The world of mixed martial arts (MMA) and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is filled with memorable events and personalities. Nearly every iconic moment in combat sports has featured the presence of a Buffer. From the early days of promotions like King of the Cage to the modern era of UFC, the sport has evolved significantly. Let's delve into some of these defining aspects.
Early Days of MMA: King of the Cage 7
Back in 2001, King of the Cage (KOTC) 7 showcased a 13-fight card that included several names relevant to the MMA world. With a heavyweight bout tying the February night together, it was the kind of card that can take a growing promotion to the next level. However, things didn't go as planned. Southern California or not, mother nature shows no mercy. Unfortunately for most on the card, this movie-quality disaster that was KOTC 7 was worst case scenario.
“It’s just an example of the early days of mixed martial arts and the sport as we all grew. It showed the danger of having shows outside when we don’t always know what the weather’s going to be like,” Buffer recalled. While the night did see one bout that has been subject to numerous fixed fight allegations when Rafiel Torre defeated Ioka Tianuu by way of kneebar, the card was full of up and coming talent looking for their big break. With only one KO on the card, there was virtually no standup game. If you came from a striking dominant camp you were out of luck.
Buffer recalls that unpleasant night clearly and remembers it differently than most people in attendance. “It was definitely an experience,” Buffer said. “Not just for me as an announcer but also for the fighters fighting. “It was the first-time experience for sure,” Buffer said.
Bruce Buffer: The Voice of the Octagon
The question is quite justified. In 2020, Bruce Buffer is arguably more famous than many of the fighters he has announced throughout his career and he has no plans of leaving mixed martial arts any time soon. “My job is not to reason why,” Buffer explained. “It’s like Rudyard Kipling said, ‘My job is to do or die.’ Or what I like to say is I’m a media mercenary when I work for the UFC or, in that case, the King of the Cage that night. People I work for point and I shoot. That’s my job. The show must always go on. It’s this mentality that has gotten “Buff” well over a decade’s worth of work to cement his place in combat sports’ history.
Bruce Buffer recalls the night of UFC 126 in this excerpt from his memoir "It's Time," available May 14. Not too long before he tied the record for most UFC light heavyweight title defenses, Jon Jones was just an excited young man in Las Vegas. As I was walking through the lobby of the Encore Hotel, I saw the fighter Jon “Bones” Jones trot in at a full clip, frantically looking around.“Hey, Jon,” I said. “What’s wrong? Did you lose something?”He explained that he needed to pay his cabdriver. “I don’t have any cash,” he said. “I’m looking for an ATM.”“Come with me, Jon,” I said, throwing my arm around him. We walked out into the cool night. The cab was parked in front, engine idling, the driver looking annoyed and impatient. I rapped on the window and peeled off a few bills. Sent the guy on his way. I turned to Jon and slipped a hundred-dollar bill in his front shirt pocket.“What’s this?” he said. “Thanks, Bruce, but I can’t take your money-”I turned and looked at the six-foot-four-inch man who, just tonight, had won the $75,000 Submission of the Night bonus after taking out Ryan Bader in the second round with a choke that resulted in a tapout. It was Bader’s first loss, and Jon was a rising star; in six weeks he would be challenging Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the light-heavyweight championship.
If he won, he’d be the youngest light-heavyweight champ in UFC history, only twenty-three years old. (News flash: He did.)“Look, Jon,” I said, “you just won a main card event. It’s a fight night, and there are fans all over the city. You are not to go walking around Vegas alone by yourself, without cash, without your crew, you hear me?”He nodded. “Yes, Bruce.”I love Vegas. Know it like the back of my hand. But I’ll be the first to say that you need to stay alert there, the way you would in any big city. Especially if you’re highly recognizable.
I know fighters well enough to know that they are often so exhilarated on a fight night that they can’t sleep. On that night, Jon’s victory over Bader was still so fresh he could taste it. All he wanted to do was have some fun until he worked off that high.Some people were coming up out of the lobby now. Some of them were my friends. “We’re heading out to another party,” I told Jon, waving over his shoulder to our limo driver. The sleek black ride pulled up. “Come out with us.”As the limo pulled away from the curb, I made a mental note to talk to Jon’s manager about this. But for now, the night was still young.
I’ve been telling people for a while that my young friend Jon “Bones” Jones is a new breed of fighter. He’s a whirling dervish in the Octagon, a spinning tornado of elbows, knees, and feet. He’s got the longest reach of anyone in the organization. A well-proportioned, wonderful freak of nature, as so many great athletes are.I started telling people that Jon would someday be the Muhammad Ali of the UFC, and critics knocked me for it, but I’ll stand by it. Ali in his prime had a devastating wit and was a master of psychological warfare, but he also charmed millions of people because he had what Jon has: charisma. Jon’s a gentleman outside of the Octagon, and a cyclone inside it.
His technique is indescribable, graceful, yet stylized. He pulls off moves that you only see in the movies. Actually, they’re better than the movies because he’s accomplishing real damage.Being in his early twenties, he’s still got some maturing to do, as both a man and a fighter. but he’s luckier than a lot of the fighters who came up in the UFC only a decade ago. First, he practices the sport in a whole new way. Second, he’s in the right place at the right time. The 2011 Fox deal propelled the sport to new heights and exposed it to millions of new fans. The UFC’s gone mainstream, and Jon’s in the perfect position to reap some of those benefits. Another thing Jon has in his corner is a loving family. His dad is a Pentecostal minister in upstate New York; Jon was a church choirboy while growing up in this deeply religious family. He was the middle child, and though he wasn’t exactly a shrimp, his older and younger brother were also tremendous athletes. Both played football at Syracuse. Arthur’s now a defensive end for the Baltimore Ravens; Chandler was selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft by the New England Patriots. So I don’t really see any weaknesses in Jon’s armor, save a hint of innocence.
