Alex Pereira is staying at heavyweight.
After falling short against Ciryl Gane in his first fight at 265lb, Pereira could easily have returned to light-heavyweight and chased another title run in a division where he has already been champion twice.
Instead, his next fight is against one of the hardest punchers in the UFC.
Alex Pereira faces Sergei Pavlovich on Saturday 12 December at UFC 335 in Las Vegas, with the heavyweights meeting over five rounds in the co-main event beneath Charles Oliveira vs Diego Lopes.
For the latest markets as fight night approaches, visit BetVictor’s UFC betting and odds page.
When Is Alex Pereira’s Next Fight?
Pereira’s next fight takes place at UFC 335 on Saturday 12 December 2026.
The event is being held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The key details are:
- Fight: Sergei Pavlovich vs Alex Pereira
- Event: UFC 335
- Date: Saturday 12 December 2026
- Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
- Weight class: Heavyweight
- Rounds: Five
- UK main card start: 2am GMT, Sunday 13 December
- UK broadcaster: TNT Sports
- Streaming: HBO Max
- Pereira record: 13-4
- Pavlovich record: 21-3
The UFC currently lists early prelims from 10pm GMT, prelims at midnight and the main card from 2am.
Pereira and Pavlovich are directly underneath Oliveira vs Lopes, so I would expect their cage walks somewhere around 3.30am GMT, although that remains an estimate rather than an official start time.
Our full UFC 335 guide has the rest of the confirmed card and UK timings.
Why Is Alex Pereira Staying at Heavyweight?
Because losing once has not changed what he wants.
Pereira moved to heavyweight earlier this year with the chance to become the first fighter in UFC history to win championships across three weight divisions.
He had already held the middleweight and light-heavyweight belts. Heavyweight was supposed to complete the set.
Gane stopped him in the second round at UFC Freedom 250, ending that attempt before Pereira could get properly settled into the division.
Pereira later made it clear that he was not planning to drop back to 205lb.
That makes Pavlovich a fairly brutal second heavyweight assignment. There is no rebuilding fight here.
No lower-ranked opponent designed to help Pereira get comfortable carrying the extra weight.
He has gone straight from the champion to one of the most dangerous contenders in the division.
What Happened Against Ciryl Gane?
Pereira’s heavyweight debut lasted less than seven minutes.
Gane stopped him at 1:27 of the second round, handing Pereira the fourth defeat of his MMA career. UFC currently lists Pereira at 13-4 with 11 knockout victories.
The result immediately raised a fair question. Is Pereira simply too small for the very biggest heavyweights?
He weighed 251lb for the Gane fight, so this was not a light-heavyweight turning up only slightly above 205. Pereira had filled out.
Still, carrying heavyweight mass and dealing with someone who has spent his entire UFC career fighting men that size are different things.
Gane was able to hurt him. Pavlovich is even more frightening if he lands cleanly.
That is why this second fight should tell us much more about Pereira’s future at heavyweight than another comfortable matchup would have.
Who Is Sergei Pavlovich?
Pavlovich is exactly the sort of heavyweight most fighters would prefer not to meet while figuring out a new division.
The Russian is 21-3 with 16 knockouts, and every one of those stoppages has come in the opening round. UFC also lists eight victories completed in 75 seconds or less.
That tells you most of what you need to know. Pavlovich is not interested in slowly building his way into fights.
He has an 84-inch reach, heavy hands and enough confidence in his boxing to start throwing almost immediately.
There was a period where he put together six consecutive UFC first-round knockout wins, including finishes over Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa and Curtis Blaydes.
Tom Aspinall eventually stopped that run in their 2023 interim title fight.
Alexander Volkov then beat Pavlovich on points. Since then, he has rebuilt quietly.
Decision wins over Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Waldo Cortes Acosta came first, before Pavlovich reminded everyone what his power looks like by knocking out Tallison Teixeira in just 39 seconds in May.
He now enters UFC 335 on a three-fight winning streak.
Pereira vs Pavlovich Odds
At the time of writing, BetVictor odds are not yet available for Pereira vs Pavlovich.
