🚨 BREAKING: A fight between Alex Pereira and Sergei Pavlovich is in the works for UFC 335 on December 12th in Las Vegas. Poatan pushed heavily for a rematch against Ciryl Gane after Tom Aspinall pulled out due to a reoccurring eye injury, but the UFC shut down his demand and gave the title shot to Josh Hokit. Also, the original plan was for Pereira to fight Josh Hokit before Aspinall injury. Now, both of Alex and Sergei have already teased fight news on their social media, and the matchup has been agreed upon as a number one contender fight.
A number-one contender bout between Alex Pereira and Sergei Pavlovich is reportedly in the works for UFC 335, scheduled for December 12th in Las Vegas, though the matchup has not been officially confirmed.
According to reports, the pairing came together after a series of scheduling shifts at the top of the light heavyweight division. Pereira had pushed for a rematch against Ciryl Gane after Tom Aspinall withdrew from a planned bout due to a recurring eye injury, but the UFC declined that request and awarded the title shot to Josh Hokit instead. The original plan had Pereira set to face Hokit before Aspinall's injury changed the landscape. Now both Pereira and Pavlovich are said to have agreed to the contender fight, and each has teased fight news on social media in recent days.
Pereira, 39, carries a 13-4 record and is currently ranked third at light heavyweight. The Brazilian southpaw out of Teixeira MMA and Fitness stands six-foot-four with a 79-inch reach and is one of the division's most dangerous strikers, landing 5.16 significant strikes per minute at a striking accuracy of 62 percent.
Pavlovich, 34, enters with a 20-3 record and is ranked third in the heavyweight division. The Russian fighter out of Eagles MMA stands six-foot-three with an exceptional 84-inch reach. He lands 4.43 significant strikes per minute and brings a southpaw stance and heavy hands to the matchup.
Why it matters
- The winner would likely position themselves as the leading light heavyweight title contender heading into 2027
- Pereira's high-volume striking at 62 percent accuracy against Pavlovich's 84-inch reach sets up a compelling range battle
- The bout would mark a rare cross-divisional contender fight, with Pavlovich stepping down from heavyweight
- Both fighters signaling the news on social media suggests the agreement is close, but confirmation from the UFC is still pending
