Alex Pereira announced himself to the UFC world when he knocked out Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268. The fearsome knockout artist maintained his reputation for making his opponents taste the mat. Besides these inside-the-ring exploits, the Brazilian fighter also proudly embraces his indigenous roots. Accordingly, during the ceremonial weigh-ins of UFC 281, fans witnessed ‘Poatan’ in his indigenous headgear.

The middleweight fighter has hailed his indigenous culture and origins central to his fighting career.

Alex Pereira and his native roots

Pereira belongs to the Pataxó tribe. The native tribe has a population of little over 12,000 in the Bahia region, Brazil. Also, the tribe used to speak the now-extinct Pataxó language. Later on, a revitalized version, Patxohã, and Portuguese, replaced the now-extinct language while retaining some of the Pataxó words.

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The indigenous tribe went through turmoil in the middle of the last century. Not only was the indigenous population’s region mainly converted into private farms, but they were also expelled from the forest. As a result, the larger society integrated them into their fold, and further, they lost their indigenous identity.

Furthermore, the fighter’s famous bow and arrow walkout ritual have a native connection. Talking to ESPN, the kickboxer-turned-MMA fighter told, “I made a ritual with the bow and arrow. Then a sequence with the indigenous music and that’s how it started.”

Thus, this signature entrance became his method to pay homage to his culture and family, as it made him more confident.

In the same segment, the former Glory champion revealed that his first kickboxing teacher had indigenous roots and further admitted that his grandparents were indigenous.

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Notably, the Sao Paulo fighter wants to help the ‘forgotten’ native population. Thus, he stated, “I want to make a name for myself and in the future use it to help the indigenous people… With that [UFC platform’s media advantage], I have the potential to really help the indigenous people.”

Alex Periera’s nickname

Significantly, Pataxó also inspired the 35-year-old fighter’s nickname, ‘Poatan’.

‘Po’ in his native language translates to hands and ‘Atan’ is a stone equivalent. Hence, giving Pereira an apt nickname. However, the Sao Paulo fighter paid tribute to the same with a tattoo of pebbles and rocks on his left hand.

Remarkably, during the pandemic, as the native population had trouble feeding themselves, Pereira left Sao Paulo and went to Porto Seguro to donate food for them.

What do you think of this dedication of Alex Pereira towards his community? Let us know in the comments below.