The UFC is heading to the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the upcoming Fight Night: Moicano vs. Duncan. It’s the fourth Fight Night event in a row after UFC 326, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be any less exciting. Renato Moicano and Chris Duncan are set to steal the spotlight, while fighters like Alice Pereira are also generating massive hype. ‘Golden Girl’ has made waves in the MMA world with her flawless talent inside the cage. 

Dana White signed the bantamweight to the UFC in December 2024. Even before stepping into the promotion’s cage, Alice was already turning heads. Her aggressive fighting style definitely caught fans’ attention, but it was her surname, ‘Pereira’, that sparked even more buzz. Many began assuming she must be related to former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira. So, before she faces  Hailey Cowan this Saturday, let’s find out if the assumptions are true.

Is Alice Pereira related to Alex Pereira?

The Brazilian fighter is just 20 years old and already holds a professional MMA record of 5-1; this would surely lead many to believe that such a dominant star must be a sister of Alex Pereira. However, that is actually not the truth at all. But ‘Poatan’ does have a sister in MMA; however, she isn’t Alice Pereira. Instead, it is Aline Pereira, his younger sister. Aline made her MMA debut on 18 November 2022 and has fought in promotions like Glory.

On the other hand, Alice Pereira made her MMA debut just last August. In her debut fight, she earned herself a dominant win by submitting Raquel de Andrade via a rear-naked choke. Since then, she has racked up 5 more wins, with one being an 11-second finish to win the fight. However, in her debut fight at UFC Noche last year, she dropped a split decision loss to Montse Rendon.

‘Golden Girl’ has also managed to finish 5 out of her 6 fights, with her last win against Samara Santos going all five rounds. In fact, it was this win that got her the UFC contract.

The Dream-Signing of the ‘Golden Girl’ by Dana White

At Cage Masters 2, Alice Pereira completely dominated the fight against Samara Santos to win via decision. After getting her sixth win, she knew that she had become a fighter who is as promising as they get. So, with the promotion’s Bantamweight title around her waist, Alice Pereira decided to wear a T-shirt that called out Dana White and Mick Maynard. 

Not just that, she called them out by screaming at the camera, “Micki, six fights, six wins. Look at me; I deserve it. I promise you all.”

This wasn’t something that Dana White or UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard could ignore. So, giving the ‘Golden Girl’ the surprise of a lifetime, Maynard got on a video call with the Brazilian fighter to gift her a UFC contract as a Christmas gift. This was a moment that Pereira had been dreaming of, so with tears in her eyes, she thanked the promotion for the opportunity. The moment was such that even Dana White soon shared it on his Instagram.

That said, do you think Alice Pereira’s style will help her win her second UFC fight against Hailey Cowan this Saturday?