Is Poatan a Jiu-Jitsu black belt? Alex Pereira’s promotion and his record on the ground
The former two-division UFC champion received his black belt from Plinio Cruz inside the Octagon in April 2024, after knocking out Jamahal Hill at UFC 300; in MMA, he has never won by submission
Yes. Alex “Poatan” Pereira has been a Jiu-Jitsu black belt since April 13, 2024. The promotion happened inside the Octagon in Las Vegas, right after he knocked out Jamahal Hill in the first round of the UFC 300 main event and kept the light heavyweight title.
The belt was tied around his waist by coach Plinio Cruz, the same man who had given him his brown belt.
From brown to black in a year and a half
| Belt | When | After which fight |
|---|---|---|
| Brown | November 2022 | Win over Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 |
| Black | April 13, 2024 | Win over Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 |
Both promotions came right after title fights. The brown belt arrived days after Pereira knocked out Israel Adesanya to win the UFC middleweight title in November 2022. The black belt came about a year and five months later, when he was already the light heavyweight champion.
Where Poatan trains
Born on July 7, 1987, in São Bernardo do Campo, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, Alex Pereira trains at Teixeira MMA & Fitness in Bethel, Connecticut. The gym belongs to Glover Teixeira, a former UFC light heavyweight champion and Jiu-Jitsu black belt, who is part of his coaching staff.
Poatan’s record on the ground
Pereira built his career on his feet. Before MMA, he was a two-division champion in Glory, the top kickboxing organization in the world. In MMA, his record as listed by the UFC in October 2026 is 13 wins and 4 losses. Of the wins, 11 came by knockout and two by decision. None came by submission.
The only submission loss of his career came in his professional debut. On October 24, 2015, at Jungle Fight 82 in Brazil, he was submitted by Quemuel Ottoni with a rear-naked choke in the third round. Nobody has submitted him since.
On his official athlete page, the UFC lists the anaconda choke as his favorite grappling technique.
His UFC titles
In the UFC, Pereira was middleweight champion from November 2022 to April 2023 and light heavyweight champion twice: from November 2023 to March 2025, and from October 2025 until he vacated the title in 2026. He made his heavyweight debut on June 14, 2026, at the event held at the White House, and lost by TKO to Ciryl Gane in a fight for the interim belt.
Where the nickname Poatan comes from
The nickname was given by his first kickboxing coach, Belocqua Wera, and has indigenous Brazilian roots. Pereira explained the meaning himself in an interview: “‘Poatan,’ it was my coach who gave me that nickname, it means ‘strong hand.’ That’s why I tattooed this stone on my hand.”
How a Jiu-Jitsu black belt works
The promotion is given by the coach, who evaluates the student. There is no requirement to compete in the gi to be promoted. Minimum age and time requirements at each belt apply to athletes registered with the federation.
Should an MMA fighter compete in the gi before getting a black belt? Leave your opinion in the comments.
