Alex “Poatan” Pereira joined the UFC in Novermber 2021. From that point, he has secured both the UFC middleweight and light heavyweight titles. Out of his nine matches, he has contended for a title in five, winning four through knockouts. The Brazilian fighter has consistently displayed great bravery. It came either by accepting short-notice fights or taking on formidable opponents in the division.
During an interview on his popular YouTube channel, the UFC light heavyweight champion revealed a fascinating tidbit. Poatan shared that he was awarded an impressive $303,000 bonus for his victorious performance at UFC 303. He even disclosed another astonishing fact about his UFC 303 paycheck.
It was good money, I worked 14 years in the tire shop. The money I earned in 14 years, 0.06 of the money I won in UFC 303 covered the 14 years I worked in the tire shop. It was good money, I thank God for everything.
Alex Pereira on his YouTube channel
The journey from the tire shop and making millions in the UFC has not made Alex Pereira cocky. Instead, Poatan remains humble, which made him a fan favorite. Eventually, he saved the event after Conor McGregor pulled out. Despite the challenging short-notice nature of the bout, Pereira did the unexpected by knocking Jiri Prochazka out.
Dana White couldn’t help but shower Alex Pereira with praise and gratitude for his outstanding performance that night. From the tire shop to the UFC, Alex Pereira has come a long way. His consistency has become a thing of legend. As such, it’s no surprise that Poatan is no stranger to receiving the well-deserved “Performance of the Night” award.
Alex Pereira and his number of UFC “Performance of the Night” awards
Alex Pereira has been a star in the UFC from his debut fight. He made his debut against Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268. His flying knee TKO in his debut fight earned him his first “Performance of the Night” bonus. Following that, he carried on with his exceptional striking prowess. Eventually, at UFC 276, he TKOd Sean Strickland in the first round and announced himself in the division.
Alex Pereira headkick on Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 (via X)Pereira’s infamous left hook went viral with that finish over Strickland. Following, he went on with his dominating performances, except the second time he faced Israel Adesanya. Apart from that one loss, he outdid everyone he faced on the roster. Till now, he has earned five “Performance of the Night” bonuses, the highest that anyone else has in just three years.
Poatan has currently decided to take some time off from fighting. However, the Brazilian knockout artist did mention that he plans to make a potential return sometime between November and December. With this much-needed break, the 37-year-old will soon return to the octagon to take on some of the exciting fights that await him.
