Alex Pereira is currently one of the most celebrated fighters in the UFC. Whether he goes viral for chasing down Israel Adesanya from kickboxing to the Octagon or for his resting stone face, the fighter has always found a way to make the headlines. In fact, there was one memorable time when he came up to the stage and fans couldn’t stop talking about it.
It was during the ceremonial weigh-ins right before Pereira’s win at UFC 281. The fighter had donned amazing colors on his face and combined it with a headdress- Pereira looked otherworldly. It was like nothing fans had seen before. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
Alex Pereira’s face paint and headdress, where do they come from?
Alex Pereira is a Brazilian fighter. And he knows how to stay connected to his roots. In doing so, he put up a show of intimidation against ‘Izzy’, both, inside and outside of the cage. The fighter belongs to the Tupi indigenous people of Brazil. And he has shown a love for his roots many times.
His tattoos too are a symbol of the people he belongs to. Pereira has previously spoken about how finding out about his roots has made him feel better about himself in the cage. This has further made him want to invoke his ancestors and want to honor his background.
“When I first started to train in kickboxing, my first teacher had indigenous roots. I went home the same day and asked my mom. She said my grandparents were indigenous.” Pereira had once said. “It made me feel more confident. We wanted to resurrect my origins and indigenous culture. I made a ritual with the bow and arrow. Then a sequence with the indigenous music and that’s how it started.”
One by one, he kept introducing more and more symbols of his roots to his professional life- the walkout, the tattoos, and then the whole getup. ‘Poatan’ too, in fact, is a name that comes from similar roots. It’s the Tupi-Guarani name that means ‘Hand of Stone”.
What’s next for Pereira?
Alex Pereira has been a champion quite a few times. However, the stone-cold fighter now has another big challenge. Taking on the man who defeated his coach. That’s right, ‘Poatan’ will be going up against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295 in the very main event of the night.
Who Is Alex Pereira’s Coach? Where Does the Ex-UFC Champ Train At?
Prochazka had previously defeated Pereira’s coach and mentor, Glover Teixeira. Teixeira has now retired, but Pereira can go up against Prochazka to claim his vengeance upon him. However, the opponent is no small warrior. Will Pereira be able to come up as the better of the two? We’ll find out at UFC 295.
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