Alexsandro Pereira (born 7 July 1987) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer. He currently competes in the Middleweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current UFC Middleweight Champion. In kickboxing, he is a former Glory middleweight and light heavyweight champion, and is the first and only fighter to have held Glory titles in two weight classes simultaneously. Pereira also competed in promotions such as It's Showtime and SUPERKOMBAT Fighting Championship. As of January 17, 2023, he is ranked #6 on the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.
Pereira was ranked #1 in the kickboxing middleweight and light-heavyweight rankings as of February 2021.
Early life
Growing up in a favela, Pereira dropped out of middle school to begin working in a tire shop at the age of 12. Influenced by his colleagues, he began drinking and eventually became an alcoholic. In 2009 he began training kickboxing in order to get rid of his addiction.