Alex Pereira Bio
Alex Sandro Silva Pereira (born 7 July 1987), widely known by his ring name Poatan, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former professional kickboxer. He currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and is the former two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and former UFC Middleweight Champion. Pereira made history as the ninth fighter in UFC history to become champion in two different weight divisions and the first to hold UFC titles in both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest combat athletes of all time.
Early Life and Background
Alex Sandro Silva Pereira was born on 7 July 1987 in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil. He grew up in a favela and dropped out of middle school to begin working as a bricklayer’s assistant and later in a tire shop. Influenced by his colleagues, he began drinking and eventually became an alcoholic as a young man.
Around 2009, Pereira began training kickboxing in an effort to overcome his addiction. He also has indigenous ancestry from the Pataxó tribe, a heritage discovered through his early kickboxing trainer. Pereira has a younger sister, Aline Pereira, who also competes in combat sports for Karate Combat and previously for Glory and the Legacy Fighting Alliance.
Path to MMA
Before entering kickboxing and mixed martial arts, Pereira built a notable amateur boxing record in Brazil. He reportedly competed in 28 amateur boxing matches, finishing with 25 wins, all by knockout, and 3 losses. His signature power, particularly his devastating left hook, became evident early in his amateur career.
Pereira then transitioned into kickboxing, where he built a world-class résumé, and later signed with the Legacy Fighting Alliance in 2020. He made his UFC debut on 6 November 2021 at UFC 268, and within a year he was competing for a UFC championship. His path from the favelas of São Paulo to the top of the UFC is considered one of the most remarkable rises in modern combat sports.
Alex Pereira Career
Early Career (2010-2014)
Alex Pereira began his professional fighting career in 2010. In 2012, he won the Jungle Fight Middleweight Title and the WGP -85 kg Championship, while also challenging for the It’s Showtime 85MAX Championship. In 2013, he won the WAKO Pro Panamerican K-1 -85 kg Championship and earned a silver medal at the W.A.K.O. World Championship. He then made his Glory debut on 8 March 2014, winning the Glory 14: Zagreb Middleweight Contender Tournament in Croatia.
During this period, Pereira achieved his most famous early victories over the future UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya, defeating him twice, once by unanimous decision and once by a counter left hook knockout. He also competed in the Glory 17: Last Man Standing tournament, where he exited in the quarter-finals against eventual champion Artem Levin.
Glory Middleweight Championship (2016-2019)
Pereira won the Glory Middleweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Simon Marcus at Glory 46: China. He went on to make four successful title defenses against Yousri Belgaroui twice, Simon Marcus, and Jason Wilnis, cementing his status as one of the premier middleweights in the sport.
At Glory 55 in 2018, Pereira knocked out Belgaroui with an overhand right at 2:29 of Round 1, marking his 28th career victory. After defending his middleweight title against Ertugrul Bayrak at Glory Collision 2 in December 2019, Pereira moved up in weight to pursue additional Glory championships.
Glory Light Heavyweight Championship (2019-2021)
Pereira faced Donegi Abena for the interim Glory Light Heavyweight Championship at Glory 68 and won by knockout in the third round, becoming the first double champion in Glory history. He then challenged Artem Vakhitov for the undisputed Glory Light Heavyweight title at Glory 77 and won by split decision, becoming the first fighter in Glory history to simultaneously hold two belts.
His reign ended in a rematch with Vakhitov at Glory 78: Rotterdam, where he lost by majority decision in a fight marked by a controversial point deduction. He was later stripped of his middleweight title as he transitioned his focus toward mixed martial arts.
UFC Middleweight Division (2021-2023)
Pereira signed with the UFC on 3 September 2021 and made his promotional debut against Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268, earning a Performance of the Night award. He continued to dominate, defeating Bruno Silva and Sean Strickland, both of whom also earned him Performance of the Night honors.
On 12 November 2022, Pereira faced Israel Adesanya for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 281 and won via technical knockout in the fifth round to claim the title. He lost the belt in a rematch at UFC 287 in April 2023, then announced his move up to the Light Heavyweight division.
