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Alex Pereira's win over Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295 got him more than just the divisional strap. After TKO'ing the former divisional kingpin at 205-pounds, 'Poatan' found his efforts rewarded with a #5 ranking on the promotion's P4P hierarchy.
The news of his new ranking was broken on X/Twitter by renowned MMA journalist, John Morgan. The recognition marks a continuation in Alex Pereira's journey in mixed martial arts, as he continues to defy people's expectations of him, given the doubt he's been faced with from his detractors.
Former UFC double champion-turned-commentator Daniel Cormier was of the opinion that 'Poatan' would have to be cautious against Jan Błachowicz, due to the latter's knockout power. But as it turned out, it was the Polish phenom who realized he didn't want to strike with Pereira, and opted to wrestle for large stretches.
Additionally, on a more recent note, fellow 205-pounder Anthony Smith claimed that Alex Pereira wasn't as powerful at light heavyweight as he was at middleweight, which led to a brief back-and-forth between the two. But given his knockout win over Jiří Procházka, it's safe to say that 'Poatan' is just as powerful in his new weight-class.
Unfortunately, as he comes from the kickboxing world and is still relatively young in his MMA career, Pereira will continue to face his detractors until they have no criticisms left to throw his way. It has been a meteoric rise to the top for the Brazilian knockout artist, and the sky is now the limit.
Alex Pereira's legacy as a combat sports athlete
Henry Cejudo often claims to be the greatest combat sports athlete of all time due to his accomplishments in the UFC and wrestling, having captured two titles in the promotion, while also being an Olympic gold medalist. However, Alex Pereira now has a strong claim to being an all-time great combat sports athlete.
Not only has the Brazilian power-puncher won both the UFC middleweight and light heavyweight titles, but he was also the first two-division champion in Glory kickboxing history, having captured titles in the promotion's middleweight and light heavyweight divisions.
