Alex Pereira has his next UFC fight. The former middleweight and light heavyweight champion will face Sergei Pavlovich in a five round heavyweight bout at UFC 335 on December 12 at T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The UFC officially announced the matchup, which will serve as the co main event behind Charles Oliveira vs. Diego Lopes for the BMF title.
The fight gives Pereira an immediate opportunity to rebuild his position in the heavyweight division after a difficult first appearance at 265 pounds.
Alex Pereira Gets Another Heavyweight Opportunity
Pereira moved to heavyweight earlier this year with an ambitious goal of becoming the first fighter in UFC history to win championships in three weight divisions. That attempt suffered a major setback at UFC Freedom 250 when he faced current heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane and suffered a knockout loss. Rather than return to light heavyweight, Pereira has decided to continue his heavyweight campaign.
The UFC now has him facing one of the division’s most dangerous knockout artists in Pavlovich, making this a considerably tougher assignment than a typical rebound fight.
Pereira enters the matchup with a 13 – 4 professional record and championship victories over some of the biggest names in UFC history, including Israel Adesanya, Jan Blachowicz, Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill. A victory over Pavlovich would immediately put Pereira back into the heavyweight title conversation.
Sergei Pavlovich Is Riding a Three Fight Winning Streak
Pavlovich enters the fight with considerably more momentum. The Russian heavyweight has won three consecutive fights since suffering consecutive losses to Tom Aspinall and Alexander Volkov.
His recent run includes victories over Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Waldo Cortes Acosta and Tallison Teixeira. His latest performance was particularly impressive, as he stopped Teixeira in less than a minute.
Pavlovich currently holds the No. 2 position in the UFC heavyweight rankings, while Pereira is ranked No. 3. That ranking makes the matchup particularly important for the division.
Pavlovich is not simply defending his position against a former champion. He has the opportunity to defeat one of the UFC’s biggest stars and potentially move directly into another championship opportunity.
A Five Round Heavyweight Fight
The UFC has booked the contest for five rounds, adding another interesting element to the matchup. Both fighters have built their reputations around devastating striking, but their approaches are different.
Pereira is known for his elite kickboxing, devastating left hook and ability to control range with kicks. Pavlovich has developed a reputation for relentless boxing pressure and enormous punching power. That creates an obvious question heading into UFC 335: which fighter can impose his preferred range first?
Pereira will likely want to make Pavlovich work at the end of his kicks and force him to enter the pocket carefully. Pavlovich, meanwhile, will look to close the distance and turn the fight into a high intensity boxing exchange.
The Stakes Are Huge for Both Fighters
The UFC has not officially labelled Pereira vs. Pavlovich a title eliminator. However, the winner could find themselves very close to another heavyweight championship opportunity. Pavlovich has already challenged for interim heavyweight gold, losing to Aspinall at UFC 295. Since then, he has rebuilt his momentum with three consecutive victories.
Pereira has an even bigger opportunity. If he defeats the No. 2 ranked heavyweight, he could potentially become one victory away from another shot at the undisputed championship. The division is also expected to become clearer after Ciryl Gane faces Alexander Volkov’s opponent situation later in the year, meaning the UFC could have a clear title picture heading into 2027.
UFC 335 Is Taking Shape
Pereira vs. Pavlovich is only one of several major fights already announced for UFC 335. The card will be headlined by Charles Oliveira vs. Diego Lopes for the BMF title. Oliveira captured the belt with his dominant victory over Max Holloway and will make his first defense against Lopes, who is moving up to lightweight. The card also features Joe Pyfer vs. Bo Nickal in a middleweight matchup.
Brandon Moreno vs. Charles Johnson has also been listed among the announced matchups on the developing card. With Pereira vs. Pavlovich now confirmed as a five round co main event, UFC 335 is shaping up as one of the promotion’s biggest cards of the final month of 2026.
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