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"Whatever he hits, he destroys." This famous quote was used in 'Rocky IV' to refer to Ivan Drago, but it could equally describe current UFC light-heavyweight champ Alex Pereira.
Since debuting in the octagon in 2021, Alex Pereira has won six bouts via knockout, dispatching all but two of his foes and winning two UFC titles in the process.
But which of the Brazilian's knockouts stands out the most? 'Poatan' is a knockout artist like few others, but it's clear some of his finishes are better than others.
Here, then, are all six of Alex Pereira's knockouts in the UFC - ranked.
#6. Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka - UFC 295
The majority of Alex Pereira's knockouts inside the UFC have been remarkably clean. While he does tend to follow up to finish his foes, most of them tend to be done in one big shot.
That wasn't the case when 'Poatan' finished Jiri Prochazka to become the light-heavyweight champion at UFC 295. The victory was a huge one for the Brazilian as it made him a double titleholder, but it actually didn't come without some controversy.
The second round of the clash saw Prochazka seemingly stun Pereira with a right hand before moving in for the kill. However, 'BJP' was far too open and essentially walked into a short right hand behind the ear that dropped him to his knees.
The Czech fighter was quick to dive for a takedown, only for Pereira to batter him with some elbows to the side of the head, causing him to fall to his back. Moments later, referee Marc Goddard stepped in.
While Prochazka didn't outright protest the stoppage, plenty of observers did, feeling it'd come slightly early without 'BJP' being given proper time to recover.
Realistically, it was a perfectly reasonable finish, but due to the slight controversy, it probably stands as Pereira's least impressive in the octagon to date.
#5. Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya - UFC 281
The fight that turned Alex Pereira into a true UFC superstar was his middleweight title clash with Israel Adesanya at UFC 281.
'Poatan' already held two wins over 'The Last Stylebender' in the kickboxing ring, but this was the octagon. Adesanya had held the middleweight title for three years, turning back the challenge of all comers, and had looked basically unstoppable at 185 pounds.
Early on, it looked like Adesanya would be able to gain his long-awaited revenge against his bitter rival. He hurt 'Poatan' badly in the first round and looked to be miles ahead of him on the scorecards going into the fifth and final stanza.
However, Pereira's vaunted power remained, and in that final round, he found an opening. After Adesanya stumbled following a checked low kick, 'Poatan' sensed his moment.
He closed in and unleashed hell in the form of a violent combination, backing Adesanya up into the fence and knocking him all over the place.
'The Last Stylebender' went down for a moment but bounced back up. Unfortunately, it still couldn't stop Pereira's onslaught, and with the champion wobbling, referee Marc Goddard stepped in to call the fight off.
While the finish was uncontroversial, and it remains one of Alex Pereira's signature wins, the fact that he never actually left Adesanya unconscious makes it hard to rank this one too highly.
Still, he remains the only man to finish 'The Last Stylebender' in the octagon, a huge feat in its own right.
#4. Alex Pereira vs. Andreas Michailidis - UFC 268
When Alex Pereira debuted in the octagon at UFC 268, he did so in a preliminary bout with the unheralded Andreas Michailidis.
With an MMA record of just 3-1, it was hard to know exactly what to expect from 'Poatan'. Sure, he held a stellar kickboxing record, but other legendary kickboxers had failed miserably in the octagon before.
Early on, it looked like Pereira would be joining those ranks. Michailidis was clearly wary of the Brazilian's vaunted striking and decided to attempt to grind him out in the clinch.
Remarkably, this approach worked well in the opening round. 'Poatan' was well and truly stifled. The Greek fighter's success didn't last much longer, though.
Just 18 seconds into the second round, Pereira unleashed an incredible flying knee that connected cleanly with Michailidis' jaw, knocking 'The Spartan' out instantly.
It was a scary finish that remains one of Alex Pereira's best from a visual standpoint. However, due to the unheralded nature of his opponent, it can't quite be considered any higher in this list.
#3. Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill - UFC 300
UFC 300 saw Alex Pereira put an end to any talk that he might not actually be the world's best light-heavyweight.
Faced with the man who never lost the UFC's 205-pound title in the octagon, Jamahal Hill, Pereira was essentially fighting in a unification match.
The fight was also personal to an extent, too. 'Sweet Dreams' had claimed his title by smacking around Pereira's coach and mentor, Glover Teixeira, and so 'Poatan' was out for some revenge.
Despite Hill's high-level striking game, it didn't take the Brazilian long to claim that vengeance, and he did it in terrifying fashion.
The fight hadn't really left the feeling-out period by the time that it was over. Hill connected briefly with a glancing low blow, forcing referee Herb Dean to step in for a second.
Pereira, though, waved him off - and then leveled 'Sweet Dreams' with a coffin-nail left hand that knocked him senseless. 'Poatan' followed up, but realistically, the fight was over the moment the punch landed.
The fight was a prime example of the terrifying power of Alex Pereira, who used his most favored weapon - the left hook - to devastating effect. For any other fighter, this one would probably be considered a career-best finish. 'Poatan', though, is not like any other fighter.
#2. Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka - UFC 303
Alex Pereira's most recent knockout, which came this weekend in the headliner of UFC 303, saw him settle his rivalry with Jiri Prochazka for good.
If the finish of their first bout had courted some controversy, the only controversial thing about this fight was whether it should've been called off at the end of the first round rather than in the second.
Unlike in their first bout, Prochazka basically had no success here. Instead, 'Poatan' softened him up with low kicks, shrugged off his attempts to clinch, and then, with a second to go in the first round, leveled him with his signature left hook.
'BJP' was essentially knocked out there, and referee Herb Dean could easily have called the fight off. However, he allowed the Czech fighter to continue, and it turned out to be to his detriment.
Just 13 seconds into the second round, Pereira unleashed a sickening head kick, knocking Prochazka silly - and even if he was needlessly forced to follow up, it was a phenomenal finish.
Add in the fact that 'Poatan' casually re-located his toe in the aftermath of the fight, and the knockout ought to be considered up there with the coldest in UFC history. Even for a killer like Alex Pereira, this one was incredible.
#1. Alex Pereira vs. Sean Strickland - UFC 276
Despite all of the accomplishments he's achieved since then, Alex Pereira's signature finish inside the UFC remains his clean knockout of Sean Strickland in the summer of 2022.
Not only did the finish net 'Poatan' his first title shot, a showdown for the middleweight crown against his old rival Israel Adesanya, but it was more special than that. Remarkably, it remains the one and only time Strickland has ever been finished at 185 pounds.
The fight actually didn't last that long, going just over the halfway mark of the first round. For all of his own vaunted striking skills, it never really looked like Strickland was comfortable.
Sure, he marched towards Pereira, but he didn't seem to be putting everything into his strikes, and more worryingly for him, his hands looked far too low.
It didn't take much for 'Poatan' to make him pay. As Strickland blocked a low kick after throwing a lazy jab, the Brazilian cracked him with his legendary left hook. That shot alone was probably enough to finish 'Tarzan', but Pereira added a right hand for good measure before he hit the ground, switching his lights off for good.
For once, the Brazilian did not need to follow up his work, as it was clear that Strickland was done, despite his protestations once he came around.
This fight, more than any other, proved that Alex Pereira was as deadly in MMA as he was in kickboxing. It didn't take him much longer to confirm that, too.
