Alex Pereira, beaten by Ciryl Gane, would return to 205 if he loses to Pavlovich

Alex Pereira, beaten by Ciryl Gane in his heavyweight debut in June, said he would cut back to 205 pounds if he loses to Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 on 12 December.

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Mon 26 Oct, 18:14 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Alex Pereira has said a defeat by Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 would end his time at heavyweight, with the former two-division UFC champion planning to drop back to 205 pounds if he loses.

The co-main event on 12 December at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas therefore decides which division Pereira fights in next. His heavyweight debut in June ended in a second-round knockout by Ciryl Gane, with the interim title on the line at the UFC White House event. Pereira campaigned for an immediate rematch, did not get it, and chose to stay at heavyweight regardless.

Speaking in an interview with Connect Cast, he said a second loss in the division would tell him he is at a disadvantage against bigger opponents. Pereira said: “Everyone knows I’m not a big guy like these heavyweights.” He added: “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 believes a return to light heavyweight would put him straight into a title fight, but that he is confident it will not come to that because he expects to beat Pavlovich.

The Russian arrives on a three-fight winning streak that includes a 39-second knockout of Tallison Teixeira, who was training with Pereira at the time. Pereira suggested Pavlovich could look for an early finish before changing approach, saying: “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.”

In this story

Alex Pereira Ciryl Gane Sergei Pavlovich Tallison Teixeira