Alex Pereira’s Touch Is a Death Sentence, Says Tom Aspinall: ‘Most Dangerous Guy in the UFC’

When it comes to pure knockout power, few fighters in UFC history compare to Alex Pereira. The former light heavyweight champion has already built a reputation as one of the scariest strikers the sport has ever seen, and UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is fully on board with that sentiment.

That might sound dramatic, but Pereira’s knockout resume speaks for itself. His left hook has become the stuff of nightmares. Just ask Jiri Prochazka about it. In their title fight at UFC 295, Pereira landed a clean shot that sent Prochazka crashing to the canvas, forcing the referee to step in before the situation went out of hand.

During a recent episode of Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast, Aspinall couldn’t help but marvel at Pereira’s unreal ability to shut opponents’ lights out with just a single touch.

“One of the most dangerous guys in my opinion, to ever fight in the UFC. He has that, I don’t even know what you call it—he just has that thing where he touches you and you just die,” Aspinall said.

Another fighter who experienced this power firsthand was Jamahal Hill, who had confidently stepped up to challenge Pereira at UFC 300—only to find himself on the receiving end of a brutal first-round knockout. Pereira barely needed a full minute to dismantle Hill, a man who had previously held the same title.

And let’s not forget Khalil Rountree, another heavy hitter who fell victim to Pereira’s terrifying power. ‘Poatan’ made the KO artist a bloody mess, delivering some nasty liver shots in the 4th round of the fight.

Here’s the crazy part. Pereira isn’t even a natural light heavyweight. He made his name as a middleweight and still carries power that makes 205-pound fighters crumble. That’s why Aspinall sees him as the most dangerous man in the UFC.

But how is ‘Poatan‘ generating so much power from his punches? What makes him different from other UFC fighters?

The science behind Pereira’s Knockout Ability

Pereira’s size plays a major role firstly. Standing at 6’4” with a muscular yet agile build, Pereira carries the strength of a heavyweight while retaining the speed of a lighter fighter. This combination creates a perfect storm for generating so much force that he can end his fights early.

Second, his technique is designed to maximize impact. Pereira’s counter-striking ability—marked by slick defensive movements and precision timing—allows him to capitalize on his opponent’s mistakes. When an advancing fighter walks into one of Pereira’s counters, the force of the strike is amplified, leading to the kind of highlight-reel knockouts that have become his trademark.

Even Joe Rogan can not fully comprehend his power. In an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience alongside Antonio Brown a year ago, he called it a ‘gift’.

“He’s so different from anybody else in the division,” Rogan had said.

“Everybody hits hard, they all hit hard, but that f****g dude hits hard-hard…. It’s insane, his power’s just like, from God, it’s a crazy gift. It’s different than everybody’s power.”

‘Poatan’s’ power has definitely become the stuff of legends that has instilled fear into almost every fighter in the division. The Brazilian will now be hoping that the same power helps him when he tries to win back his title from Magomed Ankalaev.