Alex Pereira doesn’t have the belt but he’s the UFC’s true BMF champion.
‘Poatan’ has already secured his sport in the UFC Hall of Fame just 12 fights into his MMA career after becoming a two-weight champion in a historically quick fashion,
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The Brazilian has also earned a legion of fans due to his fighting style, vicious knockout power and willingness to face anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Ahead of his short-notice light heavyweight title rematch with Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 on Saturday night, talkSPORT.com have looked back at Pereira’s top five BMF moments.
5. Changing sports for Israel Adesanya
Pereira made his name in kickboxing where he was a two-weight world champion and a thorn in the side of Israel Adesanya.
The 36-year-old beat ‘Stylebender’ twice and forced him to change sports after their 2017 rematch ended with Pereira scoring a vicious KO that left his rival needing urgent medical attention.
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Adesanya became a champion and a massive star in the UFC. During an interview in 2020, he angered Pereira by claiming ‘no one knows who the f*** he is’.
So, Pereira switched sports and KO’d Adesanya again at UFC 281 in November 2022. And even though he lost their MMA rematch last year, Pereira’s willingness to chase a rival to a new sport was appreciated.
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4 Flying knee debut KO
Three fights after getting choked out in his MMA debut, Pereira was signed to the sport’s best promotion because of his kickboxing pedigree and rivalry with Adesanya.
Naysayers insisted he would never reach the top because he started the sport too late and therefore won’t have the necessary wrestling skills to compete.
Some predicted he’d lose his UFC debut against Andreas Michailidis, but he silenced all his doubters by catching the Greek fighter with a brutal flying knee in round two.
It was the beginning of his epic run and the perfect way to introduce himself to a new set of fight fans, who have now become accustomed to watching him put people to sleep.
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3. Setting UFC records
Pereira’s rise to the top was so quick he set several UFC records.
Just 736 days and seven bouts were all he needed to become a two-weight champion in historically quick fashion.
In fact, he achieved the feat nearly twice as fast as the previous record-holder for the accomplishment, Conor McGregor, who completed the double 1,317 days after his promotional debut.
Pereira has beaten five former champions, scored the latest KO in UFC middleweight history and is the only person who has ever won titles at 185lbs and 205lbs.
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2. Saving UFC 303
More than the epic KOs and world-class wins, Pereira is loved by UFC fans because he has stepped up on several occasions to save cards.
Last November, his first fight with Prochazka was elevated to the main event at UFC 295 when Jon Jones got injured and his fight with Stipe Miocic was called off.
Pereira saved the day again when UFC 300 needed a headline act. The 10-2 fighter agreed to face former champion Jamahal Hill and put him away in one round.
Now he’s stepped up on very short notice to fight Jiri Prochazka and replace McGregor, who has broken his toe, after competing in April with the same injury.
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1. Low blow reaction
Pereira’s most iconic BMF moment came during his fight with Hill.
The American connected with a nasty low blow that would’ve dropped lesser men, but the 6ft 4in Sao Paulo native had an unusual reaction when referee Herb Dean tried to step in.
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Amazingly, he put his arm up and stopped the referee from calling a time-out.
Pereira then dropped Hill with a massive left hook before closing the show with ground strikes and pointing to his stricken foe as he lay dazed on the canvas.
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