Alex Pereira is undoubtedly one of the most popular fighters in the UFC. Less than three years since making his UFC debut, the Brazillian fighter has become a fan favorite. He has championships in two divisions and without even speaking English he has earned the love of the MMA community. He is very well-known for his stoic demeanor.
Furthermore, Alex has embraced his stone-faced meme by releasing merch and even carrying a stone-faced statue with him. However, there is a word that he frequently uses in all his videos and interviews. Many fans are wondering what is the exact meaning of the word, ‘Chama’.
CHAMA! Alex Pereira was all smiles today! @AlexPereiraUFC #ufc295 @ufc pic.twitter.com/3LmSEmNxhy
— Nina-Marie Daniele (@ninamdrama) November 8, 2023
Pereira usually starts and ends his discussion with the word ‘Chama’. Furthermore, there is a fire emoji in the caption along with Chama. In traditional Portuguese, Chama means flame or fire. However, this word is also used as slang for saying ‘let’s go’ or ‘come on’ in an exciting way. In the context of Alex Pereira, this could mean that he is hyped up or fired up.
The slang is used to express excitement and since Pereira has a stoic face, he uses ‘Chama’ to showcase that he is fired up. In conclusion, while the word has multiple meanings, it is used to express excitement in the case of the former UFC middleweight champion.
Alex Pereira loves to embrace his indigenous roots
Alex Pereira belongs to an indigenous tribe called Pataxo and he loves to represent his culture. Initially, he was not aware of his roots in this indigenous tribe. However, it was his first kickboxing coach, Belocqua Vera who brought ‘Poatan’ closer to his roots.
“My first teacher had indigenous roots,” said Pereira. When he went home and asked his mother about their culture, she told Alex that his grandparents were indigenous. According to Pereira, this information about his tribe gave him a sense of confidence. “We wanted to resurrect my origins and indigenous culture,” said ‘Poatan’.
Furthermore, his hunter-like walkout style and his walkout music by Brazillian metal band Sepultura is a tribute to his Pataxo tribe. When Pereira won the UFC middleweight championship by beating Israel Adesanya, he brought the title to his native reservation in Brazil.
The Pataxo is a very small tribe with around 11,800 members mostly living in Bahia, Brazil. Although they have their own language called ‘Pataxo language’ they are also fluent in Portuguese. Alex Pereira has stated that he wants to use his UFC fame to help his people.