YouTube Star IShowSpeed Outpunches UFC Champion Alex Pereira

Alex Pereira, the UFC’s reigning light heavyweight champion at 205 pounds, stands tall at 6-foot-4. Known for his powerful strikes, he has successfully defended his title twice, with his latest victory coming in June when he achieved a second-round TKO against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303.

When it comes to pound-for-pound rankings, which assess fighters irrespective of weight class, Pereira is generally considered the No. 2 fighter, trailing only behind Islam Makhachev, the UFC’s lightweight champion.

However, on Friday, Pereira found himself unexpectedly outmatched—not by a fellow MMA fighter, but by a YouTube star standing just 5-foot-9.

Pereira went head-to-head with IShowSpeed, a 19-year-old live streamer named Darren Jason Watkins Jr., in a test of punching strength on the UFC Striking Challenge machine.

Taking his turn first, Pereira recorded an impressive punch of 907. But in a surprising twist, IShowSpeed stepped up and surpassed the UFC champion with a punch registering at 921.

“That’s nine twenty-one!” Watkins shouted, clearly thrilled by his achievement. “Nine twenty-one!”

The UFC is currently in Australia, gearing up for its latest pay-per-view event, UFC 305. While Pereira is in Perth promoting his upcoming light heavyweight title defense on October 5 against Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City, it’s also notable that IShowSpeed is Down Under. The young streamer has been traveling worldwide this year, attending various sporting events and documenting his experiences on YouTube.