Alex Pereira Shows off Handy Work In Tire Shop He used to work
Before he was stacking bodies inside the Octagon, Alex Pereira could change a tire like nobody’s business. And apparently, he still can.
Before he came to be the UFC light heavyweight champion, ‘Poatan’ was a 12-year-old dropout who started working in a tire shop to support himself. Before long, Pereira slipped into alcoholism—a subject he recently opened up about on the Nem Me Viu podcast—but eventually found his way out of both poverty and drinking through kickboxing.
Turning pro in 2013, Pereira became a world champion under the GLORY Kickboxing banner four years later. After accomplishing everything he set out to in the sport, Pereira made the move to mixed martial arts in 2020.
Two years later, he picked up his first UFC gold.
Today, Pereira is the current UFC light heavyweight champion and one of the most popular fighters on the planet. Still, ‘Poatan’ never forgot where he came from and recently returned to the tire shop where he learned a thing or two about hard work and, more importantly, how to get a tire off a rim.
Alex Pereira claims Ankalaev turned down UFC 307 fight
After dispatching both Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka earlier this year to retain his 205-pound title, ‘Poatan’ will return to the Octagon on October 5 for a surprising clash with another heavy-handed knockout artist, Khalil Rountree.
The two will headline UFC 307 when the promotion heads back to the Crossroads of the West, Salt Lake City. It was an unexpected announcement as practically everyone had No. 2 ranked contender Magomed Ankalaev pegged as Pereira’s next big challenge.
Pereira recently offered some insight into the decision to fight Rountree, claiming that Ankalaev was offered the fight first, but turned it down.
“I’ve always wanted to fight against Ankalaev and I’ve made it clear,” Pereira said on his YouTube channel. “But Ankalaev didn’t want to fight me. I don’t know the reason, if it was the location, if he didn’t want to fight. He isn’t the champion, he can’t pick anything. [UFC 307] is the opportunity that showed up and he didn’t want it. He has his reasoning, I don’t know what it is. But I came here to tell you I’m not scared of anyone” (h/t MMA Mania).
