UFC 303: 4 Reasons Why Alex Pereira Should Be Considered Among the Greatest After Knockout Victory

• howBrazil's Alex Pereira defended his Light Heavyweight title when he beat Jiri Prochazka in the main event of UFC 303
• Pereira knocked down Prochazka at the end of the first round, and finished it off with a head kick at the start of the second
• With his third dominant victory in the space of seven months, Poatan has cemented his place as one of the best to ever do it

Is it too early to consider Alex Pereira one of the greatest UFC stars of all time?

The Brazilian fighter retained his Light Heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 303, but how he did it has people talking.

As reported by Sky Sports, Poatan defeated Jiri Prochazka in the main event, landing a devasting head kick at the start of the second round to secure the victory.

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The result marked his eighth victory inside the UFC’s Octagon and his second title defence. It also raised the question of whether he could be considered one of the greats, and Sports Brief looks at why this is the case.

4 reasons Pereira is a UFC great

He never backs down from a challenge

UFC 303 would never have succeeded had it not been for the Brazilian.

The original main event was scheduled to be Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler, but the Irishman pulled out of the fight due to injury, Bleacher Report noted.

Pereira then agreed to defend his title against a former champion so that UFC 303 could have a worthy main event.

He took the fight two months after his last title defence, where he defeated Jamahal Hill.

Poatan’s bout against Hill came five months after his first bout against Prochazka for the title.

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His insane knockout power

Pereira doesn’t get paid by the hour.

Apart from his two battles with Israel Adesanya, Poatan has finished off his opponents quickly.

In his last three fights, the Brazilian has not gone past round two, knocking out his opponents in devastating fashion.

His nickname, which means Stone Hands, further illustrates how powerful he is. His highlight reel of finishes also proves that he doesn’t just have power in his hands alone.

He beat Israel Adesanya

The Last Stylebender was one of the most dominant champions in Middleweight history.

As noted by Sportskeeda, the Nigerian-born Kiwi held the title for 1134 days before Pereira knocked him out. The duo were rivals in kickboxing, and many were eager to see them face off in the UFC as well.

The first fight, therefore, did not disappoint.

While Izzy did avenge the loss in a rematch, losing his legendary streak to a fierce rival will not be forgotten.

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His quest for history

Pereira conquered the Middleweight division before moving up to Light Heavyweight and dominating the landscape there.

He has now set his sights on the heavyweight division, saying he would happily step up if the UFC asked him to.

Jon Jones is currently the champion, but he’s out injured. Tom Aspinall is the interim champion and will defend his title against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304.

While the winner of Aspinall and Blaydes will face Jones for the undisputed title, many would prefer to see Poatan face bones. Winning the heavyweight title would make him the first man in history to win titles in three different divisions.

Adesanya teases third fight with Pereira

Sports Brief previously reported how Adesanya teased returning to the Octagon to take on Pereira.

The pair met twice in the Octagon before, and both claimed knockout victories over the other.

Adesanya teased his return after taking a break from the sport following his loss to Sean Strickland.