Which tribe does Alex Pereira belong to? Explaining the nationality, heritage, and ethnic background of 'Poatan'

Alex Pereira's tribe has become fundamental to his massive popularity surge recently. His unique heritage is now part of MMA lore, and his entrance has become iconic. He enters the arena with purpose, simulating firing a bow and arrow before unleashing his thunderous war cry.

It is all an homage to his indigenuous tribe, with his ethnic background mentioned in relation to his upcoming UFC 303 bout. In it, he defends his light heavyweight strap against former 205-pound champion Jiří Procházka in a rematch of their UFC 295 clash, which 'Poatan' won via second-round TKO.

Procházka, a Czech, is a proponent of the Bushido code of honor, which is most strongly associated with Japanese samurai. This has led to social media chatter about him and Pereira representing two different warrior cultures. But of Pereira, to which exact tribe does he belong?

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Alex Pereira's nationality

Like many of history's greatest mixed martial artists, Alex Pereira is Brazilian. The current 205-pound king was born in the São Bernardo do Campo municipality of São Paulo, Brazil. Raised in the city's favelas, Pereira's childhood hit its first speed bump when he withdrew from school in favor of working.

Check out Pereira in his hometown of São Paulo, Brazil:

He became a bricklayer's assistant before eventually finding work at a tire shop. It was during this time that he became an alcoholic, drinking a tremendous amount of alcohol despite his young age. Fortunately, Pereira conquered his vices and went on to become a combat sports legend.

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Which tribe does Alex Pereira belong to?

Part of what helped Alex Pereira overcome his alcoholism was the guidance of his first high-level kickboxing coach, Belocqua Wera. Wera prepared an herbal remedy meant to detox his pupil's body. While doing so, Wera learned that Pereira was, like him, also of indigenous Brazilian heritage.

Specifically, Pereira belongs to the Pataxó tribe, which is indigenous to Bahia, Brazil. Ironically, his alias, 'Poatan,' which means 'Stone Hands' in Old Tupi, an extinct language, is not the ethnic language of the Pataxó tribe to which Pereira belongs. Nevertheless, 'Poatan' honors his indigenous heritage with pride.

He occasionally wears war paint and traditional tribal garb on certain Instagram posts and staredowns and has even lent his financial aid to his indigenous brethren.