Valter Walker: Sergei Pavlovich would 'run right through' Pereira

UFC heavyweight Valter Walker believes his training partner Sergei Pavlovich would make quick work of Alex Pereira should the promotion book the two contenders against each other.

Walker, who sits just outside the heavyweight top 10, shared his assessment during an interview with Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana on Thursday, per Sherdog. The Brazilian trains with Pavlovich regularly and says he knows firsthand what the Russian brings to the gym. "Sergei is a heavyweight built like a tank," Walker said. "In my opinion, Pavlovich would run right through him. That's exactly what he does here in the gym."

Walker questions Pavlovich-Pereira matchup

The comments come as Pereira looks for his next assignment at heavyweight following his move up from light heavyweight. Pavlovich, ranked third at heavyweight, has been mentioned as a potential opponent for the former two-division champion, who sits fourth in the rankings. Walker pushed back on the pairing, calling Pavlovich a poor comeback option for Pereira.

Walker noted that Pavlovich has improved since joining a structured camp with a major team after previously training without proper support. He also questioned whether Pereira has the physical frame to handle Pavlovich's power and wrestling, pointing to what the Russian did to Tallison Teixeira in sparring.

Walker acknowledged he is not ready to face the top five himself, saying the level separating the elite from the rest of the division is significant. The heavyweight division remains without an active champion as Tom Aspinall recovers from injury with no return date set.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Valter Walker avows that Sergei Pavlovich would ‘run right through’ Alex Pereira