When Alex Pereira arrived in the UFC in 2021, few could have predicted his meteoric ascent to the highest echelons of the promotion. A two-weight Glory kickboxing champion, ‘Poatan’ announced his arrival by flat-lining Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268 with a flying knee and a barrage of follow-up shots. Since then, he’s gone on to capture the middleweight and light-heavyweight crowns, becoming the first and only fighter to accomplish this remarkable feat in the UFC.

His journey from poverty-stricken favelas to UFC stardom reads like a Hollywood script, but his story is not without heartbreak. Beneath the victories, titles, and glory, lies a deep wound—the loss of his older brother. It’s a chapter of Alex Pereira’s life few know about, but one that shaped him into the fighter and man he is today.

The tragic story behind Alex Pereira’s brother’s untimely demise!

Growing up in Sao Paulo, life was tough for Alex Pereira. Poverty wasn’t just a word, it was a daily reality for Pereira and his family. But he wasn’t facing it alone. He had his brother by his side, a companion in mischief, and an anchor in their turbulent world. However, the paths the two brothers would take could not have been more different.

In a past interview, Pereira had shared, “Few people know the story, but he died at 18. I went one route, work, get my things, and he chose the wrong route. Unfortunately he ended up going down the wrong path and he’s no longer with us. We were like my two sons are today. We got into fights a bunch. We were massive handfuls. We spent all the time together, did everything together.”

While ‘Poatan’ chose to focus on hard work, his brother, tragically, veered towards a darker road. He confessed, “I followed the path of sports. And maybe if he had been introduced to that too… Maybe he’d be with me. Helping me with training. Living off of sports.”

When pressed by the interviewer for more clarity about what his brother was involved with, Pereira simply affirmed, “with dr-gs”.  As such, when asked if he misses celebrating his success with anyone, Pereira didn’t hesitate by stating, “My brother.” For all the victories the Brazilian has secured, there remains a bitter sweetness as he indicated that he feels, “I’d say, if he’d had the opportunity or had known the sport, I think he had everything to also become a fighter.”

As fans, we often marvel at Alex Pereira’s strength, his precision, and his sheer dominance in the cage. But behind every punch and every victory lies a deeper story—a story of loss, resilience, and redemption, as his other sibling has chosen the path of the fighter as well!

Meet Poatan’s other sibling, Aline Pereira

While Alex Pereira’s rise to UFC stardom is well-known, his sister, Aline Pereira, is making waves of her own in the world of combat sports. From an early age, she showcased a passion for kickboxing and made her professional debut in 2017. The sport became her outlet, her battleground, and her stage.

Aline soon earned a spot in Glory Kickboxing, making her debut in 2019 against Chommanee Sor Taehiran. She secured a unanimous decision victory and continued to build momentum, even earning her first technical knockout. But the ultimate challenge came when she faced Tiffany van Soest for the Glory Super Bantamweight Championship in 2021. Despite a hard-fought battle, Aline fell short, losing by unanimous decision.

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Aline had stated, “I’ve been following my brother’s footsteps since the beginning, I (sign with) every promotion he fights, I go after him everywhere he goes, so (the transition to MMA) happened naturally. I already knew that I would also follow him if he went to MMA.”

Never one to back down from a challenge, Aline transitioned to mixed martial arts, debuting in Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) in 2022. While her last outing against Cheyanne Bowers at LFA 164 in 2023 ended in a loss for the Brazilian, her journey has only just begun. And if she truly follows ‘Poatan’s footsteps, we might see another star rise in the UFC.

But for now, all eyes will be on Alex Pereira as he takes on Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City, Utah!