UFC's Pereira and Cortez Announce Relationship

UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and flyweight contender Tracy Cortez announced their romantic relationship on social media as they rang in 2026 together in Brazil.

The couple, both prominent figures in mixed martial arts, shared photos and videos from New Year's Eve celebrations on their Instagram Stories. Pereira, 38, posted an image of himself standing behind Cortez, 32, with his arms around her waist as they wore matching sweaters amid backyard fireworks and sparklers. Cortez reciprocated with a photo of the pair kissing while holding sparklers in a festive setting. The Brazilian Pereira captioned his post in Portuguese, simply noting the new year. Their public reveal surprised many fans, who quickly flooded social media with reactions ranging from excitement to disbelief.

Pereira, known as "Poatan" for his devastating striking power, has solidified his status as a two-division champion after moving up from middleweight. In 2025, he experienced a roller-coaster year, starting with a unanimous decision loss to Magomed Ankalaev in March that cost him the light heavyweight title. He reclaimed it emphatically in October at UFC 320, knocking out Ankalaev just 120...