SUMMARY
- A Pataxo tribesman pays tribute to Alex Pereira by performing his iconic walkout.
- Jiri Prochazka accused Pereira of performing witchcraft ahead of fights to perform better.
When Alex Pereira came into the UFC, he was something out of the ordinary. The 36-year-old seemed quiet to himself, never spoke much, and rarely wore a smile on his face until compelled to. Little did we fans know that he would become arguably the best fighter in the promotion nearly three years later.
🇧🇷 The Pataxó community performing Alex Pereira’s iconic entrance is absolutely incredible to see.
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) June 26, 2024
Pereira, who is popularly known as Poatan which is also translated to “Stone Hands”, comes from a tribe called Pataxo in Brazil. Recently, a video of a Pataxo tribesman went viral on X. They were performing Pereira’s iconic walkout as a tribute to the legend that rose to fame in the UFC.
Jiri Prochazka accuses Alex Pereira of performing shaman rituals
Alex Pereira is all set to make an appearance at UFC 303 during international fight week. He is scheduled to fight against former light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka, who had to forfeit his title due to an injury. His return fight was against Poatan, who ended up winning via technical knockout in round two. Prochazka recently accused Poatan of performing witchcraft or shaman rituals before fights to get good results.
Jiri Prochazka doubles down on his claim Alex Pereira uses spiritual forces to win fights, and will ask him not to do it in their #UFC303 rematch.
“Everyone can feel what’s around him and what’s going on, and I think Alex can’t fight without that.” pic.twitter.com/6Z5aJb8uzF
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) June 26, 2024
He said, “Everybody knows he is doing these rituals before the fight. Everybody can feel that, what’s around him and going on. I think Alex can’t fight without that. Let’s see, right now this is my challenge to him, if we can fight in a clear way… Let the higher power be there in the cage to see who is the best in the world in the performance, in the pure performance.” However, Jiri’s claims do not have anything to back it up and Poatan didn’t seem to take much offense to it.
Dana White chimes in on Jiri Prochazka’s claims about Poatan
Alex Pereira also had the perfect response to Prochazka’s claims during the UFC 303 press conference recently. Pereira suggested that it had to do more with his spirituality rather than anything else. He said, “Everybody has their own spirits. We’re not only made of flesh and bone. I have found mine. If he did not find his, or if he doesn’t believe, it’s not my fault.”
Alex Pereira responds to Jiri Prochazka claiming he uses the help of spirits to win fights:
“Everybody has their own spirits. We’re not only made of flesh and bone. I have found mine. If he did not find his, or if he doesn’t believe, it’s not my fault.”
🎥 @LynchOnSports… pic.twitter.com/g5THxvtvXv
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 26, 2024
Dana White also responded to Prochazka and Pereira’s exchanges saying, “I love that sh*t though. When Jiří [finds] out about the fight, apparently he goes into a shed for three days. No water, no food, no nothing.” Both fighters are known for being standout personalities. Pereira in particular is projected to take over the role Conor McGregor once played during his rise in the UFC.