UFC 335 in Las Vegas is officially stacked with not one, but *two* insane headliners hitting the Octagon on December 12. Fans got the lowdown on Saturday during the UFC 332 broadcast, and let me tell you, this final numbered event of 2026 is bringing some serious heat with familiar names ready to throw down.
BMF Belt on the Line: Oliveira vs. Lopes Will Be a Battle
In the main event, Charles Oliveira is putting that ceremonial BMF championship up for grabs against Diego Lopes. Now, remember Oliveira’s win over Max Holloway at UFC 326 back in March? It was dominant, sure, but some fans were grumbling that his takedowns and ground control to neutralize Holloway’s striking wasn’t exactly in the “spirit” of the BMF belt. But let’s be real, Oliveira’s history *screams* BMF action: the guy holds the record for most UFC wins by submission (17), most finishes (21), and most post-fight bonuses (14). He went from a solid roster guy to an elite fighter in one of the sport’s deepest divisions, and he’s a former lightweight champ.
Now he’s facing Lopes, who’s been on a steady climb through the featherweight ranks since his Octagon debut loss. Lopes has proven himself a force at 145 pounds, but he twice came up short in title opportunities against Alexander Volkanovski. This fight at UFC 335 is a huge deal for Lopes, marking his lightweight debut for the BMF title. Talk about a jump right into the deep end!
Heavyweight Showdown: Pereira Takes On Pavlovich
The co-main event is just as explosive: former middleweight and two-time light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira goes up against Sergei Pavlovich in a heavyweight clash. Pereira was chasing history at UFC Freedom 250, trying to become a three-division champ, but Ciryl Gane stopped him cold for the interim heavyweight title. Wild, right? Before that, he actually *vacated* the light heavyweight belt in the middle of his second reign as champ. This is the guy who knocked out old kickboxing rival Israel Adesanya for the middleweight gold, lost it back in the rematch, then moved to light heavyweight and became a dominant champ, only stumbling with a decision loss to Magomed Ankalaev. He avenged that loss and got his title back in the immediate rematch, snagging a stoppage in just 80 seconds.
He’s facing a serious heavyweight in Pavlovich, a consistent presence in the rankings with a 9-3 UFC record. His losses? To absolute top-tier heavyweights like Alistair Overeem, Tom Aspinall (for an interim title, no less), and Alexander Volkov. This ain’t no easy fight for Pereira’s heavyweight run.
December 12 can’t get here fast enough. You’re going to want to clear your schedule for this one, because UFC 335 is bringing the fireworks, and the BMF belt, plus the heavyweight division, is about to get a serious shake-up!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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