Pereira Says He'll Return to 205 If He Loses to Pavlovich

Alex Pereira says he will abandon heavyweight and move back down to light heavyweight if he loses to Sergei Pavlovich in the UFC 335 co-main event on Dec. 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Speaking on the Connect Cast interview, Pereira laid out the stakes for himself in blunt terms. A win over Pavlovich keeps his heavyweight experiment alive. A loss sends him straight back to 205 pounds, the division where he won UFC gold twice.

“I wouldn't stay at heavyweight, no,” Pereira said. “I would go back to light heavyweight. I think that would be the ideal thing to do.”

Why Pereira Is Drawing a Line at UFC 335

Pereira's heavyweight run is already on shaky footing after he was knocked out in the second round by Ciryl Gane in June, a loss that cost him a shot at the interim heavyweight title in the UFC White House main event. He stayed at heavyweight anyway, even without getting the immediate rematch he had pushed for. Now he's treating the Pavlovich fight as the real test of whether he belongs in the division at all.

“Everyone knows I'm not a big guy like these heavyweights,” Pereira said. “So I'm not going to stay there taking a beating at that disadvantage. So I would go back to my division, where I was more comfortable. I think that would be the best thing to do.”

Pereira said he expects any return to light heavyweight would come with an immediate title opportunity, though he was careful to frame that as a backup plan rather than his focus. He says he likes his chances against Pavlovich, who arrives on a three-fight win streak that includes a 39-second knockout of Tallison Teixeira, a fighter who had been training alongside Pereira.

“I think against me, maybe he might think, 'I'm going to unleash the machine gun and knock this guy out,'” Pereira said. “I don't know what happens, but he might unleash the machine gun, and if he can't land his shots, he might try to wrestle me to wear me out. But I'm getting ready, I'm excited about the training and everything I've been doing with the team.”

Betting Angle

This fight is effectively a referendum on Pereira's size disadvantage at heavyweight, and the market should be read through that lens. Pavlovich's recent knockout power, including the quick finish of Teixeira, makes him a live threat to end the fight early in exactly the way Gane did, which is likely why oddsmakers aren't treating Pereira as a prohibitive favorite here even with his striking pedigree. Bettors leaning toward Pereira are essentially betting that his chin and footwork hold up against a bigger, hard-hitting opponent for the second straight heavyweight outing. Anyone backing Pavlovich is banking on volume and wrestling pressure wearing Pereira down, which Pereira himself raised as a possible gameplan. Given Pereira has already stated his heavyweight stay ends with a loss here, this line also doubles as a referendum on whether he fights another heavyweight bout ever again, which adds extra weight to how the fight plays out, not just who wins.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Alex Pereira say about his heavyweight future ahead of UFC 335?

Alex Pereira said he will return to light heavyweight if he loses to Sergei Pavlovich in the UFC 335 co-main event on Dec. 12 in Las Vegas, abandoning his heavyweight run after one prior loss to Ciryl Gane.

Who is Alex Pereira fighting at UFC 335?

Alex Pereira faces Sergei Pavlovich in the co-main event of UFC 335 on Dec. 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

What is Sergei Pavlovich's recent form heading into UFC 335?

Sergei Pavlovich enters UFC 335 on a three-fight winning streak, including a 39-second knockout of Tallison Teixeira.