Alex Pereira: record, style and what is next

Image: Andrew King, U.S. Department of the Interior, public domain

Alex Pereira, nicknamed Poatan, is a Brazilian heavyweight and a former UFC champion at both middleweight and light heavyweight. As of 30 September 2026 his MMA record is 13-4, with 11 of the wins by knockout or TKO, according to his UFC athlete page. He was born on 7 July 1987 in São Bernardo do Campo, stands 6ft 4in (193 cm) and trains with Teixeira MMA & Fitness, per Sherdog.

His last fight was the heavyweight debut he had been building towards: a second-round TKO defeat to Ciryl Gane on 14 June 2026 at UFC Freedom 250, the card staged at the White House in Washington, D.C. Pereira had vacated his light heavyweight belt on 11 April 2026 to make the move, so he arrived as a former champion chasing a third division, not a reigning one.

He is still a fixture in the top tier of the sport. The UFC rankings updated on 29 September list him tenth in the men's pound-for-pound table. The heavyweight picture around him has also changed: Tom Aspinall vacated the undisputed title on 14 September because of eye problems, and Gane is booked to defend the heavyweight title against Josh Hokit at UFC 334.

Pereira wins with the left hook. Sherdog's scouting report describes it as an elite weapon, with blinding speed, tight technique and single-shot knockout power. He does not need to chase: he manages range with sharp footwork and catches opponents as they step forward. The report points to Sean Strickland and Thomas Powell as examples of that counter.

The rest of his kit supports the hook. He has a hard front kick to the solar plexus and a switch knee that needs little elevation because of his height. The same report calls his jab slightly telegraphed and his leg kicks shockingly light.

The weakness is on the floor. Sherdog's scouting report says his grappling is far from what is needed to neutralise skilled grapplers, and that he struggles to escape from underneath once taken down. Opponents who want to beat him have two routes: a clean, long jab and movement that denies the counter, or wrestling that keeps him guarding the takedown instead of loading the hook.

The Gane fight showed both routes at once. Gane worked with jabs and inside leg kicks in a fight in which, per the stats page on UFC Calendar, he landed 54 significant strikes to Pereira's 12.

Pereira's story starts well outside fighting. He grew up in a São Bernardo do Campo favela, worked as a bricklayer's assistant and shoeshine boy, then in a tyre shop. He began kickboxing in 2009 at 21 to deal with a drinking problem that began at 12, and reached sobriety by late 2012, according to Wikipedia.

In Glory kickboxing he won the Middleweight Contender Tournament at Glory 14 in 2014 and the middleweight title in 2017 with a unanimous decision over Simon Marcus. He added the light heavyweight interim title in 2019 and the full belt in 2021 against Artem Vakhitov, making him the first fighter to hold two Glory belts at once.

He made his UFC debut on 6 November 2021 at UFC 268 with a TKO win and a Performance of the Night bonus. Sean Strickland fell to a first-round knockout on 2 July 2022, and on 12 November 2022 at UFC 281 he took the middleweight title from Israel Adesanya with a fifth-round TKO. Adesanya won the rematch by knockout on 8 April 2023, and five days later Pereira had moved to light heavyweight.

That move produced the best run of his career. After a split decision over Jan Blachowicz on 29 July 2023, he stopped Jiri Prochazka on 11 November 2023 for the vacant title, knocked out Jamahal Hill on 13 April 2024, beat Prochazka again on 29 June 2024 and finished Khalil Rountree Jr on 5 October 2024. The UFC's own fight preview credits him with three title defences inside 15 months.

Pereira's last four fights read like a short course in how hard he is to read. He finished Rountree by TKO on 5 October 2024, then lost the light heavyweight belt to Magomed Ankalaev by unanimous decision on 8 March 2025 over five rounds.

The rematch went the other way. On 4 October 2025 Pereira stopped Ankalaev with a first-round TKO, at 1:20 according to the UFC, to take the belt back. It was the clearest example of his habit of solving a fight in one exchange.

Then came heavyweight. Gane, as reported by ESPN, took the first round with kicks to Pereira's inner thigh and body, then dropped him early in the second with a jab and swarmed him with elbows and punches. Referee Herb Dean stopped it at 1:27 as Pereira fell back against the fence. Afterwards, Pereira said he would sit down with his team to work out his next step.

Afterwards Pereira accused Gane of illegal blows to the head, according to ESPN's fighter page, and the complaint has run through the rematch talk since. On size, the question was settled in his favour: a report from Cageside Press said he looked the part at heavyweight and was far from undersized.

Nothing is booked. His UFC athlete page lists no upcoming fight as of 30 September 2026. Pereira himself said he would like a November return at Madison Square Garden against Gane, as quoted by MMA Sucka on 14 September. That is his wish, not an announcement.

The UFC's plans look different. On 25 September the promotion announced UFC 334 for 14 November at Madison Square Garden, with Gane defending his heavyweight title against the unbeaten Josh Hokit, according to Combat Press. Hokit had also been reported in August as a possible opponent for Pereira, so that route is now closed for the moment.

What a win or loss means is simple. A win in his next fight keeps him in the heavyweight conversation and revives the chase to become the first UFC fighter to win titles in three weight classes, a goal he stated before the Gane fight. A second loss at the weight would raise harder questions about whether his best years are behind him, at 39.

• UFC: Alex Pereira athlete page
• UFC: Rankings
• UFC: Co-main event spotlight, Alex Pereira vs Ciryl Gane (UFC Freedom 250)
• Sherdog: Alex Pereira fighter profile
• Sherdog: Scouting Report, Alex Pereira
• ESPN: Gane crushes Pereira to capture UFC interim heavyweight title
• Cageside Press: UFC Freedom 250, Ciryl Gane devastates Alex Pereira
• Combat Press: UFC 334 brings Gane vs Hokit, Harrison vs Nunes to Madison Square Garden
• MMA Sucka: Alex Pereira targets Ciryl Gane rematch for November UFC event
• ESPN: Alex Pereira fighter page
• UFC Calendar: Ciryl Gane vs Alex Pereira, UFC Freedom 250
• Wikipedia: Alex Pereira

What is Alex Pereira's UFC record?

As of 30 September 2026 Alex Pereira is 13-4 in MMA, with 11 wins by knockout or TKO, according to the UFC athlete page. His most recent result is a second-round TKO loss to Ciryl Gane on 14 June 2026 at UFC Freedom 250 in Washington, D.C.

Which UFC titles has Alex Pereira won?

Pereira won the UFC middleweight title by beating Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 on 12 November 2022. He later won the light heavyweight belt by stopping Jiri Prochazka on 11 November 2023, lost it to Magomed Ankalaev in March 2025 and regained it in October 2025. He vacated it on 11 April 2026.

Who beat Alex Pereira at heavyweight?

Ciryl Gane beat Pereira by second-round TKO at 1:27 on 14 June 2026, in Pereira's heavyweight debut. Gane dropped him with a jab early in round two and finished with punches and elbows before referee Herb Dean stepped in. Gane took the interim heavyweight title with the win.

What is Alex Pereira's fighting style?

Pereira is a counter-striking kickboxer whose best weapon is the left hook. He manages range with footwork, catches opponents stepping forward and adds a front kick and switch knee. His known weakness is grappling, so wrestlers and distance strikers have been his hardest opponents.

When is Alex Pereira's next fight?

No fight is booked for Pereira as of 30 September 2026 on his UFC page. He has said he wants a November return at Madison Square Garden against Ciryl Gane, but UFC 334 on 14 November is headlined by Gane against Josh Hokit. Any new booking will appear on the UFC site.