UFC Noche Crowd Pushed ‘Alex Pereira’s Sister’ Into War, but to No Avail

The UFC has officially launched the third edition of Noche UFC, its annual September showcase celebrating Mexican Independence Week. Already, fans are buzzing with energy at the Frost Bank Center in Texas, even as the boxing world focuses on the Canelo vs. Crawford clash happening the same night. Meanwhile, the UFC card is holding its own, headlined by a featherweight showdown between Diego Lopes and Jean Silva.

Before the main event, the prelims had already fired up the crowd. Following the early welterweight bouts, the spotlight shifted to the women’s bantamweight division, where Montserrat faced rising Brazilian star Alice Pereira. The ‘Golden Girl’ drew instant attention from the Brazilian circuit and wasted no time making history. At just 19 years, 8 months, and 24 days old, she became the youngest woman to step inside a UFC Octagon, breaking the previous record set in 2017 by South Korea’s Seo Hee Ham, who was 19 years, 9 months, and 13 days.

In addition, the hype around Alice Pereira isn’t just about her age. Many fans—and even the broadcast team—mistakenly identified her as the sister of former UFC champion Alex Pereira (her real sister is actually Aline Pereira). Commentator Dominick Cruz briefly made the same error live before quickly correcting himself, a moment captured by Adam Martin on X: “Dominick Cruz just said Alice Pereira’s brother is Alex Pereira… it’s not, and he quickly was corrected lol #NocheUFC”

During the early stages of the fight, Pereira’s aggressive style drew boos from the crowd. Despite the initial backlash, she remained composed and pressed forward, engaging her opponent in a relentless, foot-to-foot battle. In the end, however, Montserrat Rendon proved too much, securing a victory over the Brazilian via decision.

Heading into the bout, Alice Pereira was the clear favorite, buoyed by her youth and hype. Yet few expected the 36-year-old ‘Monster’s experience in the ring to neutralize the 21-year-old’s skills and raw energy, ultimately tipping the scales in her favor. The confusion about her being Alice Pereira’s sister, however, is not the first time this has happened.

Veterans see shades of the “brother” Alex Pereira in Alice Pereira before UFC Noche

Diving into the UFC scene, veterans Josh Thomson and John McCarthy recently stirred some buzz—and a hint of confusion—while discussing one of the most anticipated debuts on the UFC Noche card. The spotlight? Alice Pereira. With an undefeated 6-0 record, she’s poised to make history as the youngest female fighter ever to step inside a UFC Octagon.

During their YouTube show, Thomson and McCarthy froze at her last name. Could it really be true? Was she related to former two-weight champion Alex Pereira? Then, on the latest episode of the Weighing In podcast, Thomson flipped through the UFC Noche lineup and asked the question fans had been quietly wondering: “Is this [Alice Pereira] Alex Pereira’s sister?” McCarthy’s reply seemed to confirm the speculation: “I think so.”

From there, the conversation quickly moved beyond family ties. Instead, Thomson focused on the fight itself, eager to see how Pereira would handle her debut—and already spotting hints of Alex Pereira’s style. “I think it is, right? She’s 6-0. I believe it is [Alex’s sister] as well. She’s the second fight on the prelims. She’s a little bit like her brother. Got a little bit of power, a little bit of kickboxing. She’s not too bad.”

However, fast forward to today—following Alice Pereira’s debut at UFC Noche loss to a seasoned veteran—and it’s clear to both commentators and fans alike that the ‘Golden Girl’ is not, in fact, Alex Pereira’s sister.