Pereira Starts 2026 With Gift For His Father

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This emotional family moment follows a career-defining 2025. After a setback in March where he lost his title to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, Pereira stormed back at UFC 320 in October. He reclaimed the 205-pound throne with a 80-second TKO victory, avenging the only light heavyweight loss of his career.

As Pereira enters 2026, his life outside the Octagon is as active as his career inside it: On New Year’s Eve, Pereira and UFC flyweight Tracy Cortez officially confirmed their relationship. Alex’s sons, Alessandro and Lohan, both secured victories at a Reality Fighting grappling event on January 3, 2026.

Pereira’s Future

Having cleared out much of the 205-pound division, Pereira is now eyeing a move to heavyweight to become the first three-division champion in UFC history. While he initially pushed for a showdown with Jon Jones at a proposed White House event in June, he recently hinted that those plans are a “no go,” potentially clearing the way for a clash with Ciryl Gane for an interim belt while the champion Tom Aspinall recovers from eye surgery. Joe Rogan has suggested that Pereira vs. Gane could happen next.

“There’s a lot of chatter about him fighting in the heavyweight division now. There’s a lot of chatter about him perhaps even fighting Ciryl Gane. I don’t know how much is true, I haven’t talked to Dana (White) about it. But it’s not an illogical move. He’s 240 pounds right now, 240 plus. Make no mistake about it, that guy can knock out heavyweights. No doubt about it. He hits harder than anyone they’ve ever recorded,” Rogan said