Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira will take on Jiri Prochazka in a rematch at UFC 303. Originally, Conor McGregor was supposed to headline the main event and make his much-awaited comeback. However, ‘The Notorious’ had to pull out due to a broken pinky toe. This left many disappointed, none more so than Michael Chandler and Dana White. Unsurprisingly, Chandler was willing to wait further for the showdown against McGregor, but White had to keep the show rolling for UFC 303.
As such, he reached out to his most trusted champion in recent history to save the day yet again. Poatan agreed to a rematch on short notice despite recovering from a broken toe of his own. Consequently, he is taking a big risk going up against the most dangerous man in his division. Both Pereira and Prochazka fought at UFC 300 against different opponents, which was a mere months ago. Therefore, coming in to save the day has certainly earned them the respect of the fans and the promotion. However, this wasn’t the first time Poatan has stepped in and saved an event for Dana White.
Alex Pereira saved UFC 295 by replacing Jon Jones
Jon Jones, the heavyweight champ was all set to take on Stipe Miocic at UFC 295. Unfortunately, Jones had to pull out of that legacy fight due to an injury. A torn pectoral tendon sidelined Bones indefinitely. Generally, Miocic would be given another opponent, but White decided against it. As such, he reached out to Pereira, who agreed to take on Jiri Prochazka for the vacant light heavyweight title.
Alex Pereira (via MMA Mania)The fight was worth the hype as both fighters came in guns blazing. Prochazka put a lot of pressure on the Brazilian early on in the fight. However, Poatan came in clutch in the last minute of the second round and put Prochazka down with a left followed by elbows on the ground. Replacing Jon Jones is no easy feat and doing so with a spectacular win only adds to the lore of Poatan.
The UFC 300 main event was in jeopardy before Alex Pereira stepped in
UFC 300 was one of the most important events in UFC’s history. As such, many expected a stacked card with a blockbuster main event. Unfortunately, weeks before the marquee event, White was seen scrambling to set up the UFC 300 finale. Naturally, UFC’s biggest star Conor McGregor was linked to UFC 300 for the longest time. However, the Irish fighter was not ready to make a comeback. Another popular fighter, Jon Jones was also out due to an injury.
Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill (Image via Imago)This put the card and White in a predicament, but the UFC head honcho had another card under his sleeve as he reached out to Poatan. The Brazilian accepted a short-notice fight against Jamahal Hill, a former light heavyweight champion. As such, the day was saved and UFC 300 became one of the most stacked cards in the history of the promotion with a huge main event. The cherry on top was Poatan knocking out Jamahal Hill in the first round and retaining his title.
Alex Pereira’s 19 months in UFC is arguably the greatest
In the last 19 months, Poatan has knocked out Israel Adesanya at UFC 281, winning the middleweight title. Then he lost it in the rematch at UFC 287, moved up a weight class, won the light heavyweight title, headlined UFC 300, and now he replaces the biggest star in the promotion at UFC 303. Therefore, in his 8 fights in the UFC, he has 7 wins and 2 titles in different divisions. Adding to this is his ability to fill in the shoes of 2 of the greatest stars in the UFC.
Alex Pereira sends a strong message after replacing Conor McGregor at UFC 303 (via Imago)Moreover, Pereira also plans to move up to the heavyweight division. Many, including Chael Sonnen, believe that if Poatan becomes the heavyweight champion, there will be no more GOAT debate. For now, there is no doubt that Pereira has repeatedly proved himself to be Dana White’s savior, making him his knight in shining armor.
