Alex Poatan Signals His Main Goals in the UFC: 'One Step at a Time'

Alex Poatan entering the octagon. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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Alex Poatan insists he still has the willpower to make history in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The former middleweight (up to 83,9 kg) and light heavyweight (up to 93 kg) champion came close to winning a third belt, but was ultimately knocked out by Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC Casa Branca , held on June 14th. Despite the setback, the fighter remains focused and motivated towards his goals.

In a Q&A session with fans, Poatan emphasized that he approaches his career gradually, prioritizing well-defined goals. According to the Brazilian, his first objective was to win the middleweight title and then repeat the feat in the light heavyweight division, both of which he has already achieved. Now, he remains determined to move forward and seek to become number one in the heavyweight division (up to 120,2 kg) as well.

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“I take everything one step at a time. My first goal was to get the middleweight belt. I achieved that, I won the belt, then I moved up a weight class and won that belt again. I tried to get a third belt, it didn't work out, but I'm very motivated and have a lot of willpower to continue,” said Alex Poatan .

At the same meeting, Poatan also addressed his future within the organization. The fighter revealed that he doesn't yet have a defined opponent and intends to discuss the next steps directly with the UFC. Regardless of who is chosen, he guaranteed he is ready to accept any challenge that arises.

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“I don’t have an opponent yet. I need to sit down with the organization and talk about it. Whoever they put in front of me, I’m going to fight,” the Brazilian concluded.

Relive Poatan's heavyweight debut.

Gane knocked out Poatan at UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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Alex Poatan 's first experience in the heavyweight division took place at UFC Casa Branca on June 14, 2026. On that occasion, the Brazilian faced Ciryl Gane for the interim title in the category, but ended up being defeated by technical knockout in the second round, after a series of blows from the Frenchman.

Despite the negative result, Poatan showed confidence in adapting to the new weight and reinforced that the goal of winning a third title remains alive. Before moving up to heavyweight, the Brazilian built a historic career in the UFC, quickly winning the middleweight and light heavyweight titles, in addition to starring in great rivalries against names like Israel Adesanya and Jiri Prochazka.