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 debut took a significant step forward when it was confirmed that the first trailer for his upcoming A24 film, Onslaught, will be released tomorrow.
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For most fighters, preparing for an interim heavyweight title fight would be enough. Add to it the pressure of fighting on the South Lawn. However, ‘Poatan’ has quietly raised his profile outside of combat sports over the past year, and Onslaught is his big acting debut.
After all, the film is the work of acclaimed filmmaker Adam Wingard, the man behind Godzilla vs. Kong and its sequel, 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’s plot revolves around 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 aren’t embracing it fully when it comes to ‘Poatan’ being an actor, since the distraction the Hollywood debut causes can negatively impact his big fight with Ciryl Gane.
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—.”
More chimed in with some brutal words on the screen fatigue after seeing MMA stars such as Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano, and Conor McGregor making it to Hollywood. With Alex Pereira being the latest name, the hate surely got on his way with comments.
A user tweeted, “Going to be A– I wonder who allows this films to be made and why? They lose money.” Another added, “Please don’t, stay out of films unless you actually are an actor. Tired of these horrible, s—– movies that are made just because some fighter thinks he is the next Arnold Schwarzenegger.”
On the other hand, 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. Anyone remember Lennox Lewis’ cameo in the Ocean’s 11 movie costing him the Hasim Rahman fight? A similar outcome is not improbable here. 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.
