Alex Pereira Reveals What Motivated His Generous Act of Giving Money to a Stranger on the Street

Alex Pereira just can’t seem to stop winning the hearts of UFC fans. Ever since making his UFC debut on November 6, 2021 at UFC 268, the Brazilian has quickly amassed an army of followers. Fans seem to love his nonchalant, yet deadly energy.

Pair that with strong performances and KOs, as well as saving entire UFC cards by fighting on short notice, and you have yourself a fan favorite. The ‘Poatan’ hype train is running at an all-time high and the Brazilian just can’t seem to put a foot wrong.

Even when he’s out and about in the streets, donating money to people, fans were in awe of his generosity. The Brazilian was filming a video with Moses the Jeweler for his social media for which they were walking down the streets. It’s not everyday you see a mean mugged, 6’5 UFC fighter roaming the streets, so naturally fans were approaching him asking for pictures and videos. But what ‘Poatan’ did next surprised all of them, he just started handing out large wads of cash along with Rolex watches.

This moment went viral on social media with fans begging the question of whether it was just a promotional stunt for Moses the Jeweler or if Pereira genuinely had a heart of gold. In an attempt to uncover the truth behind this giveaway, Jon-Bernard Kairouz interviewed the UFC light heavyweight champion and asked him about it. In typical ‘Poatan’ fashion, with absolutely no expression on his face, the champ stated –

“What you saw there was we were generating content with Moses the Jeweler. He’s got his jewelry shops in New York, he does that a lot on the streets. I kind of do my donations in a different way, you might have seen me donating food in Brazil.”

The champ did not take credit for the free watches and the wads of cash, and revealed that it was actually Moses the Jeweler who sponsored all of that. But that does not mean ‘Poatan’ doesn’t do his own deeds of charity. The Brazilian has been giving back to those in need for a while now.

Not one to forget his roots, ‘Poatan‘ regularly donates boxes of food to thousands of families in his hometown, Sao Bernardo do Campo.

Pereira’s humble act of charity

‘Poatan’ comes from very humble beginnings, he used to work at a local tire shop, working long hours as he battled severe alcohol addiction and poverty. Then came a turning point in his life as he vowed to get himself out of this slump, he gave up alcohol and shifted his focus to kickboxing. The sport rejuvenated and changed his life as he rose through the ranks to become a two-division glory kickboxing champion before transitioning to the UFC.

It is here that he amassed his now millions-strong army of followers. But despite all the fame and fortune he has not forgotten to give back. Before his fight against Khalil Rountree at UFC 307, the UFC countdown crew followed the Brazilian back to the favelas in Sao Bernardo do Campo where the champion was handing out thousands of boxes to the families in need.

A reserved Pereira took the microphone in his hand and issued a powerful statement, “I’ve been blessed and I want to share those blessings with you. The cameras are here not for me to show off, but to encourage people to donate to those in need.” The touching message and act of charity had fans hailing him as a hero to those in need.

‘Poatan’ then went on to explain why he donates and gives back to his community in Brazil, “My reality used to be theirs. I went through a lot of hardship, and my biggest fear was always being hungry. So if I can do something to help, I’ll do it.”

Pereira is a living example to the kids in those favelas that they can make it out, and the least he can do is help them. It’s exactly this kind of thinking that has made him such a fan favorite in the short time that he has been in the UFC.