"Is that a smile?" - Fans react to Alex Pereira shaking a leg with sister Aline after her statement knockout victory at Karate Combat 52

Alex Pereira has made waves by shaking a leg with his sister, fellow fighter Aline Pereira, after her incredible knockout victory at Karate Combat 52. Fight fans soon chimed in with their reactions to the Pereira siblings' celebration.

Alex is a former Glory kickboxing middleweight and light heavyweight champion, a former UFC middleweight champion, and the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion. On the other hand, his sister, Aline, has also competed in kickboxing and MMA. She's lately made a mark in the full-contact professional karate organization, Karate Combat.

Aline secured a second-round TKO victory against Amanda Torres in their showdown at Karate Combat 52 on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. She knocked Torres down, and follow-up ground strikes prompted the referee to wave the fight off. Aline then went over to her brother Alex, who was in the audience, and hugged him.

Moreover, Aline, Alex, Alex's coach and translator, Plinio Cruz, UFC fighter-turned-analyst Din Thomas, and Karate Combat president Asim Zaidi partook in Alex's signature 'Chama' dance.

Watch the dance sequence below:

Alex Pereira's sister's statement victory helped her take her record to 2-0 in Karate Combat. Many view Aline as a force to be reckoned with, courtesy of her overall striking skills and fearsome KO power. Netizens soon weighed in on it, with several expressing their happiness concerning the win and celebration. One fan wrote:

"Well deserved celebration!"

One commenter praised Alex and tweeted:

"Bro brings the good vibes wherever he shows up"

Alternatively, some observers seemingly referenced a recent incident wherein Alex addressed a report about his sister working hard to maintain her Amazon delivery job and her fighting career. A netizen appeared to jibe:

"when you stop doing Amazon deliveries"

One commenter praised Cruz's dancing skills, while another jabbed at Karate Combat head honcho Zaidi. An X user alluded to 'Poatan's' history of overcoming several hardships over the years and rising to a position where he could enjoy life. Another X user seemed to jest about Pereira's dance, writing:

"Bro only got the same 2 step"

Some fans posted the stone-faced emoji, playing to the joke/meme about Pereira's stoicism and his stone-faced demeanor, often likened to the Moai statues of the Easter Island in Eastern Polynesia. Another fan alluded to the belief that the UFC star seldom smiles and displays other emotions:

"Is that a smile? Stone hands smilesss! Time for him to lose now"

Check out the screenshots of a few reactions below:

Screenshots of tweets

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Alex Pereira's 'Chama' dance at Aline Pereira's Karate Combat debut

Aline Pereira's previous fight was her Karate Combat debut, which transpired at Karate Combat 50 in October 2024. It witnessed her secure a thunderous knockout victory against Dee Begley, utilizing the Pereira family's signature left hook -- a punch many believe is the legendary Alex's best strike.

Akin to this month's KC 52 event, Alex, Plinio Cruz, and Din Thomas had similarly partaken in the 'Chama' dance at KC 50 too.

Watch Alex Pereira's dance below:

Presently, Pereira is beheld as one of the biggest stars in combat sports. He is scheduled to defend his UFC light heavyweight championship in a long-awaited grudge match against Dagestan's Magomed Ankalaev. They'll headline UFC 313 on March 8, 2025.