In a bizarre turn of events in the world of MMA theatrics, an Indian MMA fighter who tried to mimic Alex Pereira’s signature walkout ended up paying a heavy price, getting knocked out just seconds into his fight. The incident has sparked laughter, disbelief and plenty of commentary across the MMA community.
The fighter in question fully embraced Pereira’s iconic ‘Poatan’ persona: he raised his arms in that familiar bow-and-arrow pose, and even attempted Pereira’s characteristic three-punch combo followed by a scream. To complete the tribute, he walked out to the same song Pereira uses, leaving no detail un-copied.
While the fighter’s theatrics echoed Pereira’s style, their in-ring performance was dramatically different. Pereira himself is known for his devastating knockout power, both in kickboxing and MMA, and has defended his reputation by finishing multiple opponents with brutal precision. The aspirational tribute, unfortunately, did not come with the same effectiveness.
In the end, the episode stands as a cautionary tale for fighters: swagger alone doesn’t win fights. You can copy the walkout, the costumes, and the celebration, but if the fundamentals aren’t there, the ring doesn’t care who you think you’re channeling.
UFC 320: Alex Pereira Brutally Mocks Magomed Ankalev After Destroying His Opponent In 80 Seconds To Recapture Light Heavyweight Title; Video
UFC star Alex Poatan Pereira dismantled Magomed Ankalev as he put on a thunderous display in Saturday night UFC 320 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In a video surfaced on social media, Alex Pereira punched Ankalev unstoppably, knocking him out only in 80 seconds to regain the UFC light heavyweight title.
It was only seven months ago that Ankalev had dethroned Pereira as the UFC light heavyweight champion in UFC 313 at the same venue. The judges then had seen the judges saw it 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47 for Ankalaev, ruling the result in his favour as he fulfilled the potential of being one of the most talented fighters in the sport.
After winning the bout, Pereira mocked his opponent brutally, as shown in the below video:
Meanwhile, the shocking result has also ended a 14-match unbeaten streak for Ankalev. Following the win, Pereira also called for the crowd in Las Vegas to observe a moment's silence in memory of former NFL lineman Arthur Jones, the older brother of UFC fighter Jon Jones. Arthur passed away aged 39 on Friday.
