'Like Newton' - UFC's Pereira 'ahead of his time'

Plinio Cruz narrows his eyes and looks straight into nan camera erstwhile he is asked what makes Alex Pereira different from different fighters.

Cruz is Pereira's long-time coach, who has been by his broadside for nan mostly of his singular career.

He slow raises his digit and points astatine his caput earlier answering.

"I'm not comparing him, I'm not being cocky, but this is an example. Isaac Newton years agone had ideas that nan religion didn't understand because he was up of his time," Cruz tells BBC Sport.

"When I first started moving pinch Alex astir 2017 he utilized to show maine things that only now are starting to click successful my brain.

"I was coaching him without really knowing nan meaning down things, because of really acold up he sees nan game.

"Now I'm capable to coach him overmuch amended because we person that connection. But a relationship pinch an mean combatant takes months - pinch him it took years."

When Brazil's Pereira joined nan UFC successful 2021, he arrived arsenic a two-division world champion successful kickboxing promotion Glory.

In conscionable nether 4 years since his UFC debut, he has repeated that feat, winning nan middleweight and light-heavyweight belts and increasing into 1 of nan promotion's biggest stars.

The 38-year-old's aura was dimmed somewhat erstwhile he mislaid nan light-heavyweight title to Russia's Magomed Ankalaev successful March - but he has a changeable astatine redemption.

At UFC 320 successful Las Vegas connected Saturday, Pereira could reclaim that loop erstwhile he faces 33-year-old Ankalaev successful a rematch.

The magnitude of Pereira's achievements successful nan UFC successful specified a short abstraction of clip earlier conclusion by Ankalaev are unheard of.

It took him 736 days aft his debut to go a two-division champion - nan shortest span successful UFC history.

Of his 9 wins successful nan organisation, 7 person been by knockout, highlighting Pereira's bonzer striking ability.

Cruz remembers nan first clip he felt Pereira's powerfulness during a sparring session.

"Just nan measurement he was jabbing, conscionable nan measurement he was touching, it was shaking my brain," says Cruz.

"His touch is for illustration galore guys' hardest punch. He is really strong, it's scary."

Pereira's nickname 'Poatan' derives from nan connection of 1 of Brazil's indigenous tribes - and is simply a motion to his fearsome powerfulness and flawless technique.

"Poatan intends chromatic hands. Like a chromatic for illustration is thing strong, that's why I tattooed it connected my hands - hands of stone," Pereira tells BBC Sport.

"It intends a batch to maine because of nan indigenous culture, my ancestors, my grandparents - it intends a batch to maine to correspond this indigenous background.

"Those group fought a batch to sphere their culture. They fought for what they believe, and for maine this is nan aforesaid measurement I do successful fighting."

Pereira grew up successful a mediocre family successful Brazil earlier securing 1 of his first jobs moving successful a tyre shop.

It was there, influenced by his co-workers, that he developed an intoxicant problem earlier turning to kickboxing successful an effort to free himself of addiction.

"When I started training backmost past I couldn't visualise success, I couldn't moreover visualise [making a] surviving from fighting," said Pereira.

Cruz says it has been an "honour" to watch really nan "humble" Pereira has grown complete nan years.

In nan UFC, Pereira has developed an intimidating reputation, wherever his stone-faced, emotionless stare-downs person sometimes affected opponents earlier they moreover group ft wrong nan octagon.

Pereira pays homage to his tribal ancestors, wearing look overgarment and a headdress during face-offs, while Jiri Prochazka erstwhile accused him of utilizing "rituals, magic and shamans" to triumph fights.

Cruz describes Pereira arsenic an "introvert" but a "sweetheart".

"In our soul circle he's overmuch much loose. Yes he is quiet but if he opens up he is simply a sweetheart," says Cruz.

"He jokes astir and everything but it takes clip for him to unfastened up to people."

Pereira defended his title 3 times past year, headlining nan landmark UFC 300 event.

His prima powerfulness derives from his postulation of highlight-reel knockouts, but location is besides a charm to Pereira, who has utilized his level arsenic 1 of nan UFC's biggest fighters to link pinch fans connected societal media done dancing and meet-and-greets.

"Alex not only delivers connected nan fighting, he's a likeable person. He's a superstar but he doesn't person that superstar vibe which group cannot reach," said Cruz.

"Because of his humble beginnings I deliberation group tin subordinate to him - and that intends everything."

When Pereira defeated Prochazka for nan light-heavyweight loop successful 2023, he became nan ninth combatant to go a two-division champion.

The 7 UFC fights it took him to execute nan feat is besides a record.

For Cruz, Pereira's position among nan all-time MMA greats is already cemented, whether he regains his title from Ankalaev aliases not.

"Tell maine personification who's conquered 2 Glory belts and 2 UFC belts. For maine he's 1 of nan champion combat sports athletes that has ever happened because of these achievements," said Cruz.