G.O.A.T Status Pending for ‘Poatan’
I know [Pereira vs Jones is] what people want to see. – Dana White
Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira left no doubts at UFC 303 this past weekend after he landed an eye-watering head kick knockout to the dome of Jiri Prochazka to successfully retain his light heavyweight strap.
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Pereira had already dropped Prochazka with a nasty left punch at the end of round one, but the challenger was saved by the bell. Unfortunately, the Czechian underdog, just seconds into the second round, was met with a left head kick that sent his cognitive ability into space, and the ground strikes that followed were the icing on the cake, as referee Herb Dean jumped in to stop the Las Vegas showdown.
Cageside angle of Alex Pereira absolutely flooring Jiri with a headkick is wild 😳
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) June 30, 2024
The Fastest-Rising Superstar in UFC history
For Pereira, it wasn’t merely another dub on his record; the Brazilian brute continues setting records that may never be broken.
The fact that Pereira stepped up on short notice to save the UFC 300 main event was headline UFC news, but to do so again this past weekend with two weeks’ notice is a testament in itself. But more impressively, are the numbers that support his meteoric rise to MMA superstardom.
Alex Pereira vs Jiri Prochazka 2 (2024)
📸 @masonkoma pic.twitter.com/nRGsB5K7fx
— Fight Pics That Go Hard (@fightpicsgohard) July 1, 2024
Pereira is the former UFC middleweight champion and the current light heavyweight titleholder. Along with his former Glory kickboxing titles in the same weight classes, it makes him the only two-weight world champion in both MMA and kickboxing. He’s also the first fighter to win the middleweight and light-heavyweight championships.
Then, we have the short time frame in which we’ve seen him accomplish MMA greatness. He owns the shortest time and fewest bouts to win championships in two divisions in UFC history (7 fights and 736 days).
Perhaps most remarkably is the level of competition he’s faced. In his first 9 UFC bouts, he holds wins over five former UFC champions – Israel Adesanya, Sean Strickland, Jan Blachowicz, Jamahal Hill, and Jiri Prochazka (twice). Furthermore, 6 of his 8 UFC wins were achieved via KO/TKO, and all eight victories have arrived since his promotional debut in November 2021.
Alex Pereira signed his UFC contract less than 3 years ago
– 8 wins
– 5 bonuses
– UFC Middleweight champion
– UFC Light heavyweight champion
– 2 title defenses
– Has beaten 5 world champions and finished 4 of them
– UFC 300 main eventpic.twitter.com/QlJdFkgmfr— OOC MMA (@oocmma) June 30, 2024
What’s Next for ‘Poatan’?
Fans are calling for Pereira to step up another weight class and attempt to claim heavyweight gold. This could involve a potential bout with interim champion Tom Aspinall or the current lineal titleholder Jon Jones, with the latter clash receiving the most vocal backing.
If Pereira and Dana White agreed terms for such a scenario, ‘Poatan’ would have the opportunity to become the first three-division champion in UFC history.
Jon Jones reaction to Alex Pereira’s win at #UFC303 and moving up to heavyweight:
“When I beat Miocic, I might give him a chance, but only if he beats Aspinall. In any case, it would be an easy night for me; I would choke him out just like I did Gane. I’m the king of the… pic.twitter.com/P2UdSQJdSW
— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) July 1, 2024
White had previously dismissed the idea, but after Joe Rogan and masses of fans and critics continued calling for the Superfight, he’s seemingly warmed up to it.
“I’m standing up there with the belt, and I had Joe Rogan in my ear the whole time we were up there, ‘Let him fight heavyweight. Come on. Just do it.” Dana said. “I know it’s what people want to see.”
Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira has the potential to be one of the biggest UFC fights ever, and we’ll be in the background praying for its creation!
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