Alex Pereira’s Punch Power: The Strongest in UFC History
- Alex Pereira became a champion in two UFC weight classes within two years and seven fights.
- Pereira owns a 75% knockout rate and arguably the most devasting punch power in UFC history.
- You can always get the best UFC fight odds at BetUS.
On November 6th, 2021, Alex Pereira made his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut and blasted his opponent with a flying knee knockout win. Since that date, “Poatan” has become one of the faces of professional MMA. Six of his nine UFC bouts to date have placed him in a main or co-main event position, and five of those contests had championship gold on the line, making Alex Pereira’s stats a thing of legend.
Pereira’s rise to superstardom is attached to a freakishly amount of punching power and elite-level technique. But while ‘Poatan’s’ devastating leg kicks and blistering knees are noteworthy, nothing has quite matched the unruly punching power he’s generated when stepping into the cage.
Today, we examine the unfathomable power and technique of this one-punch, fight-ending power. From a rapid rise to championship glory to Alex Pereira’s record-breaking punching force, join us as we dive deeper into the almighty fists and attempt to understand how Alex Pereira effortlessly conducts his offensive onslaughts.
A Look at Alex Pereira’s Punch Power
Alex “Poatan” Pereira: From Kickboxing to MMA
The mean streets of any Brazilian favela will force the toughness out of most men, but in 2009, Alex Pereira opted to channel his aggression in the best way possible and begin kickboxing.
Within four years, Pereira’s famous knockout power had already begun to surface in the ring. He’d reached a championship level under the WGP Kickboxing promotion, and his violent streak of knockout successes had led to this.
Fast-forward to 2021, and “Poatan” has positioned himself as a kickboxing legend. After 40 pro kickboxing bouts, he’s achieved 33 wins and 21 knockouts, legendary status, and several championships, including titles in Glory, the world’s most recognized promotion for kickboxing pros.
What are the chances of making it to the UFC, you ask? Well, if you’re nicknamed ‘Poatan,’ very high!
A new challenge awaited Pereira as he transitioned his striking offensive from kickboxing to MMA. With a mere 2-1-0 record obtained via the MMA regional scene in Brazil and LFA, Dana White and the UFC had seen enough. The dangerous hitter would make his promotional debut and live up to the hype by ending the fight via KO.
Most combat sports enthusiasts knew of Pereira’s power, but the UFC run he was about to go on wasn’t anticipated nor predicted by anybody!
Three straight victories (2 KOs) in the UFC octagon led ‘Poatan’ to an old foe, Israel Adesanya, who the Brazilian had previously knocked out in the kickboxing ring. At the time, “Stylebender” hadn’t lost a single contest at middleweight with ten straight victories. Still, as a +180 underdog, the punching power of Pereira once again reigned supreme, as he lifted the 185lb title in a record four fights and one year of UFC activity.
By this point, if you knew, you knew! This man had something truly unique hidden in the depths of that striking arsenal, and while Adesanya avenged his rival five months later, Pereira wasn’t done.
From middleweight glory to the light heavyweight division, Pereira snatched his second championship and continued defying the odds. At the time of writing, he’s four fights into his undefeated 205lb stunt and has knocked out Jiri Prochazka (x2) and Jamahal Hill.
Rumors allege Pereira could become the first three-division UFC champion in history by moving up to a third class at heavyweight. One factor has given us this level of optimism… his punching power!
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UFC Alex Pereira and the Legendary Left Hook: Chama!
He has some of the nastiest leg kicks in the game, debuted in the UFC with a flying knee knockout, and has several head-kick KOs from his kickboxing tenure, but nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, compares to Alex Pereira’s mythical left hook.
The left hook will forever be the primary talking point whenever a discussion involves Pereira and his knockout success. But how is Alex Pereira’s left hook so strong?
Genetics likely plays a small part, but generating such devasting power also involves some science and, of course, nearly fifteen years of training.
Based on scientific research, hooks are the most devastating weapon among the available punches. The human brain cannot withstand rotational force like a right or left hook, like it can linear pressure, e.g., jabs.
We must also recognize Pereira’s footwork and mobility, such as his back-and-forth rocking motions, which see him shift weight and maximize the level of torque thrown into strikes. When such motions are coupled in unison with low hands and Pereira’s lack of wasted energy, each adds another dangerous layer and heightens his knockout potential. Low hands make his stance and expected attacks difficult to predict, and the ability to limit unessential movement conserves energy and makes reading his offense challenging for the opposition.
