Alex Oliveira facts for kids

Alex Oliveira, born on February 21, 1988, is a professional mixed martial artist from Brazil. He is well-known for competing in the Welterweight division. Many people know him from his time fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). His nickname is "Cowboy."

About Alex Oliveira

Alex Oliveira grew up in Três Rios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Before he started training in martial arts, he worked in construction. He was also a bull rider, which is how he got his famous nickname, "Cowboy." He began training in Muay Thai, a type of martial art, for a few years. When he was 22, he switched to mixed martial arts. Alex has four sisters and ten children.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Alex Oliveira started his professional fighting career in December 2011. He competed in the welterweight division. Before joining the UFC, he had a strong record of 11 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw. He fought mostly in Brazil for regional events. After a big win against Joilton Santos, Oliveira signed with the UFC in early 2015.

Fighting in the UFC (2015-2022)

Alex Oliveira joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2015. He often stepped in to fight on short notice when other fighters couldn't.

Early UFC Fights (2015-2016)

His first UFC fight was in March 2015 against Gilbert Burns. Even though he fought well, he lost by submission in the third round. Just a few months later, he won his next two fights. He beat K.J. Noons by submission and then won against Joe Merritt by decision.

In November 2015, Oliveira fought Piotr Hallmann in a lightweight bout. He won this fight by knockout in the third round. This impressive win earned him his first "Performance of the Night" bonus award.

In 2016, Oliveira faced Donald Cerrone and lost by submission. However, he bounced back with two wins. He defeated James Moontasri by decision and then won against Will Brooks by knockout. His fight against Tim Means in December 2016 ended in a "No Contest" because of an accidental illegal move.

Later UFC Fights (2017-2022)

Oliveira had a rematch with Tim Means in March 2017 and won by submission. In July 2017, he knocked out Ryan LaFlare in the second round, earning another "Performance of the Night" bonus. He then had an exciting fight against Yancy Medeiros in December 2017, which he lost. But this fight was so good that it earned him his first "Fight of the Night" bonus.

In 2018, Oliveira continued to impress. He defeated Carlos Condit by submission, earning another "Performance of the Night" bonus. He also won against Carlo Pedersoli Jr. with a quick knockout in just 39 seconds. Later that year, he lost to Gunnar Nelson.

In 2019, Oliveira faced Mike Perry in a tough fight that he lost by decision. This fight was also awarded "Fight of the Night." He then lost to Nicolas Dalby.

In 2020, Oliveira won two fights by decision against Max Griffin and Peter Sobotta. He then lost to Shavkat Rakhmonov by submission. In 2021, he lost to Randy Brown and Niko Price. His last UFC fight was in March 2022 against Kevin Holland, which he lost. After this, his contract with the UFC ended.

After the UFC (2022-Present)

After leaving the UFC, Alex Oliveira continued to fight. In June 2022, he lost to Michel Silva. However, he quickly got a win against Helison Cruz. In December 2022, he won against Aslambek Arsamikov by TKO.

In 2023, he lost to Kiefer Crosbie but then won against Stefan Sekulić with a judo slam. His most recent fight was in July 2023, where he lost to Alexander Shlemenko.

Bare-Knuckle Boxing

Alex Oliveira also tried bare-knuckle boxing, which is fighting without gloves. He made his debut in this sport in September 2024 against Igor Ionov and lost by knockout.

Championships and Awards

Alex Oliveira has received several awards for his exciting fights:

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Performance of the Night (Three times) – for his fights against Piotr Hallmann, Ryan LaFlare, and Carlos Condit.
  • Fight of the Night (Two times) – for his fights against Yancy Medeiros and Mike Perry.
  • UFC.com Awards
    • 2015: Ranked #9 Newcomer of the Year
    • 2017: Ranked #3 Fight of the Year (for his fight against Yancy Medeiros)
• ESPN
  • 2017 Fight of the Year (for his fight against Yancy Medeiros)

Mixed Martial Arts Record Summary

See Also

In Spanish: Alex Oliveira (peleador) para niños

• List of male mixed martial artists