Alex Pereira rules out stepping-stone role and will retire if losses mount

The 39-year-old former light-heavyweight returns against Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 in Las Vegas in December, after being knocked out by Ciryl Gane in a heavyweight title fight in June.

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Thu 22 Oct, 00:27 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Alex Pereira has said he will end his UFC career once results start turning against him, rather than stay on as an opponent for rising fighters to beat.

The 39-year-old Brazilian has lost two of his last three fights. He went 1-1 with Magomed Ankalaev before leaving the 205-pound division in 2025, then was knocked out by Ciryl Gane in their heavyweight title fight at the White House in June. He has never lost two fights in a row in the UFC, and he faces Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 in Las Vegas in December.

A first heavyweight win could set up a fight with the winner of Gane's title defence against Josh Hokit. Pereira is still chasing a third title, which would make him the UFC's first triple champion. A loss to the Russian would leave him closer to the exit he has now described.

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Pereira said: “You gotta learn how to see when it’s your moment and when it’s not.” He added that if he begins losing and things stop going well, he does not want to be a stepping stone for anyone on the way up, and would instead focus on enjoying his time and his money.

He said his finances would not keep him fighting: “We did a very good career plan for me, my kids, my future, my kids’ future, for the institute that I built.” He continued: “We’re all settled, so I have nothing to prove anymore.” Pereira's move up in weight puts him in a division where many fighters compete into their forties. His comments suggest that results, rather than age, will decide when he retires.

In this story

Alex Pereira Sergei Pavlovich Ciryl Gane Magomed Ankalaev Josh Hokit