5 most 'Chama' moments of Alex Pereira from 2024

Alex Pereira has emerged as the biggest UFC star in the promotion's post-Conor McGregor era. And with Israel Adesanya's fall from championship dominance after a two-fight losing streak, no one else commands the level of fanfare that 'Poatan' does among the active fighters on the UFC roster.

2024 has ensured that, with Pereira's exploits throughout the year being more than worthy of praise. He has brought stability to the light heavyweight division, thrice defending a once-snake-bitten belt that had left its two prior champions nursing crippling injuries.

While he has a wealth of legendary and awe-inspiring moments in 2024, there are five that outrank all others.

---

#5. Alex Pereira's legendary staredown with Jiří Procházka at UFC 303

Alex Pereira and Jiří Procházka are two of the most unique fighters in the UFC. One is an all-time great striker who draws upon his warrior spirit through the ancestral power of his indigenous Brazilian roots, and another is an all-offense dynamo transformed by his love of samurai culture and Miyamoto Musashi.

At UFC 303, they had a highly anticipated rematch of their UFC 295 fight, which Pereira won via TKO. The rematch went Pereira's way again, but before the fight began, both men engaged in a staredown for the ages as they stood from across each other in the octagon, while Pereira's cagewalk song echoed.

Check out the UFC 303 main event staredown below:

Pereira, in his corner, locked eyes with Procházka, who remained undaunted in his. Neither man blinked their expressions a tapestry of determination and cold-blooded confidence. The audience in attendance cheered in awe, and it was made all the better by Pereira's utter dominance in the bout.

---

#4. Alex Pereira's post-fight stare causing Jiří Procházka to stumble

At UFC 303, Alex Pereira demolished Jiří Procházka by sniping and dismantling the Czech samurai throughout round one before knocking him down badly in the round's dying seconds. Come round two, he flattened his foe with a switch kick and TKO'd him with follow-up ground-and-pound.

After his victory, Pereira watched as a wobbly Procházka pulled himself back to his feet. From afar, both men met eyes, with 'Poatan's' stare as deep in intensity as ever. A split-second later, Procházka's knees buckled and he collapsed, with only the intervention of referee Herb Dean and medical staff keeping him from the mat.

Check out Jiří Procházka stumbling after 'Poatan's' stare (0:24):

It was one of the most inimitable moments of Pereira's career and has led to countless memes in the MMA social media space, which has only served to increase the Brazilian's star power.

---

#3. Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill at UFC 300

Despite the myriad of excuses Jamahal Hill has raised in defense of his UFC 300 loss to Alex Pereira, it was a humiliating defeat. Ahead of the bout, 'Sweet Dreams' belittled Pereira with trash talk, even bringing a bloody Moai chain as a taunt, as the Moai statue had become synonymous with Pereira.

It didn't end there. Come fight night, Hill pretended to snap the imaginary bow and arrow Pereira mimics shooting in his cagewalk. He would have no other haughty moments for the evening. Minutes into the fight, he caught Pereira with an errant groin kick, but when referee Herb Dean sought to intervene, 'Poatan' stopped him.

Check out Alex Pereira knocking out Jamahal Hill:

Pereira stopped Dean's movement with a mere gesture of the hand, never breaking eye contact with Hill. A split second later, both men re-engaged. Hill threw a left straight, but Pereira slipped on the outside of the punch, flooring him with a picture-perfect counter-left hook.

After chinning him, Pereira pounced, blasting Hill into a flailing mess with a barrage of hammer fists for the knockout. And afterward? He gestured toward a fallen Hill with a dismissive celebration that quickly went viral.

---

#2. Alex Pereira brought his Pataxó tribal chief to a UFC event

Since discovering his indigenous roots, Alex Pereira has exhibited a tremendous amount of pride in his ancestry. He always turns up to his ceremonial weigh-in face-offs wearing either tribal war paint and a traditional warrior headdress or some other form of tribal apparel.

In 2024, he went above and beyond. Pereira is a member of the Pataxó tribe of native Brazilians. At UFC 301, held in his home country, 'Poatan' marked his cage-side appearance by bringing his tribal leader with him in one of the most visible forms of representation that indigenous Brazilians have ever had.

This is especially so given that UFC 301 was one of the more understated cards of the year, yet Pereira still afforded it a level of respect that few others did.

---

#1. Alex Pereira, short-notice king of the UFC

Part of the reason behind Alex Pereira's popularity in 2024 was his willingness to fight anyone at any time. He stepped in on short notice to save the promotion several times, a move seen more often with contenders and prospects, not champions. Fighters often fight less upon becoming champions.

With Pereira, it's a different case. UFC 300 was meant to be the biggest event of the year but lacked the jaw-dropping headliner that Dana White had promised. After struggling to find a main event, Pereira was contacted, as was his opponent, Jamahal Hill. Both men were meant to fight at UFC 301.

Instead, they both agreed to fight nearly a month earlier at UFC 300, where Pereira won. He repeated his heroics at UFC 303, which lost its original main event after Conor McGregor withdrew, citing a broken toe. 'Poatan' stepped in with just two weeks to prepare.

Ahead of the fight, he was helping fans in Australia change tires, among other acts. Yet, he still rolled into the main event and starched Procházka without difficulty.