Alex Pereira has spent years being a champion, defeating champions, and converting everyone around him into believers. But now, ‘Poatan’ appears to have embarked on a very different project: encouraging his own longtime coach, Plinio Cruz, to lace on the gloves and return to competition at the age of forty.

And, amazingly, it seems to be working. Speaking on Pereira’s YouTube channel, Cruz explained that what began as casual talks quickly turned serious.

“I made 40; I started to lose weight here. I did some training,” he said. “Then Poatan started talking to me about fighting, right? So we began negotiating.

“We’re negotiating a good proposal through Misfits. It’s very likely that I’ll fight for the belt between August and September.”

That is where this story gets interesting. Plinio Cruz isn’t a novelty act looking for a quick buck. He is a bonafide veteran with extensive MMA experience, having fought professionally from 2008 to 2019 in a number of promotions.

He understands camps, pressure, and what it takes to train for a true fight. That is precisely why Alex Pereira pushed him—not into influencer boxing, but toward what he considers a genuine challenge against a credible opponent.

“I told Plinio he has to have at least one boxing match,” Alex Pereira told Ariel Helwani in a recent interview. “Not with an influencer, but with a real fighter. Pick a good guy because he’s doing really well.

“I fully support him having a boxing match; he’ll make good money too. Plinio has a name. I’m motivating him; he’s losing weight, and that’s it. Let’s have a fight.”

That support is crucial. Alex Pereira is not only motivating a friend; he is supporting him with the same intensity he brings to his own career. And Cruz’s response speaks a lot about their relationship.

Even when addressing his own comeback, the 40-year-old made it clear that his top priority is to help ‘Poatan’ prepare for his heavyweight debut and interim title fight against Ciryl Gane first. A fight that many see going in favor of the latter.

“I will make Poatan ready,” he said. “I will help make him a champion. Then it’s Daddy’s turn, right? Stay tuned, Daddy is back!”

And with that, a comeback nobody saw coming suddenly feels very real. But who will Plinio Cruz fight for his return? Well, the 40-year-old seems to be eyeing a one-on-one with none other than 29-year-old Chase DeMoor!

Alex Pereira’s coach picks a significant test for combat return

That belief in a comeback quickly morphed into confidence in a specific bout. Rather than ease his way back with a softer matchup, Plinio Cruz has set his sights on a much bigger challenge—calling out Chase DeMoor, the reigning Misfits heavyweight champion, for what will undoubtedly become one of the promotion’s most anticipated fights.

And he didn’t exactly whisper the challenge.

“I thought you had finished your studies,” he wrote on X. “But I’ll take you back to school kid, let’s scrap at Misfits Boxing. Chama.”

The callout held extra weight since Alex Pereira quickly backed it, stating that he wants to see his coach tested against a legitimate name rather than being given an easy way back into combat.

“I’d like to see this fight,” Pereira commented.

That is what makes this so interesting. Chase DeMoor is younger, naturally bigger, and has already established himself in Misfits, gaining momentum as champion with wins that have raised his profile in crossover boxing. For Plinio Cruz, this means that if he makes a comeback, it won’t be built on nostalgia.

It will start with a gamble against a dangerous opponent in a bout that will soon reveal whether “Daddy is back” is just a line—or something much more serious.