournament Quarter Finals |||Inglewood, California, USA |||Unanimous Decision |||3 |||3:00 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2014-04-26" |||Victory ||| align=left|"Aleksandr Dmitrenko" ||||WGP SUPER 4 ||||São Paulo, Brazil ||||Unanimous Decision ||||3 ||||3:00 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2014-03-08" |||Win ||| align=left|"Sahak Parparyan"|||Glory 14: Zagreb - Middleweight Contender Tournament Final|||Zagreb, Croatia|||Majority Decision|||3|||3:00 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2014-03-08" |||Victory||| align=left|"Dustin Jacoby"|||Glory 14: Zagreb - Middleweight Contender Tournament Semi Finals|||Zagreb, Croatia|||KO (Left Hook)||1||2:02 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" |"2013-12-21" |||Loss||| align=left|"César Almeida"|||WGP Kickboxing 17 Final|||São Paulo, Brazil|||Decision|||3|||N/A |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2013-12-21" |||Win||| align=left|"Camilo Ferraz"|||WGP Kickboxing 17 Semi Final|||São Paulo, Brazil|||KO (Right Knee)||1||N/A |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2013-08-24" |||Victory||| align=left|"Matías Adaro"|||WGP Kickboxing 15|||São Paulo, Brazil|||KO (Right Cross)||2||N/A |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2013-03-23" |||Win||| align=left|"César Almeida"|||SUPERKOMBAT New Heroes 2|||São Caetano do Sul, Brazil|||Unanimous Decision||3||N/A |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" |"2012-11-10" |||Loss||| align=left|"Jason Wilnis"|||It's Showtime 60 - vacant It's Showtime 85MAX Championship fight||||São Paulo, Brazil||||TKO (Retirement)||2||||N/A |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2012-09-16" |||Victory||| align=left|"Felipe Micheletti"||||WGP Kickboxing 9||||São Paulo, Brazil||||Unanimous Decision||3||||N/A |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2012-07-07" |||Win||| align=left|"Clei Silva"||||WGP Kickboxing Final||||São Paulo, Brazil||||Decision||||N/A |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |"2012-07-07"|Win|'Fabio Alberto'|'WGP Kickboxing Semi finals'|'São Paulo, Brazil'|'KO'|'N/A' |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |'2012-03-31'|'Victory'|'Clei Silva'|'Jungle Fight 37'|'São Paulo, Brazil'|'Unanimous Decision'|'3'|'N/A' }

Amateur kickboxing record

Date Outcome Rival Competition Venue Decision method Rounds Duration
2013–10 !Defeat!! Template:Country data "LIT"Template:Namespace detect showall Sergej Maslobojev !! W.A.K.O World Championships K–1 Final –91 kg !! Guaruja, Brazil !! Judges' Decision !! 3 !! 2:00
Awarded Silver Medal at W.A.K.O. World Championship 2013 K–1 –91 kg.
Date Outcome Rival Competition Venue Decision method Rounds Duration
2013–10 !Victory!! Template:Country data "ITA"Template:Namespace detect showall Mattia Faraoni !! W.A.K.O World Championships K–1 Semi Finals –91 kg !! Guaruja, Brazil !! Split Decision !! 3 !! 2:00
Date Outcome Rival Competition Venue Decision method Rounds Duration
2013–10 !Victory!! Template:Country data "NZL"Template:Namespace detect showall Selby Devereux !! W.A.K.O World Championships K–1 Quarter Finals –91 kg !! Guaruja, Brazil !! Knockout !! N/A !! N/A

Professional boxing record

No. Outcome Record Opponent Result type Round, time Date Venue Remarks
1 Template:Yes2Win 1–0 Marcelo de Souza Cruz TKO 3 (4) Jun 17, 2017 Hotel Golden Park, Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil

See also

External links

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