Alex Pereira, the former two-division UFC champ, has his next fight set, and it’s a massive heavyweight clash against Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 on December 12, going down at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. UFC CEO Dana White dropped the news during Saturday’s UFC 332 broadcast, and man, this co-main event is gonna be wild.
Poatan’s Tough Road Back to Gold
Pereira’s last outing was a rough one, where he tried to make history at UFC Freedom 250 as the first three-weight champion. It didn’t happen. He got knocked out in the second round by Ciryl Gane this past June on the White House’s South Lawn. That fight crowned Gane as the interim champ, and then the undisputed champ after Tom Aspinall decided to vacate the title. Pereira, sitting on a 13-4 record, was pushing hard for an immediate rematch, arguing Gane used illegal strikes to the back of the head. But the UFC went another way, booking Gane to defend his heavyweight title against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 on November 14. With Aspinall out with an extended injury and the heavyweight division in this weird, uncertain state, a win here for “Poatan” could absolutely rocket him right back into a spot to challenge for UFC gold.
Pavlovich: The Russian Slugger on a Tear
Now, let’s talk about the guy standing across the octagon from Pereira: Sergei Pavlovich. This dude is no joke, coming into UFC 335 with a 21-3 record and a three-fight win streak that’s just nasty. His last victory was a highlight-reel 39-second knockout of Tallison Teixeira back in May. Before that, the Russian slugger also grabbed decision wins against Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Waldo Cortes-Acosta. Pavlovich isn’t new to the title picture either; he challenged Aspinall for the interim heavyweight title in November 2023 but took a quick knockout loss in 69 seconds. This guy is dangerous, and he’s hungry.
Mark your calendars for December 12 at T-Mobile Arena, folks. This UFC 335 co-main event is going to be straight fire. The main event for UFC 335 hasn’t officially been announced yet, though a middleweight title matchup between Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov is rumored. But honestly, with Pereira fighting Pavlovich, this heavyweight showdown could totally steal the show and reshape the entire division’s title picture. You don’t want to miss this one.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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