That’s why the night I saw him alone in Vegas rubbed me the wrong way. People think I make too big a deal about fighters needing protection. Obviously, Jon can handle himself against anything life hurls his way, and his management team can’t be there to protect him all the time, but a champion has bigger things to do than look for an ATM machine or guard himself against drunk idiots.If you think I’m exaggerating, I should tell you that when the limo pulled up that night in front of the Encore, I got in first with my friends. Jon lingered on the sidewalk. “Jon,” I said, “come on. Get in.”He did. And the second Jon pulled the door shut-the very second-someone in the crowd outside the hotel threw a punch and knocked a guy to the ground exactly where Jon had been standing a few seconds ago.Jon looked at me, stunned.“We should go,” I told the driver, who hit the gas.
Life can change fast on fight night in Vegas. When the parties start winding down, drunk people suddenly find themselves bored and looking for something to do. You’ve got a lot of testosterone flowing. Someone mouths off, and boom, someone takes it in the jaw. If that’s going to happen, I’d rather it happen to someone else, not one of our guys. They don’t need that headache, and they don’t need that publicity.
Excerpt from "It's Time" by Bruce Buffer published on ufc.com with permission by Crown Archetype, an imprint of Random House.
Alex Pereira: From Kickboxing to UFC Champion
Alex Sandro Silva Pereira (born 7 July 1987) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former professional kickboxer. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current and two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and former UFC Middleweight Champion. He is the ninth fighter in UFC history to become champion in two different weight divisions and the first to become champion in both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions of the organization. In kickboxing, he is a former Glory middleweight and light heavyweight champion, and is the first and only fighter to have held Glory titles in two weight classes simultaneously.
Pereira also competed in promotions such as It's Showtime and Superkombat Fighting Championship in kickboxing, and for Jungle Fight and Legacy Fighting Alliance in MMA. Before becoming a prominent figure in kickboxing and mixed martial arts, Alex Pereira had a notable amateur boxing career in Brazil. In late 2013 he went back to the amateurs to participate in the W.A.K.O. World Championship '13 at -91 kg. He won in the quarter final and the semi final but came up short in the finals vs Sergej Maslobojev earning him a silver medal.
The Interview that turned an Alcoholic Kickboxer to UFC Double Champion: Alex Pereira Documentary
He was scheduled to fight a trilogy with César Almeida during WGP Kickboxing 25 for the vacant belt WGP Middleweight Championship. After four successful Glory middleweight title defenses (against Yousri Belgaroui twice, Simon Marcus and Jason Wilnis), Pereira moved up to fight Donegi Abena for the interim Glory Light Heavyweight Championship at Glory 68. After winning the Interim Light Heavyweight Championship, Pereira opted to defend his middleweight title against Ertugrul Bayrak at Glory Collision 2 on 21 December 2019. Pereira rematched Artem Vakhitov at Glory 78: Rotterdam in his first title defense. He lost the rematch by majority decision.
Transitioning from kickboxing, Pereira made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2015 at Jungle Fight 82 against Quemuel Ottoni, losing the fight via submission. He continued at Jungle Fight subsequently racking up two straight victories against Marcelo Cruz and Marcus Vinicius Silveira, with a KO and TKO respectively. On 3 September 2021, Pereira signed with the UFC. Pereira was often noted for his large frame for his weight class and ability to comfortably cut large amounts of weight. Pereira made his third title defense against Khalil Rountree Jr. Pereira’s fighting style is heavily rooted in his kickboxing background, especially from his time as a two-division champion in Glory.
Alex Pereira's Achievements and Legacy
Alex Pereira founded the "Instituto Poatan" in São Paulo, which offers free combat sports training, English lessons, and computer classes. During a September 2025 appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Pereira said “It has over 700 registered kids. We offer kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, computer and English classes for free.
Notable Achievements
- Won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
- Defended the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
- Won the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
- Won the UFC Middleweight Championship.
Awards and Nominations
- Performance of the Night (Six times)
- Fight of the Night (One time)
- 2021: Fan's Choice Debut of the Year Nominee
- 2022: Fan's Choice Comeback of the Year Nominee
- 2024: President's Choice Fight of the Year Nominee vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
- President's Choice Performance of the Year Nominee vs. Jiří Procházka 2
- Fan's Choice Knockout of the Year Nominee
- 2022: Ranked #2 Fighter of the Year
- Ranked #4 Upset of the Year vs. Israel Adesanya 1
- Ranked #6 Knockout of the Year
- 2024: Fighter of the Year (Tied with Ilia Topuria)
- Ranked #4 Knockout of the Year vs. Jamahal Hill
- Ranked #5 Knockout of the Year vs. Jiří Procházka 2
- Ranked #2 Fight of the Year
- 2022 July Knockout of the Month vs. Yahoo!
- 2024 #5 Ranked Fight of the Year vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
- 2017 Fight of the Year
- 2019 Knockout of the Year
Fight Records
| Event | Opponent |
|---|---|
| UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Ankalaev | |
| Pereira vs. Procházka | |
| Pereira vs. Hill | |
| Pereira vs. Adesanya | |
| Pereira vs. Strickland | |
| Pereira vs. Vakhitov |