Who do they call Alex Pereira “Poatan”?

Alexsandro "Poatan" Pereira is a professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer. He currently competes in the light heavyweight division at the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he is the reigning champion. Pereira was born on July 7, 1987, in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil. He was once the middleweight champion of the UFC.

Pereira is the only fighter in kickboxing history to have won Glory championships in two weight divisions at the same time. In February 2021, Pereira was the top-ranked middleweight and light-heavyweight fighter in kickboxing. Pereira also participated in promotions like the Superkombat Fighting Championship and It's Showtime.

He made his UFC debut at UFC 268 against Andreas Michailidis on November 6, 2021. He won the fight through a TKO in Round 2. In the UFC, he has already been a 2-division champion and a 4-time winner of Performance of the Night. Pereira is also a former Glory Middleweight Champion and Glory Light Heavyweight Champion.

Pereira currently has an MMA record of 12 matches. He won 10 fights (8 by knockout and 2 by decision) and lost 2 fights (1 by knockout and 1 by submission). Pereira revealed on Twitter on April 13, 2023, that he was stepping up to the light heavyweight class. On July 29, 2023, at UFC 291, Pereira squared up against former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz and won by split decision.

On November 11, 2023, at UFC 295, Pereira faced former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Procházka for the vacant UFC light heavyweight championship belt and won the belt. He also successfully defended the title at UFC 300 on April 14, 2024.

Alex Pereira Nickname

Alex Pereira has earned the nickname "Poatan" due to his infamous knockouts. "Poatan" translates to "Stone Hands" in Tupi.

Pereira is indigenous and belongs to the Pataxo tribe. According to the Tupi language, “Po” means hands, and “Atan” means stone or solid. Combined together, they form the meaning of stone hands. Notably, Alex Pereira also has tattoos of rocks and pebbles on his left hand. The nickname was given to him by his first kickboxing trainer, Belocqua Wera, who also assisted him in finding his indigenous heritage.

The nickname also signifies the power Pereira has in his hands, which he uses to demolish his opponents. His knockout of Sean Strickland can be an example of why he is called “Poatan” in MMA.

Last Updated On April 14, 2024