Trump's White House UFC headliner accused of assault, forced sex, stalking

Warning: This story contains descriptions/graphic details of sexual assault and might affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.

Alex Pereira, a prominent mixed martial arts fighter set to headline the U.S. president's 80th birthday UFC event at the White House, is facing allegations of abuse from two women — and it isn't the first time.

Court records reviewed by CBC News, including depositions, allege the 38-year-old Brazilian UFC fighter engaged in misconduct including assault, forcible confinement, coercive sexual encounters and stalking.

With Pereira now vying for a championship in a third weight class, many combat sports enthusiasts, including Canadian fans, are expected to tune in to Sunday's fight.

The allegations, which Pereira denies, were first reported by Maike Backhaus for German broadcaster ARD/WDR. And they come as Donald Trump's administration continues to deal with fallout from the partial release of the Epstein files.

Epstein survivors and lawmakers have accused the administration of a coverup and not believing the women who say they were trafficked and abused by the sexual predator who was once a close friend of Trump.

The ongoing case was filed in the domestic violence division of the Miami courts in July 2025 by a German MMA presenter known publicly as Merle Christine, who was in a relationship with Pereira for roughly a year.

Christine told CBC she has taken Pereira to court for her protection and to seek a restraining order "so he cannot contact me anymore, he cannot speak about me anymore and he cannot instrumentalize his fans anymore, which is very important for me and for my life."

Pereira hails from São Paulo and is nicknamed Poatan, which means "hands