Alex Pereira, the former UFC middleweight champion, had an accomplished kickboxing career with Glory Kickboxing, where he had a notable rivalry with fellow former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
Now, a week before his light heavyweight title fight against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295, the news of “Poatan’s” induction into the Glory Kickboxing Hall of Fame has come to light. At Glory, Pereira was the first and only simultaneous two-division champion.
Alex Pereira becomes third fighter to be inducted into GLORY Kickboxing Hall of Fame
Glory is the premier kickboxing promotion in the world. Founded in 2012, Glory quickly rose as a prominent kickboxing promotion with the decline of K-1. Over the years, Glory has signed almost all the elite kickboxers worldwide.
Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira are the popular fighters in the UFC who made their name with Glory. Currently, Glory has acclaimed fighters like Rico Verhoeven, Donegi Abena, Donovan Wisse, Endy Semeleer, Tyjani Beztati, and Petchpanomrung Kiatmookao.
Moreover, the Glory Hall of Fame was established in 2021. Every year from 2021 on, one inductee is selected who passes the three prerequisite conditions set by Glory. Firstly, they must be former GLORY fighters or retired from GLORY. Secondly, they should be accomplished sportsmen in GLORY and thirdly, they should have elevated the art of kickboxing. As of now, there have been three inductees in the GLORY Hall of Fame.
Alex Pereira will be inducted into the GLORY Kickboxing Hall of Fame đź‘Ź
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 4, 2023
He had a record of 33-7 with 21 KOs and was a two-division champion at middleweight and light heavyweight.
(📸 @GLORY_WS) pic.twitter.com/P59ec0S5Sj
In 2023, the Hall of Fame welcomes Alex Pereira, the former UFC middleweight champion who simultaneously held the GLORY middleweight and light heavyweight titles. Joseph Valtellini, the former GLORY welterweight champion, was the first to be inducted in 2021, while in 2022, Semmy Schilt, the former K-1 and GLORY heavyweight champion, was also inducted.
Alex Pereira vs Jiri Prochazka title bout preview
The news of Alex Pereira’s announcement in the GLORY Hall of Fame coincides with the fight week of UFC 295, where Pereira would be headlining the PPV event in MSG against Jiri Prochazka for the light heavyweight title. Pereira would be looking to become a two-division champion in the UFC at Madison Square Garden.
Pereira, who first became the middleweight champion of the UFC by defeating Israel Adesanya at UFC 281, lost the title in the immediate rematch at UFC 287. “Poatan” has only fought six times in the UFC and has the opportunity to set a record if he wins at UFC 295. That would make him the fighter with the fewest fights taken to become a double champion for the UFC. His most recent win was at UFC 291 against Jan Blachowicz.
Jiri Prochazka, on the other hand, was the undisputed light heavyweight champion before he vacated the title to recover from a shoulder injury. Interestingly, Prochazka won the title from Alex Pereira’s head coach, Glover Teixeira at UFC 275 in Singapore. Teixeira would be in the corner of Pereira at UFC 295. Prochazka’s other two victories over former title challengers Volkan Oezdemir and Dominick Reyes.
Prochazka has only fought three times in the UFC, and he became the champion in his third fight. He has finished all of his three fights and won 4 post-fight bonuses from it. Moreover, his fight with Teixeira was adjudged the fight of the year in 2022 by the UFC, ESPN, and other major MMA media.
Will Alex Pereira become a two-division champion in two different sports at UFC 295? Leave your comment below!
