by It was said that Alex Pereira “speeding” a UFC career in the renowned temple, to borrow the video jargon. That is to say that the Brazilian passes not only through his opponents but also all the imaginable achievements.
In just 12 months after his UFC beginnings, Pereira claimed average weight gold, beating his former Kickboxing Israel Adesanya rival in 2022. Twelve months later, he snatched another title, beating Jiri today to become the light weight champion. He stopped the two men, passing, letting them rush for their senses.
And so Pereira has reached the rare status of a two -weight UFC champion in record time, and some think that he can still make more history: as the first three -weight UFC champion.
To try such a feat, however, he must sail in a defense against Magomed Ankalaev this weekend-perhaps his most difficult test to date, as a title of UFC 313 pair.
Really, Pereira’s heritage is secure, with or without third belt. His UFC record reads 9-1 and includes seven KO victories, including five against men who have worn gold UFC. He also has a decision on another ex-champion, and his only loss was a spectacular KO counter in Adesanya in a revenge match in 2023, a fight that Pereira won well until it was made unconscious.
Usually, however, he rendered. “Poatan”, they call it: “Hands de Pierre”. It is a name that the 37 -year -old justified during his kickboxing days, and he continues to justify. Pereira has a pugilist gift, the touch of death, which he generally stores in his left hook. It is undoubtedly the most dangerous weapon of all combat sports.
With this weapon and a stoic fascinating behavior, Pereira quickly won fans. But they did not just fell in love with an enigmatic Knockout artist; The Stoicism of Pereira slowly gave way to a surprising sense of humor, in particular a desire to look at the memes and the link of its “Chama” slogan. In addition, his will to just struggle made him attach to the faithful of the MMA. In April, he intensified in a short notice when the UFC 300 needed a main event, stopping Jamahal Hill; Two months later, he did the same in a revenge match with now, when they replaced Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler in a two -week notice.
And the absence of McGregor, not only of this event but of the UFC in general, is important here.
Pereira made his UFC debut four months after McGregor’s last fight. At the time, fans had not yet accepted an UFC “Post-MCGREGOR”. Some have still not done so. But the withdrawal induced by McGregor of the UFC 303 convinced more fans than they would never see him again. And even if it was a brutal notion, it was softened by the awareness that they could depend on Pereira: one of the rare stars of the UFC at the moment. A man who ironically fought a hill with a broken toe.
Four months later, Pereira was back for his third fight, Win and Ko of 2024, brutalizing Khalil Routree Jr. If his status as an active fighter in the UFC was not already cemented, it was the night of October.
The role of Adesanya at the time of Pereira was also intriguing. Pereira beat the average weight twice when they were kickboxers (via a controversial decision, then via KO), and this old rivalry accelerated Pereira to a shot when Adesanya was UFC champion. This not only gave Pereira a shortcut to the top, but it also gave fans a reason to worry about the Brazilian – who, in another wrinkle to this story, was little drinking before deciding to go to MMA, with Adesanya in his reticuers.
In a Post-MCGREGOR UFC, Adesanya, Adesanya was undoubtedly the first star of the promotion, and in a strange twist of destiny, he was replaced by Pereira. In fact, the KO of Pereira by Adesanya could have been devastating for the career of the Brazilian, but the move from Pereira to 205 LB turned out to be inspired, when he collected a second belt.
For the UFC, he was the good star at the right time. The question is whether this time has passed.
On Saturday, Pereira faces Ankalaev, his most well -balanced enemy so far – but not the most easily marketed. Some believe that the UFC does not want Russian Bat Pereira. They would say that Routree Jr was a nicer stylistic match of Poatan in October, while Ankalaev should have challenged him. They would say that Ankalaev, a practicing Muslim, should not have been invited to fight during Ramadan. He “pleaded” the UFC not to reserve his fight for the title for this weekend, but has sold out of fear that refusing the fight would mean losing it forever.
The UFC would say that he has not intentionally disabled Ankalaev, nor held to give him a legitimate title shot. Anyway, the 32 year old man can Déthrone pereira and inaugurate a new era (although undesirable) at 205 lb.
Pereira will be fine, whatever happens. He followed his loss of average weights with a successful light -weight race, and a defeat on Saturday would probably lead him to heavy goods vehicles. He could probably challenge the belt during his first fight in the division.
Or, he could boxer Oleksandr Usyk. The unified heavyweight boxing champion, remarkably, called Pereira, potentially seeing the Kickboxer star who became MMA as an easy opponent a great salary. Pereira is passionate and the president of the UFC, Dana White, has just launched a boxing league with the Saudi Ovel Turki Alashikh.
USYK vs Pereira is a real possibility. Foreign things have happened. But for this strange thing to happen, Pereira must do his usual thing: to knock another body in the UFC.
