Luke Rockhold has been one of the biggest Alex Pereira critics, but the former middleweight champ is ready to give Poatan his flowers ... declaring the Light Heavyweight strap holder one of the all-time greats!
TMZ Sports ran into the UFC legend in Los Angeles this week -- not long after 38-year-old Pereira decimated then-champ Magomed Ankalaev in the main event at UFC 320 -- when we asked Rockhold about the performance.
"I used to hate on Alex Pereira but motherf***er's a gangster. It's all about confidence.