“Poatan” ain’t going nowhere …
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira, returns to action in a few months, taking on three-time Heavyweight title challenger, Ciryl Gane, for the interim Heavyweight title in the co-main event of the historic UFC White House card on Sun., June 14, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Before the two-division champion — and potential first-ever, three-division champion in UFC history — steps into the Octagon, Pereira will do so under a brand-new contract.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani today, “Poatan” revealed that he has inked a new eight-fight deal with the promotion, which could very well keep him inside UFC’s Octagon for the remainder of his professional career
“It was a pretty easy choice when I expressed I wanted to go Heavyweight,” Pereira said when asked about giving up his 205-pound title. “Of course, I had to let go of the belt, but they gave me a new contract and I’m really, really happy with my new contract.
“I want to thank Mick [Maynard], Hunter [Campbell] and Dana White,” he added. “With this new deal, I don’t care about letting go of the belt. They took really good care of me…. The way they gave me this last contract was so good that I left it open for them to do whatever they wanted — it didn’t matter.”
Pereira added that the new agreement will likely be the final contract of his combat sports career.
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With “Poatan” now locked into another long-term deal, it all but guarantees that he won’t compete for another promotion anytime soon. Even if Pereira were to retire early — say after another four fights — the contract would prevent him from un-retiring to compete elsewhere, whether that be for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) or in a potential mega-fight against Francis Ngannou outside UFC.
That said, Pereira likely won’t need to explore outside opportunities, anyway. The Brazilian superstar has already made significant money during his short (but iconic) UFC run, and this new deal will almost certainly place him among the highest-paid fighters on the roster.
Pereira is coming off a knockout victory over Magomed Ankalaev back in Oct. 2025, reclaiming the Light Heavyweight title — a belt he is expected to vacate once UFC 327 takes place next month.