Alex Pereira is back on the stardom track after knocking out Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320. To be honest, ‘Poatan’ was already considered one of the biggest superstars in the UFC, but after getting his revenge in the rematch against the Dagestani, his stock has reached a new level. And now, the two-time light heavyweight champion has been in celebration mode. This time, he set his star appearance at the F1 São Paulo Grand Prix, which caught fans’ attention.

Popular social media MMA account abcd MMA posted a video on X showing Pereira surrounded by fans, signing autographs. They captioned it, “Alex Pereira getting mobbed by fans at an F1 race today in Brazil.” Well, ‘Poatan’ receiving all that love in his hometown isn’t surprising — but what stood out even more was the strength he showed during the event.

Another well-known page, DovySimuMMA, posted on X showing Pereira picking up an F1 race tire and holding it effortlessly, captioning it, “Alex Pereira showing off his strength at the F1.” For the unversed, an average F1 race tire weighs around 21 to 25 lbs, so lifting it and holding it with ease definitely shows the Brazilian superstar’s impressive grip strength. But that wasn’t the first time he appeared at an F1 event.

Pereira, an admirer of the late great Brazilian F1 legend Ayrton Senna, also attended last year’s F1 Mexico Grand Prix right after knocking out Jamahal Hill at the historic UFC 300. And he didn’t just show up; Pereira even did some pit-stopping, handling it quite smoothly. Considering the two-division champ used to work at a tire shop before becoming a UFC megastar, he clearly knows a thing or two about tires.

So, as Pereira attended the F1 event in Brazil, videos of him started spreading across social media, and fans began demanding he return to pit-stop duty once again. From spirited reactions to fans hoping that ‘Poatan’ would even launch his own tire brand someday, the responses were incredible. So, let’s check them out. 

Fans react to Alex Pereira’s star appearance at F1 São Paulo Grand Prix   

One fan chimed in and wrote, “Biggest star in the UFC right now and it’s not even close.” Judging by how Pereira gets swarmed by fans wherever he goes, it clearly points to him being one of the most celebrated stars today, and finding a close second would be difficult. Then another fan pointed out, “Yeah, Alex has sick core and grip strength.”

Again, true! Pereira’s large stature and big hands often make him a physical specimen, so his gripping the tire so easily shouldn’t surprise anyone. Following that reaction, another user wanted Pereira to get back into pit-stopping and wrote, “We need an F1 tire change from Pereira.” And indeed, it would’ve been awesome to see Brazil’s biggest MMA star contributing at a major racing event amid loud audience cheers. But that’s not all,  another fan pitched a pretty good idea.

“Alex Pereira should bring his own tire collection, chama tires.” Why not? Fighters like Conor McGregor have achieved insane success launching their own brands. With the popularity Alex Pereira enjoys, combined with a quality product, this could absolutely be his path after retirement. Moreover, Pereira also knows a lot about tires, since he spent his early days working around them. So all in all, it sounds like a pretty decent idea. However, not everyone seems to be on board with it.

A fan wrote, “If I was Alex I would never want to hold a tire again.” Here, the fan implied that some things should simply stay in the past, wishing the same for Pereira in this case. Well, it remains to be seen whether Pereira actually opens a tire company or not, but despite that, his love for cars could lead to more such collaborations at least. That said, what do you think about Alex Pereira’s visit to the F1 Brazil event? Do let us know in the comments section below.