Ultimate Fighting Championship great Alex
Pereira is the type of guy to give someone else a present on
his birthday.

Two weeks before her title defense at Karate Combat 62—scheduled
for July 24 in Miami against Juliana
Velasquez—Aline
Pereira was surprised by her brother, “Poatan,†with one of the
biggest gifts she has ever received. On his birthday of July 7, per
sources close to the situation, the current UFC heavyweight gave
his younger sister a house in Connecticut, near their training camp
of Teixeira MMA & Fitness.

Gifts that change a life

On a since-deleted Instagram Stories
post, the Karate Combat champ wrote, “There are gifts that change a
life. Today, you gave me one of them. Thank you, little brother,
for so much love and generosity. May God repay you twofold for
everything you do for me. Happy birthday! I love you.â€

The 35-year-old flyweight has bounced back and forth between
kickboxing, Karate Combat and MMA since debuting in the LFA in
2022. Her most recent appearance in any combat sport came in May
when she took home a decision over Jade
Masson-Wong at the inaugural MVP MMA event. That put her on the
first win streak of her career, although all of her professional
outings in MMA have heard the final bell.

As a Karate Combat participant, she first appeared in 2024 to knock
fellow MMA expat Dee Begley
out in the opening frame. She went on to stop Amanda
Torres early the next year, and in July 2025, captured its
first title by earning a decision over Fani
Peloumpi. This bout on July 24 at Karate Combat 62 is to be the
first defense of her 125-pound throne, and she will be facing
another ex-MMA fighter in Velasquez.

“Poatan†lost in his last UFC outing, appearing at the UFC White
House event in June and succumbing to strikes from Ciryl Gane
for the interim heavyweight belt. The former middleweight and light
heavyweight titlist attempted to become the first three-division
champion in company history, and since his defeat, has suggested he
plans on remaining at the highest weight category for at least one
more match.

UFC veteran Conor McGregor has laid down his official prediction for his UFC 329 main event against Max Holloway.

At UFC 329, Conor McGregor will attempt to roll back the years in his blockbuster welterweight main event against Max Holloway. It's been five years since we have seen him compete, and while we all know how dangerous he can be with his hands, Max has been incredibly active by comparison.

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One thing McGregor always liked to do back in his prime was make predictions under the ‘Mystic Mac' moniker. It didn't always pan out, but more often than not, he was able to shock the MMA community with the accuracy of his forecasts.

In yesterday's pre-fight press conference, McGregor made his prediction prior to a feisty face-off with Holloway.

McGregor shoots for ‘Mystic Mac' prediction

“Destruction. I'm going to destroy Max,†McGregor said. “I'm going to eliminate Max, the final opponent of mine still within the UFC ranks. All of my other opponents are gone. Max is the last one left, and on Saturday night, he gets eliminated for good.â€

Quotes via MMA Junkie

If Conor does indeed ‘destroy' Max Holloway tomorrow evening, then it will arguably be one of the biggest upsets of the year thus far. Some will point to the fact that it's taking place at welterweight, but either way, the headline will be that the Irishman has managed to make a successful comeback despite all of the naysayers saying he would be unable to do so.

Mystic Mac was a cute gimmick once upon a time, but now, McGregor really is facing a lot of pressure, knowing that an emphatic loss would likely serve as the end of the road for him in mixed martial arts.

What do you make of Conor McGregor's approach to his rematch against Max Holloway? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!

UFC star Conor McGregor has spoken about one of the most prevalent issues in the promotion these days – fighter pay.

This weekend at UFC 329, Conor McGregor will make his return to action when he collides with Max Holloway in a huge welterweight fight. It will serve as the first time he makes the walk to the cage in five years, and many fans have the same question: why?

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McGregor is easily the biggest star in the history of mixed martial arts and in addition to that, he has also earned more money than the majority of not only MMA fighters, but also combat sports athletes.

In a recent interview, McGregor spoke about the broader topic of fighter pay in the UFC, given the displeasure expressed by fans and some on the roster.

McGregor opens up on fighter pay

“I'll always campaign for the fighters getting their worth, and I'm very happy with it,†McGregor said during Wednesday's UFC 329 pre-fight news conference. “It's a steady rise. If you ask Max, I'm sure it's probably five times his highest pay. So the boys and the girls are getting there, and I will always campaign for that, and I'll always be happy that I have helped spearhead that.

“As an owner of Bareknuckle Fighting Championship, it kind of puts me in a pickle. I always vouch for the fighters, but I also have a stake in the company. So there has to be some sort of balance. But still, I am a fighter at heart, I know what it takes in this business, and I know without the fighters, there is none of this – not an iota of it. So I'm happy that the money is rising in the fight business, and that we're thriving, and I'm happy to be back, and give it that extra little fuel to its rocket, and off it goes.â€

Quotes via MMA Junkie

What do you make of Conor's remarks on this topic? Let us know in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!