Alex Pereira is jet-setting around the globe as the demand for the UFC champion increases. The light heavyweight champ finished so many real-life quests in 2024 that now he’s sparring in random gyms, and doing punching power battles with actor Don Lee, among other things. He’s basically being an absolute legend and BMF champion Max Holloway loves it.
The Brazilian is the quickest in UFC to three title defenses, having fought thrice this year, and four times in the last 11-12 months. After his last hard-fought win against Khalil Rountree Jr., ‘Poatan’ took a break to visit South Korea.
As soon as the Brazilian fighter touched down in the country, he was greeted at the airport by an army of fans chanting ‘Chama’ as he did his signature walkout. Pereira has embraced the country, its people, and their culture extremely well.
This also means there has been a lot of K-pop and dancing going around. In one of the videos Poatan posted, he can be seen shaking a leg with the TripleS.
Alex Pereira dances with K-pop girl group TripleS
IG / @triplescosmos #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/QV4jPLkQ6q
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 23, 2024
Holloway came across it on Twitter and applauded the side quests Poatan has indulged in.
“Alex’s side quests is next level hahaha what a legend!”
Although ‘Poatan‘ looks very dangerous and serious as a fighter, fun activities like these are not exactly new for the light heavyweight champion. While training with 2-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison, the champ took some time to go on bumper car rides with her, bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili, and Robbie Lawler.
Alex Pereira, Robbie Lawler, Merab Dvalishvili, and Kayla Harrison driving bumper cars is the content I never knew we needed pic.twitter.com/8sTRQYEmEH
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) May 30, 2024
Anytime a random group of fans wants to click a picture with him, he’s always happy to oblige, regardless of whether he speaks their language as well. But nowhere has he had this much fun as he’s been having in Korea.
Pereira’s viral trip to Korea
A few hours after landing, he filmed a video of himself dancing to the famous ‘Gangnam Style’ song which is still being shared by tens of thousands of people.
He then went around giving random fans body shots with a glove on before having a friendly power-punching competition with actor Don Lee. To everybody’s surprise, he actually lost that one.
Alex Pereira Don Lee on the punch machine
C̶h̶a̶m̶a̶ ̶P̶o̶w̶e̶r̶ ❌ ✅
IG/donlee pic.twitter.com/SCEMCDtdlt
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) November 21, 2024
In his latest act, during an event in Korea, he walked towards the stage doing his infamous octagon entrance and then went ahead and kicked a random fan upon request.
The fan asked ‘Poatan’ to try and deliver one of his deadly leg kicks to him. Although Pereira was striking lightly, he ended up kicking him 26 times!
Alex Pereira gave this guy 26 leg kicks while he danced in his underwear on stage pic.twitter.com/tmRdmxtCEM
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) November 23, 2024
Despite the obvious language barrier, it seems Poatan is well-liked wherever he goes. His stardom doesn’t come from his trash-talking as most UFC stars are used to. He is just a very likable dude who is very good at fighting and everyone seems to be loving him for it.