Alex Pereira: Third UFC belt ‘will symbolize everything I’ve been through’

It’s hard to imagine that 17 years ago, Alex Pereira was still working at a tire shop and had serious problems with alcoholism. That’s when he decided to enroll in kickboxing — a decision that changed his life.

Since then, “Poatan” has achieved what seemed impossible for someone who first put on gloves at the age of 21. After winning two belts in Glory Kickboxing and the UFC, he will seek something that no fighter has achieved to date on June 14: a UFC title in a third weight class. To do this, Poatan will have to beat Ciryl Gane in the co-main event of of the UFC White House card.

‘Something Very Special’

In an interview with UFC on Paramount+, “Poatan” highlighted the symbolic weight of the possible achievement, classifying the belt as something unique in his career. The Brazilian stressed that, unlike other titles in the organization, this one would have a special value because it represents his entire journey, marked by challenges and overcoming obstacles to reach the top of the sport. 

“For me, it will be something very special. Unique,” Pereira said. “This will only happen once, it’s a unique belt. Many have the UFC belt, but this one is different, so it will symbolize everything I’ve been through, all the difficulties to get there.”

This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com

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