Alex Pereira is the new UFC middleweight champion. He has only had four fights in the promotion, but has never lost and has already taken the championship from Israel Adesanya.

And now he has brought the belt to his native Brazil. Check out the color:

Pereira has roots in the Pataxo tribe (population about 12,000) of Bahia State. It was persecuted in the mid-twentieth century and integrated into the general population. The tribe spoke an extinct Pataxo language – it has been replaced by Portuguese, although some words have survived.

When Pereira first came to the kickboxing gym, he learned that his first teacher was of the same origin: “That same day I went home and asked my mother. She said my grandparents were indigenous. That made me feel confident. We wanted to revive my ancestry and indigenous culture.”

Pereira then immersed himself in researching his family tree: “There’s nothing Brazilian-European or Brazilian-African about me. Both of my parents are descended from tribes that lived on this land before outsiders came to it. It just so happened that when I got to the kickboxing gym, there were only guys like that – pure-blooded Brazilians.”

Pereira values ancestry and cares about preserving cultural identity. For example, he knows how to shoot an arrow, a traditional tribal skill. It has become a signature gesture before fights: “I did the ritual with the bow and arrow. An episode of local music followed. That’s how it all started.”

Now Pereira even sparring with the natives:

Pereira’s nickname is “Poatan,” which translates to “stone hand” and refers to archery. He uses the national image in press conferences, as he did before the fight against Adesanya: a painted torso, a special headdress and attributes around his neck.

In adulthood, a turn to his roots helped Pereira defeat his alcohol addiction and rebuilt his life values. During the coronavirus pandemic, he traveled from São Paulo to Porto Seguro to help the locals with food:

“I want to make a name for myself and use it in the future to help indigenous people. With the non-profit goal of taking advantage of the media platform that the UFC gives me. Because of that, I have the potential to really help indigenous peoples.”