Adesanya Blasts Pereira Over UFC 335 Loss Talk

Israel Adesanya has called out Alex Pereira for publicly discussing a move back to light heavyweight in case he loses to Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335, saying his longtime rival sounds like he's already planning for defeat before the opening bell.

Pereira meets the heavy-handed Pavlovich at UFC 335 on Dec. 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, moving back up to heavyweight for the first time since his light heavyweight title reign. Adesanya addressed the matchup on his podcast with Demetrious Johnson, and he did not hold back on what he thinks of Pereira hedging his bets.

"I don't know why he's taking this fight, it doesn't make sense to me. I mean, I already saw a clip of Pereira saying if he loses to Pavlovich, he's going back down to 205," Adesanya said. "I don't like that. I don't like the fact he's putting that out there. What the f*ck do you mean, 'If I lose?'"

Why Adesanya Thinks Pereira Should Stay at 205

Adesanya's issue isn't just the contingency plan, it's that he believes Pereira never needed to leave light heavyweight in the first place. He pointed to Pereira's last fight, a light heavyweight title loss to Ciryl Gane, as the moment the Brazilian should have recommitted to 205 pounds rather than jumping a full weight class up to face one of heavyweight's hardest hitters.

"Go back to Chama. All this BS, all this fugazi, just stick to Chama. Why not just stay at 205 after this last fight with Ciryl Gane," Adesanya said. "I thought he was going to go to 205. It made sense. He's a big dude for 185. People didn't say sh*t about weight-cutting until I knocked him out."

The dig is personal. Adesanya has long argued that Pereira's size was always better suited to 205 than to the 185-pound division where the two of them built their rivalry, and he's using Pereira's own hedge against him as proof that even Pereira doesn't fully trust the heavyweight jump.

Betting Angle

The oddsmakers seem to share some of Adesanya's skepticism. Pereira opened as a live underdog to Pavlovich, and public money has since pushed the line further in Pavlovich's favor. For bettors, that lines up with the competitive read: Pavlovich is a genuine knockout artist at heavyweight, and Pereira is absorbing a full weight class jump against a much bigger frame than anything he faced at middleweight or light heavyweight. A talking point like Pereira's own backup plan won't move the number much on its own, but it adds to the narrative that even insiders view this as a real toss-up rather than a showcase fight for Pereira's heavyweight experiment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Israel Adesanya say about Alex Pereira before UFC 335?

Israel Adesanya criticized Alex Pereira for publicly discussing a return to light heavyweight if he loses to Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335, saying Pereira is hedging before the fight even happens.

Who is Alex Pereira fighting at UFC 335?

Alex Pereira faces heavyweight knockout artist Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 on Dec. 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Is Alex Pereira the betting favorite against Sergei Pavlovich?

No, Alex Pereira opened as an underdog to Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335, and the betting line has moved further toward Pavlovich since opening.