The left hook runs in the Pereira family.
Aline Pereira, the sister of UFC light heavyweight champion and breakout star Alex Pereira, scored a KO with her brother’s signature punch on Friday night in her Karate Combat victory.
Even crazier, Aline’s win came in Salt Lake City, Utah, the same city where Alex had just successfully defended his championship in a war against Khalil Rountree almost a week ago. Aline torched Dee Begley with the punch in the first round of their preliminary contest on Karate Combat 50.
Alex was present at the fight and there to congratulate his sister after the win. Here is a look at the KO.
The victory for Aline seemed especially sweet, considering she and Begley had a very heated faceoff on Thursday. Aline was angry with Begley for missing weight by a whopping four pounds.
The former decided to continue with the fight, and she proved that the extra size didn’t matter.
For years, Alex has destroyed competitors with his vicious left hook. Most recently, he knocked out Jamahal Hill in the first round of their bout at UFC 300.
Aline’s stature and form are similar to her brother’s. Immediately, fans will wonder when or if the UFC will look to sign Aline.
There’s an obvious story there because of her brother’s fame. However, Aline competed as a mixed martial artist and has compiled a 1-2 record. All of her MMA fights have gone to a decision.
I’d be surprised if the UFC awarded her an opportunity solely because of her win on Friday or because Poatan is her brother. The more likely scenario is for her to get a shot on Dana White’s Contender Series in Season 9, where she would have a chance to impress the boss and the promotion’s matchmakers.
Other UFC News
On Saturday, the UFC heads back to the Apex for a Fight Night event with a significant main event. No. 1 men’s flyweight contender Brandon Royval will try to protect his spot against No. 5, Tatsuro Taira.
The Japanese star has skyrocketed in the flyweight rankings, and he could lock up a title shot with a win. Even more intriguing, there is a chance the UFC could attempt to secure a date in Japan for Taira.
A lot is riding on Saturday’s main event. Here is a look at the complete card for Saturday’s card.
- Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira
- Co-Main Brad Tavares vs. JunYong Park
- Main Card – Chidi Njokuani vs. Jared Gooden
- Main Card – Grant Dawson vs. Rafa Garcia
- Main Card – Daniel Rodriguez vs. Alex Morono
- Main Card – Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Josh Fremd
- Undercard CJ Vergara vs. Ramazan Temirov
- Undercard Jonathan Pearce vs. Pat Sabatini
- Undercard Themba Gorimbo vs. Niko Price
- Undercard Junior Tafa vs. Sean Sharaf
- Undercard Julia Polastri vs. Cory McKenna
- Undercard Dan Argueta vs. Cody Haddon
- Undercard Clayton Carpenter vs. Lucas Rocha
Stay tuned for coverage following the event, including bonus winners and standout performers.