Last but certainly not least is Pereira’s eruptive shoulder affinity and inward rotation. Such movements are crucial to adding extra force and can be seen in almost every one of his hooks thrown. The late power, implemented at the end of his strikes, emphasizes the devastation probability.
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‘Poatan’ Breaks Francis Ngannou’s Punch Record
A plethora of UFC fighters, past and present, can be aligned with the term ‘knockout artist,’ but ‘Poatan’s’ punching power was spotlighted when he destroyed the punch machine world record.
The previous record held on said machine? Well, those honors went to Francis Ngannou, which in turn made Pereira’s efforts even more spectacular.
Several long-time heavyweights attempt to eclipse Ngannou’s punch machine record to no avail. The former heavyweight champion, who’s knocked out the likes of Stipe Miocic, Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, Curtis Blaydes, Alistair Overeem, and many more, set levels in 2018 when recording 128,161 units of power in one punch!
This PowerKube world record lasted five years until UFC middleweight Joe Pyfer did the unthinkable and hammered the machine with a strike that registered 170,218 units.
Impressive, yes, but Alex Pereira was yet to face the machine, and when he did, let’s say the equipment is lucky to still be in working order.
With his fight team standing behind him days before his successful light heavyweight defense at UFC 300 versus Jamahal Hill, Pereira clattered the PowerKube and simultaneously made the Ngannou and Pyfer scores look like child’s play. A score of 191,796 was registered and as onlookers gazed in disbelief, the man himself just smiled.
What’s most impressive about Alex Pereira’s punch power record is that he used his right hand instead of the left hook, which has accumulated many knockout victories throughout his fighting career.
Alex Pereira just crushed Francis Ngannou’s punching force record at the UFC PI 🤯
Pereira: 191,796
Ngannou: 129,161 pic.twitter.com/MJizwhZsb1— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) April 10, 2024
PowerKube quantifies velocity, strength, and stamina, as stated on the company’s website. The impact power that fighters achieve is a combination of power, measured in watts, and energy, measured in joules. This combination results in a single, simple statistic that correctly represents a combat athlete’s striking power.
Pereira is already a two-division UFC titleholder, with 75% of his wins coming by way of KO/TKO, but now the punching force is backed with scientific evidence, and everyone, including myself, would love to see him attempt to make history and become the first-ever three-division champion titleholder by challenging for the heavyweight world championship.
Tom Aspinall proposes a one-night heavyweight tournament at #UFC309 on Nov. 9 in NYC.
⁃ Aspinall vs. Alex Pereira
⁃ Jon Jones vs. Stipe MiocicWinners face off. Two fights in one night. 😳 pic.twitter.com/NJsSGN50zD
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) July 28, 2024
The Dustin Jacoby Testimony for Pereira’s Power
As we conclude our comprehensive analysis of Alex Pereira’s Godlike punching power, if you aren’t convinced he’s the heaviest hitter in professional mixed martial arts, perhaps a direct testimony from one of his victims can convince you otherwise.
Dustin Jacoby, 36, is a 28-fight MMA veteran and former kickboxer. Before fighting Pereira in Glory kickboxing, he’d never been knocked out, and to this day, only two fighters have managed to land a clean, standing knockout on the Colorado native.
When Ariel Helwani questioned Jacoby on the MMA Hour, the fighter with a tried and tested chin said nothing has come close to matching the freakish power he felt when fighting Pereira:
“No.1, hands down. It’s not even a close comparison,” Jacoby commented to UFC news outlets. “Dude, I have a great chin. That’s not something to be proud of, but if you’re fighting people for a living, you better bring that to the table. If you’ve got a good chin, you have a good chance of staying in the fight. And with him [Pereira], he touches people differently.
“I’ve taken a lot of punches from solid guys, but I’ve taken these shots, and it never fazed me one bit. Excuse me, Pereira hits different, man. He’s got that power.”
Questions Of The Day
Is Alex Pereira a counter puncher?
Pereira exemplifies the characteristics of a boxer-puncher, meaning that he is not required to be the aggressor, and he does not typically retreat to counterattack.
Who is the strongest punching man?
Pereira surpassed Francis Ngannou’s previous record on the PowerKube by scoring 191,796 units of power, thereby achieving the highest recorded punch force in the world.
