Charles Oliveira and Alex Pereira Brazil's UFC Record Holders

Brazil closed the 2020s with two UFC record books that read like state property from São Paulo’s coast. Charles Oliveira holds the promotion’s all-time marks for submissions, finishes, and post-fight bonuses. Alex Pereira owns world titles in kickboxing, middleweight, and light heavyweight. He remains the only Brazilian to carry two Glory belts at once. No other nation pairs this level of grappling depth with single-shot knockout power from neighboring cities.

The Guarujá Grappler

Oliveira was born in Guarujá, São Paulo, on 17 October 1989. At age seven doctors diagnosed him with rheumatic fever. The illness weakened his ankles and left him with a pronounced limp. He started Brazilian jiu-jitsu at twelve as physical therapy. As a professional, he fights out of Chute Boxe and credits head coach Diego Lima with sharpening his aggressive, forward-moving attack. That black-belt grappling base produced the numbers that now sit at the top of UFC.com’s all-time lists.

On 15 May 2021 at UFC 262 inside the Toyota Center in Houston, Oliveira stopped Michael Chandler to claim the vacant UFC lightweight championship. He survived a first-round knockdown, absorbed heavy leather, then folded Chandler in the second with a left hook and follow-up punches against the fence. Seven months later, he defended the belt at UFC 269 inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. He locked a standing rear-naked choke on Dustin Poirier at 1:02 of round three on 11 December 2021, climbing his back before both men hit the mat.

The title disappeared before he ever lost it inside the cage. During the UFC 274 weigh-in on 7 May 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona, Oliveira registered 155.5 lb, half a pound above the lightweight limit. The UFC stripped him of the championship immediately. He became the first champion in promotion history to lose a belt exclusively for missing weight. He still entered the cage that night at Footprint Center and knocked out Justin Gaethje in the first round with a counter right hand, but left without gold.

UFC.com lists three all-time records for Oliveira as of 2026. He leads the promotion with 17 submissions. He leads with 21 finishes. He also leads with 21 post-fight bonuses, a total built from Performance of the Night, Fight of the Night, and Submission of the Night awards. On 7 March 2026 at UFC 326 inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, he added the BMF belt by knocking out Max Holloway. His professional record stands at 37-11.

The Kickboxer from São Bernardo do Campo

Pereira was born in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, on 7 July 1987. He carries Pataxó ancestry. Before combat sports, he worked in a tire shop and struggled with alcohol. He credits kickboxing with ending this habit. The sport provided discipline and a salary. By 2021, he had become the first fighter to hold two Glory kickboxing world titles simultaneously.

He earned the nickname Poatan from the Pataxó language. It translates roughly as stone hands, a reference to the impact he carries in both fists. Kickboxing audiences remember his two victories over Israel Adesanya in that sport. Pereira took a split decision in China in 2016 and won again by knockout in 2017. Those results set up the rivalry that would later define his mixed martial arts career.

His move to MMA preserved the kickboxing stance and the counter left hook while adding just enough grappling defense to keep the fight upright. The striking-first approach carried him to the UFC middleweight title at UFC 281 on 12 November 2022 inside Madison Square Garden in New York. A left hook in round five dropped Adesanya against the fence and ended the middleweight reign. Exactly one year later at UFC 295 on 11 November 2023 in the same venue, Pereira claimed the light heavyweight crown by knocking out Jiri Prochazka with elbows. Ankalaev beat him for the 205 lb belt in March 2025. Pereira won the rematch on 4 October 2025 at UFC 320 to start his second reign.

He vacated the light heavyweight title in April 2026 and moved up to heavyweight. His first appearance in the division came on 14 June 2026 at UFC Freedom 250 in Los Angeles. Ciryl Gane stopped him by TKO in round two after controlling the stand-up exchanges. Pereira’s professional record sits at 13-4.

Side by Side Records and Titles as of 2026

	Charles Oliveira	Alex Pereira
Birth date / place	17 Oct 1989, Guarujá, SP	7 July 1987, São Bernardo do Campo, SP
Professional record (UFC.com, 2026)	37-11	13-4
UFC titles held	Lightweight (2021-2022), BMF (2026)	Middleweight (2022), Light Heavyweight (2023-2025, 2025-2026)
Other major titles		Two Glory kickboxing belts simultaneously (2021)
UFC all-time records	Most submissions (17), most finishes (21), most bonuses (21)
Last UFC result as of 2026	BMF title win vs Max Holloway, UFC 326, 7 Mar 2026	Heavyweight debut loss vs Ciryl Gane, UFC Freedom 250, 14 Jun 2026
Key victories	Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway	Israel Adesanya, Jiri Prochazka, Magomed Ankalaev