Pereira receives the Forrest Griffin Award and moves fans with a message online
Alex Pereira was announced as the winner of the UFC’s Forrest Griffin Community Award in 2026, one of the most respected honours outside the octagon. The Brazilian did not stay silent: he shared a message full of emotion, thanking everyone who accompanied him throughout the journey and saying the recognition reflects the values that have always guided his life.
What the award is and why Poatan deserves it
The Forrest Griffin Award exists to highlight fighters who leave a real mark outside the cage – through social action, volunteer work and impact on communities. It is not a trophy for athletic performance. It is about what the athlete does when the broadcast cameras are off.
In Pereira’s case, the concrete work comes through the Poatan Institute, the non-profit organisation he founded in 2024. The programme serves more than 500 children and teenagers in Brazil with free tutoring, computer training and jiu-jitsu classes. The proposal is clear: to give real tools to young people who, without this structure, would have few alternatives.
Along with the award, the UFC Foundation will make a donation of US$25,000 to a charity chosen by the fighter himself.
The message that stopped social media
After the announcement, the former two-weight champion published a statement on social media that quickly circulated among fans and MMA figures. He said that being on the list of the award’s winners is one of the most striking moments of his career – not for the spotlight, but for the meaning. According to the Brazilian, the honour belongs to everyone who stood by his side: coaches, teammates, volunteers and anonymous supporters. “Each one of them is part of this,” he stated.
Pereira also emphasised that he has always believed in the power of martial arts as a tool for social transformation – and that this achievement shows the effort made a difference. Dana White endorsed the recognition, publicly praising the athlete’s commitment to causes that go beyond competition.
A weighty list – and what comes next
In receiving the award, Pereira joins a select group: Dustin Poirier, Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush were also honoured in previous editions. All known not just for what they do inside the cage, but for what they build outside it.
On the sporting front, the scenario is one of rebuilding. In June, at the event held at the White House – called UFC Freedom 250 – Pereira tried to win the interim heavyweight belt, which would have made him the first three-division champion in UFC history. But Ciryl Gane stopped him and took the decision. The defeat was hard. Even so, the Brazilian signalled he will not back down: the heavyweight division remains his target, and a new shot at the belt is a matter of time.
