Figuring Out That Pereira Power
So, I’ve been watching a lot of Alex Pereira lately. You know, “Poatan”. The guy hits like a truck, right? Especially that left hook. They call it “Chama,” the flame. And honestly, I got kinda obsessed trying to figure out how he does it. Not like I’m gonna start fighting or anything, I’m just curious, you know? Sitting on my couch, mostly.
First thing I did, naturally, was watch hours of his fights. UFC stuff, kickboxing stuff. Over and over. Paused it a lot. Looked real close at his feet, his hips, everything when he throws that left. It looks so simple sometimes, almost lazy, then BAM. Guy’s on the floor.
My process went something like this:
- Step 1: Binge-watch Pereira highlights. Like, way too many times. Especially the Adesanya knockouts.
- Step 2: Try to mimic the movement. Yeah, in my living room. Just standing there, trying to copy the hip rotation, the shoulder turn. Felt pretty stupid, gotta admit. Almost knocked over a lamp once.
- Step 3: Read what other people said. Went down rabbit holes online, forums, comments sections. Everyone’s got a theory. Technique, timing, genetics, “native power”… who knows.
- Step 4: Watched some breakdown videos. You know, those channels where guys analyze fighting techniques. Some were helpful, pointed out stuff about his base, how he transfers weight. Some were just guessing, felt like.
What I started noticing wasn’t just the hook, though. It’s his calmness. That stone face thing he does. He just walks forward, eats shots sometimes, doesn’t even blink. Then he throws. It’s like he stores it all up.
I remember trying to apply that kind of calm focus once. Had this super annoying presentation at work I was dreading. Kept thinking about Pereira just walking forward, taking the pressure. So I tried to just breathe, stay calm, block out the noise in my head. Didn’t throw any left hooks, obviously, but I got through it without messing up too bad. Felt kinda good, actually. Less panic.
So, did I figure out the secret to the “Chama”? Nah, not really. I’m just some guy watching videos. But it was interesting trying to break it down. It’s more than just swinging your arm. There’s the setup, the timing, the way he carries himself. It’s the whole package.
Honestly, after all that watching and thinking, I mostly just ended up with a bigger appreciation for the guy. It’s one thing to see it, another thing entirely to understand it, and a whole different universe to actually do it. So yeah, that was my little project. Still can’t hit like him, surprise surprise. But it was fun trying to peek behind the curtain, even just from my sofa.
