In just two years with the UFC, Alex Pereira has already established himself as one of the biggest stars of the promotion. Previously holding the championship belt in one division and expected to fight for another one soon, Pereira is a slugger with scary knockout power. He is best known for his terror run inside the kickboxing ring, becoming the first two-division champion for Glory in the process.

However, for MMA fans, Poatan’s (Pereira’s) biggest accolade to date is being the only person to finish his arch-nemesis, Israel Adesanya, not once but twice. Apart from his decorated kickboxing career, heavy hands, and rivalry with Adesanya, there is one more thing that the Brazilian is known for: his ever-serious expression.

Ben Askren wonders about Alex Pereira’s authenticity

In one of his latest posts, Ben Askren seems to be curious about Alex Pereira’s demeanor, questioning its authenticity. Along with Pereira’s picture, Askren wrote, “Is this a gimmick or does he really never smile? Kinda hilarious.” The picture seems to be taken from a UFC event where Pereira appears to be in the crowd. And, to no one’s surprise, the former world champion kickboxer is wearing a poker face.

This isn’t the first time the Brazilian has been a source of such curiosity. In fact, his stoic personality has inspired countless memes. Almost every conference involving Pereira has at least one question related to his smile. Recently, the fighter was on a family vacation in Germany, and the internet was flooded with pictures where the Brazilian maintains his poker face even when everyone else around him is going crazy.

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In MMA, fighters with a cold personality are nothing new. Some of the most notable ones include alleged Heavyweight GOAT Fedor Emelianenko and his arch-rival Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic. However, none have been able to spark discussions like the former UFC middleweight champion’s poker face is doing.

Alex Pereira is confident about his next fight

At UFC 291, Alex Pereira managed to secure a decision on victory over Jan Blachowicz. Despite it being Pereira’s debut in the UFC’s Light Heavyweight division, the fight was teased as a title eliminator. Now that the Brazilian has triumphed, he is expected to face former champion Jiri Prochazka, whom Pereira believes would be an easier fight for him than Blachowicz.

While speaking to MMA journalist Laerte Viana, Pereira stated that he does not believe Prochazka will try to take him down, making this fight more favorable than his previous one. However, he also added that he thinks Prochazka is still a dangerous opponent on his feet. Yet, the Brazilian feels that a standup exchange favors him more.

What are your thoughts on this? Is Alex Pereira’s assessment accurate? Let us know in the comments.

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