When an Alex Pereira copycat imitated 'Poatan's' UFC walkout to the tee and got knocked out in the first round
Alex Pereira has become a viral MMA sensation, so much so that another fighter, Indonesia's Rakha Maulana Muhtadi, copied his signature walkout. However, Muhtadi has found little success in the sport. He did his best Pereira impression prior to his 143-pound catchweight debut at One Pride MMA Fight Night 81.
Not only did Muhtadi wear an Indigenous, feathered headdress, much like the one Pereira wears during his face-offs, but he also performed the signature walkout with his hands up, the bow-and-arrow motion, the three-punch combination, the scream, and even Pereira's walkout song.
Check out Rakha Maulana Muhtadi's mimicking Alex Pereira's UFC walkout:
Muhtadi's theatrics led to nothing. He was finished in round one for his troubles. He was mounted by his opponent, Ferdian Paleka, who slammed him with elbows from top position until Muhtadi tapped in submission to strikes. This is a far cry from Pereira's performances.
'Poatan', who currently reigns as the UFC light heavyweight champion, has defended his title three times, knocking out every opponent who challenged him for 205-pound supremacy. Furthermore, he is currently on a five-fight win streak, with his most recent win being over Khalil Rountree Jr.
The pair squared off at UFC 307, where Pereira weathered an early storm, during which Rountree's speed troubled him. However, as the fight slowed down and Pereira had made his reads, he took over, systematically taking his foe apart before TKO'ing him in round four after two brutal body shots and an uppercut.
Next, he will likely face Magomed Ankalaev, provided the Dagestani star beats Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 308.
Alex Pereira isn't the only UFC fighter to be imitated
While Alex Pereira has quickly risen in popularity due to how often he fights and his general style and stone-cold demeanor, other fighters have also been copied. Conor McGregor's signature strut, originally Vince McMahon's, has been copied by several athletes, including Oleksandr Usyk.
Regarding theatrics copied by other fighters, Israel Adesanya's bow-and-arrow celebration after knocking out 'Poatan' at UFC 287 was copied by David Onama after his knockout of Gabriel Santos at UFC on ABC 5.
Check out David Onama copying Israel Adesanya's celebration: