“He Was Rotten Inside” – Helpless Alcoholic Alex Pereira’s Struggle Before UFC Fame Laid Bare by Coach

The world of mixed is indeed filled with stories of great rivalries. As if plucked from a movie, each rivalry seemingly has an inspirational storyline. The rivalry between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya is no exception. ‘Poatan’ and Adesanya faced off against each other quite a few times. Pereira defeated Adesanya not only in their early days of kickboxing but also inside the Octagon. However, the result of their latest rematch at UFC 287 wasn’t in Pereira’s favor. Nevertheless, the Brazilian retained his throne as an inspiration to the public.

‘Poatan’ previously admitted that he once was a pretty heavy drinker. Although it was a demon he battled, alcoholism was indeed the reason he took up fighting as a career. Recently, the former middleweight champion’s first mentor, Coach Belocqua Wera, narrated his student’s struggle with alcoholism to ‘MMA Fighting’. As his quotes found their way to Reddit, MMA fans didn’t back away from lifting ‘Poatan’ as one of the role models. 

Fans raise Alex Pereira for his battle against alcoholism

Recently, Pereira’s mentor had a talk with MMAFighting about the Native Brazilian fighter. Wera recalled a time when he punched Pereira in the stomach and thought he was weak, only to find out that the man was, in fact, a warrior. He said, “I was pushing him hard, so I punched him right in the stomach, and he went down. I thought to myself, ‘f***, he’s weak. Am I wasting my time with him?’ He was back up seconds later, and I saw tears in his eyes.”

“I realized he wasn’t weak, he was a warrior. He was rotten inside due to the things he used, he was contaminated. It wasn’t easy to turn him into what he’s become.” 

Poatan
by u/Jigarmebadiaaghai in ufc

As the quotes traveled to Reddit, the fans took to the comments section and had a lot to say about the fighter’s struggle. One of the fans deemed the fighter to be a superhero. Undeniably, many of the fans found the struggle to be inspirational. Many others labeled alcohol as the villain. 

Read More: “Alex Pereira Is a Dangerous Man” – Joe Rogan Left Jaw-Dropped After Witnessing Insane Stunt From Israel Adesanya’s Nemesis

Here is what the fans said:

• Poatan is an indigenous superhero, I mean I get tears in my eyes when I think about him and what he’s overcome, he’s a role model for generations after him.
• Great to hear stories like this. So difficult to get out of that life. Can be inspiration for others
• Poatan has become one of my favorite fighters in the UFC
• Getting f***ed up for 15 minutes in a cage has to be hella easier than a decade of hardcore alcoholism. Physical pain is easy, mental anguish is f***ing horrendous.
• Any person turning his life around deserves respect cause it’s very hard to do
• Bros the real anime character
• Alcohol is a terrible, terrible drug. It takes a lot to get free of it.
• Alcohol is poison to us! Stay strong cousin!

Alex Pereira’s personal battles

The former UFC champion was not fortunate enough to have a lavish childhood. He dropped out of school when he was 12 and honed his skills as a mechanic. However, he quickly fell into a trap when he developed a taste for iced cachaca rum. 

Without a doubt, his drinking habits caused a boatload of trouble for the fighter. Surprisingly, it was also the reason he became a professional fighter. Nevertheless, he had to face the demons and conquer them. Now, Pereira is seen as one of the most respected fighters in the UFC.

Watch This Story: Alex Pereira Left In Tears After Israel Adesanya Knocks Him Out At UFC 287

What are your thoughts on Pereira’s alcoholism? Let us know in the comments down below.