Alex Pereira confirms relationship with UFC fighter Tracy Cortez in New Year post

Alex Pereira has confirmed his relationship with fellow UFC fighter Tracy Cortez after sharing a New Year’s Eve post on social media. The light heavyweight champion revealed the news by posting an image to his Instagram story showing the pair together as they welcomed in 2026.

The post, captioned “New year” in Portuguese, showed Pereira standing behind Cortez with his arms around her waist. The image marked a rare personal moment from the Brazilian fighter, who is known for keeping his private life out of the public eye. Cortez later confirmed the relationship by sharing a photo of the pair kissing on her own Instagram story.

The announcement came as several figures from the MMA world shared messages to mark the new year. Earlier in the evening, Conor McGregor posted a message encouraging fans to time the start of his bout with Donald Cerrone so that the knockout coincided with midnight. While the post was in keeping with McGregor’s usual online presence, attention soon shifted to Pereira’s unexpected reveal.

Pereira, who currently holds the UFC light heavyweight title, last competed at UFC 320 in October. He regained the belt with an 80-second knockout of Magomed Ankalaev, avenging his earlier defeat to the Russian earlier in the year. Since then, Pereira has spoken publicly about potential future bouts, including a possible fight with Jon Jones.

However, those plans appear uncertain. Pereira recently confirmed he would not be competing on the proposed White House card after previously expressing interest in appearing on the event. In a post alongside UFC president Dana White, he wrote, “Looks like the White House is a no go!!!”

The fighter is currently recovering from a broken foot, although it remains unclear whether the injury is the sole reason for the change in plans. For now, attention has turned to his personal life, with fans reacting to the confirmation of his relationship with Cortez as the new year begins.