If Alex Pereira defeats Ciryl Gane on June 14 at UFC White House, he will become the first fighter in history to win three belts in different divisions in the world's largest MMA promotion. Before his UFC career, Pereira had already achieved double champion status in Glory Kickboxing in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions.
Most fans today associate Pereira with his current coaches, Glover Teixeira and Plinio Cruz, the latter even earning the title of coach of the year at the MMA Oscars in 2024. However, Pereira always acknowledges the crucial role of his first coach, Belocqua Wera, who played a significant part in molding him into the fighter he is today.
Wera, the former coach of the Brazilian Kickboxing team, recognized Pereira’s talent and baptized him with the name “Poatan.” In an exclusive interview with Sherdog.com, Wera recalled the day he first met the 21-year-old Pereira, who arrived at his gym with the goal of reaching the top.
Wera emphasized the importance of Pereira’s ancestral roots and the cultivation of a warrior spirit, which played a significant role in his transformation from a struggling alcoholic to a champion. “Given his condition as an alcoholic with no prospects, it was pointless for me to just teach him jabs and straight punches,” Wera said. “By reclaiming his ancestral roots, I managed to give him a strong mind, a warrior spirit, and a healthy, strong body.”
Wera is fully convinced that his pupil will win his third belt in the UFC and even anticipates that the title will come in the third or fourth round. He believes that if Pereira wins this third belt, he must be considered the greatest of all time (GOAT) in combat sports.
Wera would even bet on Pereira if he were to face Jon Jones or Khamzat Chimaev, though he acknowledges the latter’s formidable abilities. “That guy is tough,” Wera said of Chimaev. “He has a different look and usually finds the opponents' weaknesses.”