Smiley Pereira Melts Twitter With English Promo

Will the real Alex Pereira please stand up?

“Poatan” set Twitter ablaze earlier this week by delivering a soft-spoken promo for UFC 287, which stood in stark contrast to the mystique of an ice-cold middleweight killer who snacks on the souls of fallen foes.

“Hi guys, the time has come,” Pereira said. “I have my first title defense on Saturday in Miami against Israel Adesanya, don’t miss it. Get your pay-per-view for UFC 287. I promise you a hell of a fight. Chama!”

UFC fans were quick to applaud the “wholesome” Pereira for his delivery, while also wondering why fellow Brazilian champions — like former 155-pound titleholder Charles Oliveira — were not making a similar effort.

Other fans speculated this video was the work of AI or deepfake technology, which seems plausible, but we also have this video of “Poatan” signing his UFC contract complete with an English greeting for his stateside fans.

Pereira battles longtime nemesis and former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya atop the UFC 287 pay-per-view (PPV) this Sat. night (April 8, 2023) inside Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, Fla., which could send “The Last Stylebender” to the back of the 185-pound line.

Or set up a rubber match, depending on the outcome.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 287 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 287: “Pereira vs. Adesanya 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and revised UFC 287 fight card and ESPN+ PPV lineup click here.