Dana White's $40 Million Boxing Paydays Don't Tempt Alex Pereira, and Here's Why
Despite the massive multi-million-dollar payouts tempting fighters toward boxing, Alex Pereira remains perfectly content with his UFC contract.
Dana White and the UFC have faced backlash over their payout structure for a long time, with many current and former fighters publicly claiming their paychecks are insufficient. Most recently, Sean Strickland took his feud with the promotion over fighter pay to another level, potentially straining the middleweight division's future landscape.
However, White's Zuffa Boxing venture is quite different, putting TKO's massive checkbook on full display. Boxer Shakur Stevenson, who recently left the organization, was reportedly offered a lucrative $7 million deal to fight Jose Valenzuela, though he demanded a much higher $15 million guarantee per fight.
While everyone from Strickland to other prominent MMA stars campaigns against the UFC's current revenue split, Alex Pereira stands out as one of the promotion's biggest draws who has refused to complain about his paycheck.
Alex Pereira Says Zuffa Boxing's Big Money Does Not Bother Him
Popular MMA journalist Ariel Helwani recently asked “Poatan" whether he feels underpaid next to what TKO spends on boxers. Pereira, speaking through a translator, said he is content and used a hypothetical $40 million boxing purse as his example.
"I am happy," Pereira said. "No problem. Boxing, go box for like, make another 40 million or whatever, but for what?"
Helwani then asked about his career earnings satisfaction, with the former two-division UFC champion offering a positive response. “I think we have… we did a good plan and did a good work,” Pereira stated.
He signed a new eight-fight UFC deal in March that eased his decision to vacate the light heavyweight title. While he never shared the exact figures of the agreement publicly, his heavyweight journey got off to a rough start. Following his second-round TKO loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250, he currently has seven fights remaining on this contract.
Just to recap, during an appearance on the Connect Cast podcast in late 2025, "Poatan" made it clear that a transition to the boxing ring was inevitable for him.
“I am definitely going to box,” Pereira stated at the time, per Sports Illustrated. “It's not about aiming for more money. I like a challenge. I want to be the best.”
However, his contractual obligations and the reality of his age have caught up to that ambition. When asked about his boxing aspirations again in London ahead of a Misfits Boxing event, Pereira highlighted how his long-term commitments lock him into mixed martial arts. “Well, with seven fights left in my UFC contract, I'm 39; it's kind of impossible,” Pereira stated through his translator.
Right now, he is focused entirely on the cage. Pereira faces No. 3-ranked heavyweight Sergei Pavlovich in a five-round co-main event at UFC 335 on Dec. 12 at the T-Mobile Arena. A victory could immediately put him in line to face the winner of the upcoming UFC 334 title clash between Gane and Josh Hokit. If Gane retains his belt and Pereira secures his win, a highly anticipated championship rematch between the two will be easy to book for early 2027.
