Just 11 fights into his MMA career, Alex Pereira became a two-division champion after he defatted rival Jiri Prochazka with elbows to claim the vacant light heavyweight title in the UFC 295 main event.
Who is Alex Pereira?
Birth and UFC Championship: Alex Pereira, born on July 7, 1987, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer. He currently competes in the UFC's Light Heavyweight division and is the reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having also previously held the UFC Middleweight title.
Kickboxing Glory: Pereira is a decorated kickboxer, holding titles in both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions of Glory, making him the first and only fighter to have held Glory titles in two weight classes simultaneously.
Kickboxing Tournament Success: In 2014, Pereira won the Glory 14: Zagreb - Middleweight Contender Tournament, securing his victory with a first-round knockout in the semi-finals and a majority decision in the final.
Early Struggles and Redemption: Growing up in a favela, Pereira faced challenges, dropping out of middle school and working odd jobs. Battling alcoholism, he turned to kickboxing in 2009 as a means of overcoming addiction.
Victories Over Israel Adesanya: Pereira achieved notable victories in his kickboxing career, defeating the future UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya twice, once by unanimous decision and once by a counter left hook KO.
Glory Middleweight Title: Pereira secured the Glory Middleweight title with a unanimous decision win against Simon Marcus at Glory 46: China.
Transition to MMA: In November 2018, Pereira expressed his intention to pursue an MMA career after his contract with Glory expired. He eventually re-signed with Glory but with the possibility of competing in mixed martial arts as well.
Double Champion in Glory: After four successful middleweight title defenses, Pereira moved up to the light heavyweight division, defeating Donegi Abena for the interim Glory Light Heavyweight Championship at Glory 68, becoming the first double champion in Glory history.
UFC Pound-for-Pound Ranking: As of October 24, 2023, Pereira holds the 10th position in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.
Controversial Rematch: In his first title defense in Glory, Pereira rematched Artem Vakhitov at Glory 78: Rotterdam but lost by majority decision, with a controversial point deduction in round 4 due to repeated clinching.
