Alex Pereira has something to prove this weekend at UFC 320 in his rematch against Magomed Ankalaev for a second time. He saw himself getting outclassed by the Dagestan native at his own game and losing his light heavyweight crown, so he’s not taking any chances this time. ‘Poatan’ has taken his UFC 313 loss personally because he’s warned Ankalaev, saying, “I’m going to slap you. I’m going to smack you with an open hand.”

We’re still some time away from the light heavyweight title fight, so let’s divert our attention to something that’s not related to fighting. We know how good and how successful Alex Pereira has been inside the Octagon and how his team, which involves UFC legend Glover Teixeira, has supported him in his fighting venture. But what about his family? That’s exactly what we’re going to talk about in this article, especially his parents, since we already know he has a sister, Aline Pereira, who’s also a mixed martial artist. Here’s what we know.

Who are Alex Pereira’s parents? About his early life

As we all know, Alex Pereira grew up in a family facing dire financial struggles. While the names of his parents are not available in the public domain, reports suggest that ‘Poatan’s father was a bricklayer, while his mother was a homemaker. He has mentioned that, despite the lack of resources growing up, his parents helped instill important values in him, which later translated into success in his professional life.

Alex Pereira has spoken about his father in the past, especially regarding the time when the former champion was at a turning point in his career. When he suffered his first loss in 2012, his father was suffering from an illness, leading to a moment of deep reflection on the impact his fighting career had on other people. His wins caused pain to his rivals and their families after going through a similar experience.

This moment changed Pereira’s outlook on life, and he started prioritizing his family more. “After my first loss as a professional fighter, my father got sick. So I said to him, ‘Father, how many times have I left other families and teams sad, and we were laughing? Now is our time to rethink.’ So, dude, I’m okay with it right now,” Alex Pereira stated in an interview with Forbes.

Alex Pereira is known by the fans not only for knocking his opponents out but also for being a family man. And he showed that once when he made a grand gesture to his parents with a massive gift following his success in the UFC. Let’s take a look at that front.

Alex Pereira’s heartfelt gift to his parents

After capturing two divisional belts in the UFC and becoming one of the few two-weight champions in the promotion’s history, Alex Pereira established himself as one of the biggest draws in the combat sports world. That translated into financial gains, and ‘Poatan’ made sure to repay the people close to him. After growing up living in a favela, Pereira decided to present his parents with an incredible mansion.

Alex Pereira revealed the news on social media, sharing two images: one where he’s sitting eating at his parents’ old and modest home, and the other showing the house that he gifted to them. “Photo 1: Four years ago, having lunch at my parents’ house. Photo 2: The house today. Thank you very much, my God,” the former UFC champion wrote on X.

Well, life is good for Alex Pereira and his parents. Now, what matters is for ‘Poatan’ to get his career back on track with a win over Magomed Ankalaev and move on to the next chapter. He’s already warned the Dagestan native about what to expect come Saturday night, but how do you think the fight pans out? Let us know in the comments section below.