PFL Signs Fighter Who Choked Out UFC Champion Alex Pereira

To this day, only one fighter in mixed martial arts (MMA) has the distinction of holding a victory over the seemingly-unstoppable UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira.

That man is none other than a Sao Paulo, Brazil native in the form of Quemuel Ottoni.

Back in 2015, Ottoni welcomed Pereira to MMA by submitting him via rear-naked choke in the third round of their bout at Jungle Fight 82.

At the time, Pereira was crossing over from kickboxing to MMA for the first time.

Since then, Pereira has reached the pinnacle of the sport after dethroning Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight championship at UFC 281 back in November, while Ottoni continued to compete in smaller regional promotions.

Now, Ottoni gets a chance to become a world champion as well, after signing with the Professional Fighters League (PFL).

A talented welterweight with a professional record of 12 wins and 3 losses, Ottoni has recorded eight wins by knockout and three by submission.

He joins PFL riding a 12-fight winning streak, a stretch that saw him captur the vacant Jungle Fight welterweight championship back in May.

The 30-year-old is expected to be part of PFL's 2023 regular season roster and should be an exciting test for the league's 170-pound contenders.

Joining Ottoni will be two more MMA champions in fellow Brazilian Manoel "Manumito" Sousa and Russian Rizvan Kuniev.

An undefeated lightweight out of Ceara, Fortaleza, Sousa comes in with an unblemished 9-0 professional record, with all of his wins coming by way of stoppage—six knockouts and three submissions.

The 25-year-old has plied his trade in smaller regional promotions such as Cage Fury Fighting Championships and Standout Fighting Tournament, where he captured the promotion's available lightweight title back in July of 2021.

Kuniev, meanwhile, comes in with a 12-2-1 professional record, with eight of those wins coming by way of stoppage—including five knockouts and three submissions.

This past March, Kuniev choked out UFC veteran Anthony Hamilton to capture the Eagle FC heavyweight championship.

Kuniev is riding an impressive 10-fight winning streak into the PFL's heavyweight division.

PFL continues to bolster its roster for the upcoming 2023 season.

The league has already brought in big-name signings such as Shane Burgos, Aspen Ladd, Thiago Santos and Marlon Moraes, all of whom are expected to compete in its 2023 regular season.