Alex Pereira’s astonishing life story: From working as a bricklayer’s assistant to headlining UFC 300 at Las Vegas

In a span of just two years, Alex Pereira has quickly risen to become one of the most beloved and renowned fighters in the UFC. With only 11 professional MMA fights under his belt, Pereira is now slated to headline the largest event in promotional history as the current reigning champion in the highly anticipated UFC 300 main event.

Pereira made history at UFC 295 by becoming the UFC’s two-division champion in the shortest amount of fights. He secured the vacant light heavyweight title by knocking out former champion Jiri Prochazka. Now, five months later, Pereira, also known as ‘Poatan’, will be making his first title defense on April 13 against another former titleholder, Jamahal Hill.

During Pereira’s seven UFC fights, he has achieved a record of 6-1, with four of those wins coming against former champions.

The humbling upbringing and backstory of Alex Pereira

Despite his current status as a two-division champion in both MMA and kickboxing, Alex Pereira has faced challenges and setbacks in his life. His journey from humble beginnings to success in combat sports is often seen as one of the most inspiring ‘rags to riches’ stories. It is remarkable that Pereira did not start his kickboxing training until the age of 21.

Raised in a ‘favela’ in São Paulo, Brazil, Pereira was compelled to leave school at a very young age and take up a job as a bricklayer’s assistant to support his family. He later landed a job at a tire shop, where he fell into a destructive habit of alcohol addiction influenced by his colleagues.

At the age of 21 in 2009, Pereira was struck by a strong urge to transform his lifestyle. He joined a kickboxing gym with the goal of improving his health and overcoming his struggles with alcoholism. Eight years later, Pereira emerged as a victorious world champion in GLORY Kickboxing, earning the nickname ‘Poatan.’

Pereira is quoted in interviews speaking about his journey, recalling that he had no other choice but to put his entire life into his training, knowing that failure was not an option.

The Rise of Alex Pereira: From Kickboxing Champion to Two-Division UFC Champion

Despite his initial success in kickboxing, Alex Pereira decided to try his hand at MMA. He made his debut in 2015, two years before becoming the GLORY middleweight champion. However, he unfortunately suffered a loss by submission to Quemuel Ottoni in the Brazilian regional promotion Jungle Fight.

After taking a break from MMA, Pereira made a comeback and secured two knockout victories in Jungle Fight, bringing his record to 2-1. He then went back to GLORY and, after four years and two championship reigns, reentered the world of MMA. His return was nothing short of impressive as he knocked out Thomas Powell in the LFA, ultimately earning himself a contract with the UFC.

Soon after, Pereira stole the show in his UFC debut with a flying knee knockout of Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268, earning a bonus. Only three fights later, Pereira faced off against a familiar opponent, rival Israel Adesanya, for the UFC middleweight title. In just his eighth professional MMA bout, the Brazilian reclaimed his world champion status.

As he enters his third fight as a light heavyweight, Pereira’s main goal is to successfully defend his title as a UFC champion against Jamahal Hill on the biggest stage of his fighting career. With membership in the GLORY Hall of Fame already secured, Pereira has the opportunity to solidify his status as a legend in a second sport and potentially become the greatest combat athlete of all time.