From “Notorious” to “Poatan” — Alex Pereira has become the new UFC star
The rise of Alex Pereira has been incredible. A rise not seen since Conor McGregor, Pereira’s tear through middleweight and light heavyweight has put him at the top of fans favorite fighters list. It’s easy to see why. Alex Pereira is a killer. A finisher. Every time he fights, he adds to his highlight reel.
On short notice, once again, Pereira is stepping in to save the day for the UFC. With injury, no less. UFC 303 is Pereira’s next opportunity at a legacy in MMA unlike anything we’ve seen.
Passing the torch
It is quite ironic that Alex Pereira is stepping up on short notice for Conor McGregor. Yesterday’s superstar, McGregor broke a toe in training camp during the lead up for UFC 303. Scrambling to make something happen, the UFC brass called on the reliable Pereira to deliver them from a chaos once again.
To be frank, Pereira is nowhere near the star McGregor ever was, or even is now during the twilight of his career. But taking over for a McGregor who many see as done with the best of his fighting days, is a passing of the torch for “Poatan.”
Now the UFC’s go-to, Pereira is seen as a star by many fans, both hardcore and casual. Remember that Alex Pereira stepped in on relative short notice at UFC 300 to save the promotion’s marquee event. He knocked out Jamahal Hill in the first round and reminded everyone that he, as Max Holloway would say, “Is him.”
Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka 2: A rematch made in heaven
In on short notice, Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka look to put some correction on the two’s first fight. At UFC 295, Pereira finished Prochazka in round two. The finish, however, was controversial. Many thought that the fight was called early despite Prochazka being seemingly okay with the stoppage.
The first round saw Prochazka land a takedown and control 2:45 of the round, over half. As Prochazka shot in round 2, he was met with elbows against the fence and eventually the lights went out.
Alex Pereira hits so hard that Jiri Prochazka literally thinks it was magic:
In an interview today with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour today, Jiri shares that he believes Alex Pereira is using magic and shamanic influences to help him win fights, and asks him to not use magic in this fight and approach it man to man with no spiritual aids #UFC303 pic.twitter.com/hqMGfEVIXu
— dylan k (@dsk_mma) June 25, 2024
Prochazka will have to face that magic once again…
The end is near
We all know Alex Pereira is game. After his first round knockout at UFC 300, he asked to fight in a couple weeks in Brazil at UFC 301. Pereira is now 36 years old. He will be 37 years on the 7th of July.
Pereira isn’t long for this sport. Two belts in two weight classes in two sports, he’s already an icon to fight fans. Knowing he has limited time, Pereira has been incredibly active since coming to the UFC.
Answering the call is what we should have always expected from “Poatan.” It’s what he’s done since he got here. He tore through middleweight at a rapid pace to capture the title. He didn’t let Israel Adesanya’s win over him get him down. He moved to 205 and captured another title. The legend of Pereira is already etched. UFC 303 is just another page in that book.
