Alex Pereira Honored With Forrest Griffin Community Award for Charity Work

The UFC has announced that Alex Pereira is the recipient of the 2026 Forrest Griffin Community Award. The honor recognizes athletes who make significant contributions to society through charity work, community service, and positive influence outside of professional competition.

The announcement was made during the UFC 327 broadcast on CBS. According to play-by-play announcer Jon Anik, Pereira is being recognized specifically for his dedication and the time he has invested in helping sick and underprivileged youth in his native Brazil.

The Forrest Griffin Community Award

Named after UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin, the award is presented annually to fighters who create a meaningful impact within their communities. The UFC cited Pereira’s achievements both inside the Octagon and his extensive community involvement as the primary reasons for the selection.

Pereira joins a list of previous recipients who have been honored for their philanthropic efforts, including:

• Charles Oliveira
• Dustin Poirier
• Max Holloway
• The Nogueira Brothers

Upcoming Honors and Competition

Pereira will officially receive the award during the UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony in July 2026. He will be honored alongside new Hall of Fame inductees Demetrious Mighty Mouse Johnson and Dominick Cruz. The ceremony will also recognize the UFC 248 bout between Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Weili Zhang.

This recognition comes as Pereira continues his athletic pursuits in the heavyweight division. He is scheduled to fight Ciryl Gane in June at UFC Freedom 250. The outcome of that bout will determine the interim UFC heavyweight champion.

Pereira enters this phase of his career following a successful tenure as a former UFC Middleweight and Light Heavyweight Champion, balancing his competitive dominance with the volunteer and charity work that led to this award.