Alex Pereira says he will leave heavyweight if he loses at UFC 335

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Alex Pereira says a loss to Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 in December will end his heavyweight run and send him to another weight class. He said he is lighter than the other heavyweights and won't keep trying to match their strength. Pereira also claimed the UFC had previously told him he would face Ciryl Gane or Josh Hokit next, and called Hokit a much easier matchup than Pavlovich.

AgentMMA.com

Alex Pereira says his stay at heavyweight will end if he loses to Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 on December 12, as first reported by Bloody Elbow. Pereira indicated that a defeat would send him to another weight class, arguing that he is lighter than the other heavyweights and will not keep trying to match their strength.

Pereira also claimed the UFC had previously told him his next opponent would be Ciryl Gane or Josh Hokit. He described Hokit as a much easier matchup than Pavlovich, suggesting he sees the Russian as a far tougher assignment.

Pereira's recent form

Pereira, 39, is 13-4 and ranked third at light heavyweight. The Brazilian's most recent recorded fight came on June 14 at UFC Freedom 250, where he lost a second-round KO/TKO to Gane in a title fight. That was the second time in his last three recorded bouts that he fell short in a championship contest. Before it, he stopped Magomed Ankalaev in the first round at UFC 320 in October 2025, after losing a unanimous decision to Ankalaev at UFC 313 earlier that year. He lands 5.16 significant strikes per minute at 62 percent accuracy.

Pavlovich's heavyweight credentials

Pavlovich, 34, is 20-3 and ranked third at heavyweight. The Russian won his most recent recorded fight on May 30, stopping Tallison Teixeira in the first round at a UFC Fight Night event. That followed unanimous decision wins over Waldo Cortes Acosta and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. He is a southpaw who lands 4.43 significant strikes per minute at 44 percent accuracy.

Why it matters

Size gap: Pavlovich has a 213 cm reach against Pereira's 201 cm, a difference of 12 centimeters, and stands 191 cm to Pereira's 193 cm.
Striking numbers: Pereira's 62 percent accuracy and 5.16 strikes landed per minute compare with Pavlovich's 44 percent and 4.43.
Ranking stakes: Both men sit third in their respective divisions, so the result could shape where Pereira competes next.
Gane connection: Gane, the heavyweight champion, beat Pereira by second-round stoppage in their only meeting, on June 14.

Pereira's comments frame December 12 as a decision point on his future at 265 pounds.