UFC Light Heavyweight Division (2023-2026)
Pereira made an immediate impact at light heavyweight, defeating former champion Jan Błachowicz at UFC 291. He then faced former champion Jiří Procházka for the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 295 on 11 November 2023, winning by TKO in the second round to become a two-division UFC champion.
He defended the title three times in 2024, stopping Jamahal Hill at UFC 300, rematching Procházka at UFC 303, and finishing Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307. Pereira set the record for the shortest time for three title defenses in the UFC at 175 days. After losing the title to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 in March 2025, he reclaimed it at UFC 320 in October 2025 with a first-round TKO. He later vacated the title in 2026 and moved to heavyweight, where he lost to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250 in June 2026.
Style and Strengths
Pereira’s fighting style is heavily rooted in his kickboxing background. He maintains a composed stance, applies pressure with deliberate movement, and frequently uses low kicks to slow opponents. His most dangerous weapon is his left hook, which has finished multiple opponents. Though he entered MMA with limited grappling experience, he has improved his takedown defense and clinch work under coaches Plinio Cruz and Glover Teixeira at Teixeira MMA & Fitness.
Notable Events and Milestones
Pereira holds a black belt in kickboxing and a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Plinio Cruz. He became the first fighter in Glory history to hold two titles simultaneously and the first to become champion in both the UFC middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. His 175-day span for three title defenses set a UFC record, and he was named a 2026 UFC Forrest Griffin Community Award recipient for his Instituto Poatan youth program.
Alex Pereira Career Wins
Across his professional kickboxing and mixed martial arts careers, Alex Pereira has compiled a decorated record highlighted by championships in two kickboxing weight classes and two MMA weight classes. He is the only known fighter to be a two-division world champion in both MMA and kickboxing.
UFC Highlights
Pereira has earned four Performance of the Night awards (in 2021, 2022, twice in 2023 and 2024) and one Fight of the Night award (2024). He has scored multiple first-round knockouts, including his wins over Sean Strickland, Israel Adesanya, Jamahal Hill, and Jiří Procházka. His UFC career is defined by a series of dramatic finishes and championship-level performances against elite opposition.
Other Wins and Performances
In kickboxing, Pereira won the Glory Middleweight title and the Glory Light Heavyweight title, in addition to the WGP and WAKO Pro Panamerican championships. He has also competed in promotions such as It’s Showtime, Superkombat Fighting Championship, Jungle Fight, and the Legacy Fighting Alliance. His amateur boxing record featured 25 knockouts in 28 matches.
Alex Pereira Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Alex Pereira has indigenous ancestry from the Pataxó tribe. His first kickboxing trainer, Belocqua Wera, helped him discover his heritage. Pereira has a younger sister, Aline Pereira, who competes in Karate Combat and previously fought for Glory and the Legacy Fighting Alliance.
Personal Life
Pereira resides in Danbury, Connecticut, and trains at Teixeira MMA & Fitness under Glover Teixeira. He has two sons from a previous relationship. In 2025, Pereira publicly confirmed a brief relationship with fellow fighter Tracy Cortez. He founded Instituto Poatan in São Paulo, which offers free combat sports training, English lessons, and computer classes to underserved youth.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season began with Alex Pereira defending the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, capping a dominant 2024 campaign in which he recorded three title defenses in just 175 days. His early-year form reflected his continued sharpness as a finisher and headliner.
At UFC 313 on 8 March 2025, Pereira lost the title to Magomed Ankalaev by unanimous decision, ending his reign after four successful defenses. The bout was closely contested, with 11 of 21 media outlets scoring it for Ankalaev. The loss marked his first defeat at light heavyweight since moving up to the division.
Pereira responded by reclaiming the title at UFC 320 on 4 October 2025, defeating Ankalaev by TKO in the first round to become a two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He earned another Performance of the Night bonus for the finish. Following his second reign, Pereira announced a move to the heavyweight division, where he later competed for the interim heavyweight championship.
