Alex Pereira is not one of the bombers. He is not a braggart. He does not look down on his enemies.
All he does is fight better than just about anyone in the history of professional fighting games.
Already a two-division champion when he descended on Washington last week ahead of Sunday night’s UFC Freedom 250 spectacle on the South Lawn of the White House, Pereira was poised to become the first in UFC history to challenge for gold in a third weight division. Forget winning for a while; no one had them tried it to make this kind of history.
Conor McGregor never did, he was satisfied with the success not long after adding the lightweight title to his featherweight belt almost 10 years ago at Madison Square Garden.
Ilia Topuria, who on Sunday sought a lightweight unification bout against interim champion Justin Gaethje, may one day go after Islam Makhachev at welterweight in a bid to add to his belt collection. Currently, he is a two-division champion after dominating the featherweight division.
Pereira, who has not yet reached the five-year mark in the UFC, already has middleweight and light heavyweight gold to his name, matching his MMA and elite kickboxing achievements. He weighed in every weight class, and heavyweight is his final frontier.
Unlike McGregor and Topuria, whose time as champions are not known for their high career standards, Pereira’s career-like approach to defending his title has given him a strong mandate to move on to bigger and better things.
“I think everything I’ve been doing has given me enough credentials to fight for this third belt,” Pereira told The Post through an interpreter before the event.
Say what you will about the interim bout between Pereira and Cyril Gane at President Trump’s residence, but UFC gold is UFC gold. This title was also created by the heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, who is still left out due to the severe damage to both eyes he received from Gane in their non-contest in October. Couple that with a potential contract dispute between Aspinall and the UFC, and it can be assumed that the interim title is progressing to undisputed status sooner rather than later.
The interim title fight was the only of seven fights between two men who were not born in this country, although the Brazilian is very fond of this country. Pereira planted roots in Connecticut, training at the gym of fellow countryman and former UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira. His children grow up here and speak the language, although he is late in learning English.
The hope that one day I will become an American citizen appeals to him. “I have had many opportunities here. I have been able to achieve many things here,” said Pereira. “As I like to say, America is the land of opportunity; I’ve had many opportunities here.”
Sunday provided perhaps the biggest opportunity of his career, one that envisioned introducing his fan-pleasing style to a new audience. The White House fights past the UFC’s main event and into the realm of passing curiosity.
Pereira’s kindness extends beyond his stone hands – a translation of his nickname “Poatan” in the Tupi language spoken by Brazil’s indigenous people. From his hero-inspired moves – punctuated by mimicking the launch of an arrow at his opponent – to his acceptance of how much he resembles an Easter Island statue, he’s easy to follow. Hollywood noticed, too, giving him an important role in the next thriller “Oslaught”.
Don’t expect Pereira to “go Hollywood.” He is a powerful fighter, who had plans to become the heavyweight champion as the UFC has ever seen. The bar is low, given that it is the most secure belt of all.
Win or lose on Sunday night, get used to seeing a lot of Pereira. He was built for the UFC’s biggest stage in the nation’s capital. Made for movies. It is designed to live on with an unparalleled legacy after its international debut.
Does it get more Americans than that?
