Copyright Essentially Sports
Fresh off avenging his loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320, Alex Pereira has swapped the Octagon for the open road. This time, not in pursuit of glory, but nostalgia. The 38-year-old champion returned to his roots in São Paulo, Brazil, joined by his longtime coach Plinio Cruz and Nina Drama, better known as Nina Marie Daniele. His mission? To show her where ‘Poatan’ was once just Alex, the tire shop worker with big dreams. At the humble garage where he once earned his living, Pereira rolled up his sleeves and showed Daniele how he used to change tires. But it wouldn’t be a ‘Poatan’ visit without a bit of mischief. Mid-demonstration, he playfully sprayed her with water from a tire. Their day didn’t end there. At the Poatan Institute, Daniele turned the tables, trying to teach the champ a few English phrases. Somehow, the lesson ended with her jokingly demanding a Rolex after he “almost blinded her” during the prank. Little did she know, Pereira would actually deliver. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Dinner with Alex Pereira racks up $120K bill After his nostalgic trip to Brazil, UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira jetted off to Milan for a well-earned vacation—though this one came with a touch of business. Pereira’s main reason for visiting Italy was a collaboration with Aviator, the hit online crash game developed by SPRIBE, an official partner of both the UFC and AC Milan. Teaming up with fellow UFC fighter Diego Lopes, Pereira posed with his championship belt for a series of promotional shoots to hype the brand. Some time later, Poatan sat down for dinner with Nina Daniele and his team when SPRIBE founder David Natro dropped by with a surprise. And, true to Pereira’s playful spirit, the moment came with a bit of mischief. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Natro presented him with a Jacob & Co. Epic X Bridges Rose Gold watch—complete with a bold green strap and a price tag of $80,300—before teasing Daniele by handing her the empty box. But Natro hadn’t forgotten Daniele’s earlier ‘Rolex request’ from Brazil. To her shock, he pulled out a Rolex Lady-Datejust 279175-0017 Mother-of-Pearl Dial President Everose Gold, worth a cool $40,000, and presented it to her. Daniele later shared a clip of the dinner on Instagram, writing, “This surprise was CHAMA! Thank you @aviator.spribe @spribe.co @davidnatro1 @tsutskiridzeg for the amazing surprise.” The post quickly caught Merab Dvalishvili’s eye, who couldn’t resist jumping into the comments. “Nice gifts and congrats guys! But my car is better lol.” Daniele playfully replied, “You deserve it Champ.” Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports While Pereira missed out on the Rolex this time, he’s hardly short on shine—he got his own not too long ago. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Pereira added $16,000+ Rolex to his collection Back in March 2025, the Brazilian fighter was seen purchasing a Rolex Submariner Date in the striking green ceramic variant, valued at over $16,000. The purchase was made from Moses, a well-known New York-based jeweler who caters to several celebrity clients and has become a trusted name for ‘Poatan.’ This isn’t Pereira’s first purchase from Moses, though. He previously bought a Richard Mille watch from the same jeweler, which stirred quite a buzz among fans. Pereira’s lavish lifestyle today is a testament to his remarkable journey—from working in a tire shop to becoming one of the most dominant and marketable names in combat sports. It appears Alex Pereira ended up fulfilling his promise to Nina Marie Daniele, even though he might not have bought the watch himself. What did you think about the watches?
