We’ve seen a lot of fighters over the years throw out some pretty questionable first pitches, but not our man “Poatan.”
Alex Pereira was on hand at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx yesterday (Tue. May 5th, 2026) to watch the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 7-4 in the first of a three game series. He was welcomed as a proper two division UFC champion should be — they gave him a Yankees jersey with the number 1 on the back and let him throw out the first ceremonial pitch.
And how did Pereira do? He
put the ball straight down the middle and over the plate. It was no heater, but it got exactly where it was supposed to go. Take a look.
Compare that to Conor McGregor’s infamous first pitch during a Cubs game, which went, er, slightly to the right.
Pereira was introduced as the ‘former’ two-division UFC champion which is technically true: he relinquished his light heavyweight belt to move up another division, where he’ll face Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight championship. A win over Gane at the UFC White House event on June 14th will make “Poatan” the first fighter to ever hold titles in three weight classes.
Add that to the list of impressive accomplishments alongside his impressive first pitch.
