As Alex Pereira prepares to rematch Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303, there’s a clear argument for the Brazilian now being the face of the entire organization.
There’s no question that former middleweight champion and current light heavyweight king Alex Pereira is one of the biggest superstars on the UFC roster right now; but when it comes to promotional ceilings, there aren’t many who outshine Poatan.
Alex Pereira returns to action next weekend to save UFC 303
After Conor McGregor was forced out of his enormous return bout against Michael Chandler at UFC 303, the promotion called the two men who they knew would be willing to drop everything and throw down on just a few weeks’ notice.
Now, Alex Pereira rematches Jiri Prochazka for the light heavyweight title in the main event, with the Brazilian taking to social media last week to declare: “I understand that this fight is very close and there may be difficulties with the lead up time BUT if there is somebody that can make this happen it is me! POATAN!
“This is why I am one of the biggest names in the UFC Alex Pereira!!! I take risks that not one other person would be willing to take but I know I have my ancestors with me. The spirits are with me and I’m ready for it all.”
UFC legends debate whether Alex Pereira is the face of the promotion
On the latest episode of Good Guy/Bad Guy, former double champion Daniel Cormier and former title challenger Chael Sonnen argued that Poatan’s global star power isn’t just a facet of his success, it’s becoming a keen point of marketing for the UFC.
“Could you imagine the money he’s making now; he says yes to everything… Headlined Madison Square Garden twice, headlined UFC 300 which was a monster, he steps in again on short notice for UFC 303.
“The dude is getting paid but not only is he getting paid, Alex Pereira’s star [power] continues to grow,” argued Cormier, before acknowledging that the Brazilian fan favorite is now starting to be mentioned alongside some ‘Notorious’ superstars.
“Now, it will always be hard to top Conor McGregor in regards to star power. You still got Israel Adesanya, you still got Jon Jones but when I think about the face of the company, because of his durability, his activity, his willingness to fight, two division champion – [Alex Pereira].”
To his credit, Sonnen initially argued that Pereira hadn’t yet surpassed bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley in terms of global appeal, before pivoting to note that the Brazilian is just one more weight class move away from not only being the face of the UFC, but the undisputed GOAT.
“He was my fighter of the year last year, he held the 185lb title and the 205b title within the same calendar year and he is one win away from the argument of GOAT no longer being an argument.
“We won’t even have the discussion anymore if Pereira was to go in and get it [at heavyweight]- I don’t care if it’s the interim title off of Tom [Aspinall] or he gets it from Jon Jones, if he was to get it, big if, but we don’t even discuss GOAT anymore, it would be a foregone conclusion.”
Willingness to step in on short notice, the ability to end any fight with a single punch, and a mythical aura, it’s no surprise that the UFC is pushing Alex Pereira into superstardom.
“He was the only champion that went out publicly and lobby to get a fight at UFC 300; he’s the only one that said, ‘I’ll put up the belt, I’ll put it up against anybody.’
“I can’t find a flaw within this guy [and] if I’m Dana White, I love him – I love him and I’m writing him massive checks if I’m the UFC right now.”
What do you think – is Alex Pereira the face of the UFC if he delivers yet another viral knockout at UFC 303? Poatan takes on Jiri Prochazka on June 29 live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.