UFC 300 star Alex Pereira hails from ancient warrior tribe deep in Brazilian jungle and channels spirit of ancestors

ALEX PEREIRA hails from an ancient Brazilian warrior tribe on the brink of extinction.

And ‘Potan’ will call on the spirit of his warrior ancestors in his first defence of his light-heavyweight title this weekend at UFC 300.

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Alex Pereira became the fastest two-weight world champion in UFC history[/caption]

The two-weight champion is a descendant of the ancient Pataxo warrior tribe

‘Poatan’ took the middleweight title back to his tribe after beating Israel Adesanya in November 2021

Two-sport double champion Pereira is proud as punch of his roots

Pereira, 36, will defend his light-heavyweight crown against former champion Jamahal Hill in the historic card’s showpiece bout.

The proud Brazilian will have an entire nation cheering him to victory in his first outing as a two-division champion.

And he’ll also have the unwavering support of the indigenous Pataxo tribe, whom he proudly represents.

The state of Bahia is the original home of the indigenous tribe, which has close to 13,000 members.

Pereira shares the blood of Pataxo warriors of yesteryear thanks to his maternal grandparents.

And he pays homage to those warriors with an iconic pre-fight bow and arrow pose and release before doing battle inside the octagon.

“When I first started to train in kickboxing, my first teacher had indigenous roots,” Pereira said when recalling the origins of his pre-fight routine.

“I went home the same day and asked my mum. She said my grandparents were indigenous.

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“It made me feel more confident. We wanted to resurrect my origins and indigenous culture.

“I made a ritual with the bow and arrow. Then a sequence with the indigenous music and that’s how it started.”

MMA fans first became aware of Pereira’s warrior heritage before he knocked out long-time rival Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 to claim the middleweight title.

And the Pataxo pounder made the Reserva Porto do Boi one of his first ports of call in order for his fellow tribe members to see the belt.

Pereira wore the traditional garb and paint he proudly showcases at weigh-ins for his trip to the Reserva.

And he was proudly received by the Pataxo people, who celebrated his momentous achievement on Instagram.

They wrote on their official Instagram page: “When we’re grateful and happy for going through obstacles with wins it gives us many reasons to thank God at all times.

“What an honour to welcome this warrior in our reservation, a man that always represents our people.

“You’re always welcome to this sacred place.”

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Alex Pereira regularly dons traditional Pataxo headwear for UFC weigh-ins[/caption]

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The 36-year-old hopes to shine a light on the plight of the tribe[/caption]

Pereira admits he channels the energy of his warrior tribe before fights.

Speaking ahead of UFC 295 last November, he said: “For those who followed and saw me going there with the tribe and see the energy of those people, you know the warriors, this is something that symbolizes energy.

“So on weigh-in day, such a special day, I want to have that energy. So I’ll be taking the headdress.”

The Pataxo tribe have endured trials and tribulations over the last 200 years and have lost much of their traditional home.

And Pereira is hellbent on using his platform to shine a light on their plight and preserve their fast-disappearing way of life.

He said: “I want to build a reputation [for] myself and use it in the future to help the indigenous people.

“I have the opportunity to assist the indigenous people with that [UFC’s platform].”