Opening prices elsewhere have Pavlovich as a slight favourite, which is interesting considering Pereira’s profile and striking reputation.
That probably tells us how much uncertainty there still is around Pereira at heavyweight.
Pavlovich is a natural heavyweight with an enormous reach, serious one-punch power and far more experience competing at the weight.
Pereira is the more polished striker.
But heavyweight does not always reward technical superiority if the other man can end everything with one clean shot.
This section can be updated once BetVictor markets open.
How Does Pereira Beat Pavlovich?
By making him miss. Pereira should not want this to turn into a boxing match fought in a phone box.
His kicking game gives him an advantage Pavlovich does not normally have to deal with against traditional heavyweights.
The calf kick immediately stands out.
Pavlovich likes planting his feet before throwing long combinations. Repeated kicks could make that harder, while also forcing him to think about something other than simply walking Pereira backwards.
Pereira is also much better at disguising his attacks.
That left hook remains dangerous because opponents tend to focus so heavily on his kicks and straight shots that they lose sight of it.
The problem is what happens when Pavlovich ignores all of that and simply charges.
Pereira has been hurt before.At heavyweight, there is even less margin for error.
Our UFC weight classes guide explains just how much bigger the upper limit becomes once fighters move beyond light-heavyweight.
How Does Pavlovich Beat Pereira?
Pressure without becoming reckless. That sounds easier than it is.
Pavlovich has an 84-inch reach compared with Pereira’s 79 inches, meaning he does not necessarily need to dive into danger to reach him.
His jab matters here. If he can use it to force Pereira backwards, the Brazilian loses much of the space he needs to set up kicks.
Pavlovich then has the power to turn one mistake into the end of the fight.
The danger for him is becoming overconfident because Gane managed to stop Pereira. Gane and Pavlovich are completely different strikers.
Gane moves beautifully for a heavyweight and is happy picking opponents apart from range.
Pavlovich is much more direct. That creates bigger opportunities for Pereira to counter.
Does the Winner Get a UFC Heavyweight Title Shot?
Nothing has officially been announced. But the timing makes it difficult to ignore.
Ciryl Gane defends the heavyweight title against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 on 14 November, four weeks before Pereira and Pavlovich meet.
That means the heavyweight championship picture should be clear before UFC 335 begins.
A Pereira win would immediately create an obvious storyline. If Gane retains, Pereira can argue for a rematch after beating another leading contender.
If Hokit becomes champion, Pereira would have a completely fresh matchup available. Pavlovich has just as strong a case.
Four consecutive victories, capped by beating Pereira, would make it very difficult to justify overlooking him.
The latest positions across the division can be followed in our UFC rankings 2026 page.
Pereira vs Pavlovich Prediction
This is a difficult one because I trust Pereira more technically but Pavlovich more physically at heavyweight.
Pereira has the better kicking game, better variety and probably the sharper counter-punching. Pavlovich is enormous.
And unlike Gane, he is not going to spend much time trying to win a technical striking match. He is going to hit Pereira.
The question is whether Pereira can handle that power long enough to start breaking down the lead leg and finding his counters.
I think there will be opportunities. Pavlovich leaves openings when he attacks and Pereira only needs a small one to land something clean.
Still, I came away from the Gane fight with more doubts about Pereira at heavyweight than I had beforehand.
Against somebody with 16 first-round knockouts, that matters. However, it’s Pereira, so I’m still going with him.
Prediction: Pereira by KO in round two.
What Happens Next for Alex Pereira?
December should answer the biggest question around Pereira’s career. If he beats Pavlovich, the heavyweight experiment is alive again.
One win over a leading contender could put him straight back into the title conversation and revive his attempt to become the UFC’s first three-division champion.
Lose again and the discussion changes. At that point, returning to light-heavyweight would become increasingly difficult to ignore.
That is what makes this more than another big-name fight on UFC 335. Pereira is effectively betting his heavyweight future on it.
For every confirmed event still to come this year, visit our UFC schedule 2026.
For more fight previews, rankings and MMA news, head to the BetVictor UFC and MMA News hub.
