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Alex Pereira Plans To Abandon Heavyweight After UFC 335

Former UFC two-division champ Alex Pereira says he would drop back to light heavyweight and go straight for the title if Sergei Pavlovich beats him at UFC 335.

ByPranav Pandey

Alex Pereira has made his future in the heavyweight division clear. If he suffers another defeat at UFC 335, the former two-division champion intends to return to light heavyweight rather than continue fighting opponents with a significant size advantage.

Pereira is scheduled to face Sergei Pavlovich in the co-main event of UFC 335 on December 12 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “Poatan” moved up to heavyweight earlier this year to pursue an unprecedented third UFC championship but suffered a second-round TKO loss to Ciryl Gane in their interim title fight at the White House.

Alex Pereira Eyes Immediate Light Heavyweight Title Shot

The Brazilian powerhouse has previously held both the middleweight and light heavyweight championships. He reclaimed the 205-pound title with a first-round knockout of Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320 in October 2025 before vacating the belt four months later to pursue a historic third division title.

Speaking on the Connect Cast podcast, Pereira admitted that another setback would likely end his heavyweight experiment.

I wouldn’t stay [at heavyweight], no,” Pereira said. “I’d go back to light heavyweight. I think that would be the ideal thing to do.

Everyone knows I’m not as heavy as those heavyweights. So, I’m not going to stay there taking a beating with that disadvantage. I’d go back to my division. So I would go back to my division, where I was more comfortable. I think that would be the best thing to do.

Since “Poatan’s” departure, Carlos Ulberg has claimed the vacant light heavyweight championship, knocking out Jiri Prochazka at UFC 327 in April. Ulberg suffered an ACL tear during the fight and has yet to make his first title defense.

Pereira believes he would not need another victory to earn a championship opportunity if he returned to the division.

It would be for the belt,” he said.

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That possibility gives the Brazilian a clear alternative if his heavyweight ambitions come to an end. However, he must first get past Pavlovich, a dangerous knockout artist who is currently on a three-fight win streak.