Alex Pereira is of a native Brazilian descent. He’s also the former Glory kickboxing champion, who is set to defend his title in a rematch against Israel Adesanya.
In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Pereira shared how he draws inspiration from his indigenous roots and culture.
Resurrecting His Indigenous Culture
Pereira, who grew up in the Favela of Brazil, had an early troubled youth. But he found his way out of it by turning to kickboxing. His first teacher, who was also a part of his indigenous culture, provided him with insight into his own roots.
Since then, Pereira has been keen on resurrecting and showcasing his origins and indigenous culture to the world.
Pereira believes that the indigenous people are often forgotten and need to be preserved. He wants to make a name for himself in the UFC and use his platform to help his people.
He plans to create a non-profit organization that can take advantage of the media platform the UFC gives him. By doing so, he hopes to serve a higher purpose and help the indigenous people.
Alex also practices archery and considers it a part of his ritual. He’s also a fan of how MMA fans are interpreting him and seems to enjoy stoneface memes about himself.
An MMA ref across the globe took note and even parodied Pereira’s infamous ‘shadow’ archery walkout during a recent MMA gig.
Referee Vyacheslav Perskiy seemed to have a lot of fun with his introductions and paid homage to Perira among other at a RCC event.