Alex Pereira came into UFC with a bang and immediately changed the whole scenario in the Middleweight division.
The Brazilian with a huge background in kickboxing was eager to fight for the championship as soon as possible. His elite striking and knockout powers helped him to stack up initial wins.
Pereira is a true warrior and had to struggle a lot to get where he currently is. Growing up in a Brazilian favela, Pereira was from a poor family. At the age of 12, Pereira had to drop out of middle school to work at a tire shop in order to finally support his family.
During that period things were hard and it impacted his childhood differently, "Some people will say I’m an arrogant person, but my childhood was different. Most of my childhood was busy with work and trying to help provide to my family," said Pereira.
At that time, the fighter also started drinking and eventually became an alcoholic. However, he got back to his senses and then started working hard to pursue his professional fighting career.
After a successful kickboxing career, Pereira transitioned into MMA, and fought his way to become the UFC middleweight champion.