Alex Pereira had nothing when he started his fighting career as a kickboxer back in 2013. With a history of working in a tire shop in Sao Paulo, and struggles with alcoholism that are now behind him, today he is one of the biggest stars in the world of mixed martial arts. It’s a proper rags-to-riches story, culminating in him winning the 2024 Fighter of the Year award, defending his title thrice this year while saving Dana White’s nose twice. In terms of star power in the present landscape, ‘Poatan’ stands shoulder to shoulder with Ilia Topuria, who had an incredible year himself. UFC veteran Chael Sonnen backed Pereira winning FoTY and explained why the Brazilian should stand above Topuria in the debate.

In a candid conversation with Daniel Cormier on Good Guy/Bad Guy, Chael Sonnen was asked by his partner about his choice for ‘Fighter of the Year’. In response, the former middleweight legend emphasized that no one is as versatile as Alex Pereira. ‘The American Gangster’ further added that when Dana White was searching for someone to headline the UFC 300 card, Pereira came forward to assert that he would clash with anyone to headline the marquee event, “Pereira was so sincere about headlining this monumental card that he was even willing to face Tom Aspinall at heavyweight, a challenge he wasn’t bluffing about,” said Sonnen.

He further added, “Pereira’s commitment was clear, and the UFC responded by surprising fans with the return of Jamahal Hill, a world champion we thought was sidelined with an injury, but who was actually healthy. Then came International Fight Weekend, originally slated for Conor McGregor versus Michael Chandler. But McGregor’s potentially broken toe threw a wrench in the plans, creating a void in a $27 million gate event. The UFC needed to fill this gap with the right opponent, and who did they turn to? Alex Pereira. Once again, they dealt him from the bottom of the deck, giving him a rematch against Jiri Procházka, the one fighter most would avoid in the 205-pound division.”

Chael Sonnen didn’t stop there as he emphasized that Alex Pereira, despite being injured and battling two health issues, decided to headline the UFC 301 card against Khalil Rountree Jr. It must be noted that Alex Pereira not only headlined the UFC 300, UFC 303, and UFC 307 but also knocked out his opponents back-to-back, asserting his dominance within the division. And if we were to talk about the official revenue numbers then Alex Pereira gave the promotion a massive $37.4 Million in revenue, and that doesn’t even include the PPV numbers.

Alex Pereira certainly made 2024 a memorable year for the promotion, but what about his upcoming fights? Let’s take a look at what the UFC might have in store for ‘Poatan’ for the coming year.

UFC insiders pick a set of opponents for Alex Pereira

Alex Pereira has nearly defeated every contender in his division, except for the #1-ranked Magomed Ankalaev, who might face him sometime next year. However, ‘Big’ John McCarthy and Josh Thomson believe that ‘Poatan’ has a different set of opponents who might clash with him in the future. Thomson spoke about the rumors of a fight between Alex Pereira and Khamzat Chimaev. “Right now there are talks of Chimaev and Pereira potentially fighting at 205.”

He further added, “And Alex came out and said, ‘Hey there I have scheduled a fight, there is a fight in front of me. I’m very happy. But, guess what? It’s not Ankalaev. It’s more of, like, a jab at Ankalaev. Outside of that, I can’t think of somebody that would bring the excitement, like a Chimaev would that would get Alex excited for that same fight”

Alex Pereira might be one of the best within the promotion, currently going through an amazing title run but Khamzat CHimaev is no less than a monster, who has dispatched his opponents with a ferocity we’ve rarely seen. Regardless, do you foresee a clash between Alex Pereira and the undefeated Chechen soon? State your thoughts in the comments below.