Pereira On Backup Plan If Heavyweight Fails

Alex Pereira has already mapped out his next move if heavyweight does not work out.

Pereira faces Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 in Las Vegas on December 12 in what he has called his final attempt at the division. If he loses, the former two-time light heavyweight champion told Connect Cast he will drop back down rather than persist against larger opponents. "Everyone knows I'm not as heavy as those heavyweights," Pereira said, per MMA Mania. "I'm not going to stay there taking a beating with that disadvantage. I'd go back to my division, where I was already well adapted. It would be for the belt."

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Adesanya Questions Pereira's Mindset Going Into Pavlovich Fight

Israel Adesanya thinks his former rival is setting himself up to fail by announcing a fallback option before the fight. Adesanya told reporters he disliked Pereira admitting he could lose to Pavlovich, questioning why the Brazilian would even take the bout if defeat was on his mind. Some fighters refuse to entertain the possibility of a loss, but Pereira has always taken a practical view of his chances in any given matchup.

The difference this time is that most observers share his uncertainty after what happened against Ciryl Gane. Still, a return to heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight for an immediate title shot after chasing triple-champ glory is hardly a disaster scenario.

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to UFC 335 on Ticketmaster →

UFC 335 takes place December 12 in Las Vegas.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Alex Pereira’s back-up plan if heavyweight doesn’t work out: ‘Fight for the light heavyweight bet’