Alex Pereira, a powerful force who changed his fortune from working at a tire shop to becoming a UFC middleweight and light heavyweight champion. The road was not easy for the former kickboxer, of course, but he shined on, in whichever sport he competed. After his UFC debut in 2021, he climbed the promotion’s ranks swiftly, headlining six UFC pay-per-views, and winning 9 out of his 10 fights in the UFC.  

But then came his downfall against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313. His loss came with a lot of questions and criticism. Why did he lose? Was it because he was busy with other activities, like traveling to Australia before UFC 312 to support teammate Sean Strickland? Was he distracted because he was in the media’s spotlight Or was Magomed Ankalaev just that good?

He seemed unlike himself and found himself mostly on the back-foot against Ankalaev. While he landed more, in terms of total strikes, Ankalaev outstruck him above the waist, while mixing it up with wrestling and grappling exchanges. While ‘Poatan’ successfully defended all 12 takedown attempts by the Russian fighter, it wasn’t enough for him to stop the momentum of the current light heavyweight champion.

But despite losing the title in his last fight, people still have a lot of respect and reverence for the Brazilian former two-weight champion. His marketability hasn’t gone, and any news of Pereira makes rounds in the MMA community. He’s still relevant and people still want to hear from him. ‘Poatan’ is celebrating as being the athlete who stepped up at a moment’s notice to save two UFC cards. In the latest, he stepped up for the UFC CEO again, but not in the way that you’d think.

So how did he show up for the organization, that too two weeks out from UFC 315? Well, he will be seen at UFC 315 in the VIP lounge. The news was shared by Pereira and On Location on Instagram. The caption read, “ Exchanging left hooks for high fives 🔥 CHAMA.” 

Amid Pereira’s rematch speculations against Ankalaev, UFC is making him a VIP for Belal Muhammad vs Jack Della Maddalena. What did the fans think about this media obligation that Pereira is busy with?

Fans reacted to Alex Pereira’s VIP Lounge appearance

One follower commented on the classic trademark phrase that ‘Poatan’ uses. They said, “Bro, just gonna say Chama the whole time.” For the unversed, ‘Chama’ is ‘Flame’ or ‘Inspiration’ in Portuguese, as per the Cambridge Dictionary. However, the Brazilian uses the word as slang to indicate like-mindedness or an excited acknowledgment, like ‘let’s go’ before a big event—similar to ‘Shaka’ in Hawaiian culture. This word has become synonymous with the former champ, who just needs to utter this word to make the crowd roar. 

Another follower said, “All these media obligations cannot be good for his training.” One follower wrote, “You are forgetting to fight and posing a lot for the media.” It’s common knowledge that Pereira was berated for going to Australia to help Sean Strickland just before his fight at UFC 313. Daniel Cormier was one of the veterans in the UFC who criticized this move.

Pereira clapped back and told the same in an exclusive chat with Bloody Elbow. “I can say to Daniel Cormier and a bunch of the other specialists saying that I shouldn’t have gone out there, that I’ve been in this situation before,” he declared. One netizen commented, “All I saw was UFC, some numbers, and his name, and nearly had a heart attack,” thinking that either Muhammad or Della Maddalena got replaced. 

One follower said, “It could’ve been meet the ufc light heavyweight champion.”, clearly not a fan of Magomed Ankalaev. Another fan commented on the ticket prices, saying, “Can’t wait to see the astronomical price they’re charging for a VIP package Imao.” One MMA buff took a jibe at the UFC 315 event and wrote, “card is so a** they needed to pay pereira to be in the stands.” What do you think about Alex Pereira’s special appearance at UFC 315? Tell us your thoughts below.