Alex Pereira’s biggest bout is less than two weeks away, but the former UFC champion is making headlines outside the cage as well.
Just days before his historic UFC White House fight against Ciryl Gane, Pereira’s Hollywood career took a significant step forward when it was confirmed that the first trailer for his upcoming A24 film, Onslaught, will be released tomorrow.
For most fighters, preparing for an interim heavyweight title fight would be enough. However, ‘Poatan’ has quietly raised his profile outside of combat sports over the past year, and Onslaught has the potential to be his big debut.
After all, the film is the work of acclaimed filmmaker Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett, who have previously worked on cult classics such as You’re Next and The Guest.
As for the story of the movie, the film shows a mother living in a trailer park who tries to protect her family after a dangerous threat escapes from a secret military base, while mercenaries race to stop the chaos before it gets out of hand.
The cast includes many well-known names. Adria Arjona heads the project, alongside Dan Stevens, Rebecca Hall, Michael Biehn, Drew Starkey, Eric Wareheim, and Reginald VelJohnson. But the main headliner for us fight fans is surely Alex Pereira, who plays the villain known as “The Butcher.”
That role alone has piqued the interest of both MMA fans and moviegoers. Alex Pereira’s intimidating presence, limited words, and naturally imposing aura have long made fans joke that he already looks like a movie villain.
Now he can bring that vision to the big screen on September 4. But from the early reactions on social media, it seems like fans are a bit mixed when it comes to ‘Poatan’ being an actor rather than a stoic warrior who beats people for a living.
UFC fans left divided over Alex Pereira’s big Hollywood debut
As soon as the trailer for Onslaught was released, fans began debating whether Alex Pereira should be on a movie set or in a cage. And it seems like not everyone was convinced. Some criticized the film before ever viewing the trailer with comments such as, “2 hours of Chama? I’mma skip!” and “Can already tell by the cover that it’s s—.”
On the contrary, many could easily imagine the former UFC champion making the shift. After all, with ‘Poatan’ playing a villain known as ‘The Butcher,’ many fans believe the casting choice practically made itself.
“He plays a bloodthirsty killer, he doesn’t need to speak. That’s why they chose him, he’s perfect for the role,” one fan joked. Another added, “It’s just him going around murdering people, pretty sick.”
Others simply enjoyed seeing the Brazilian’s career continue expanding beyond the Octagon. A24’s involvement alone generated excitement among movie fans, while some fight fans were already treating the film and UFC White House as a double-header for the former light heavyweight champion.
“Alex Pereira in an A24 movie? Peak!” one fan wrote. Another confidently declared, “WE will destroy Ciryl Gane in the box office AND in the Octagon.” Of course, a few fans couldn’t resist poking fun at Alex Pereira either, with tweets such as, “Bro out here doing side missions lol,” and “What is bro even going to say?😭🙏🏼”
But some fans still questioned the motive behind ‘Poatan’ taking the project in the first place, with speculation that Hollywood would become a distraction at a critical juncture in Alex Pereira’s fight career. A user wrote, “Once they go Hollywood, they never go back as a champ,” while another added, “We lost Chama to Hollywood guys.”
Whether those fears are justified remains to be seen, but with Onslaught hitting theaters shortly after UFC White House, Alex Pereira is about to find out if he can conquer both worlds at the same time.
