TLDR
- Alex Pereira faces Sergei Pavlovich in the UFC 335 co-main event on December 12 in Las Vegas
- Pereira returns to heavyweight after suffering a knockout loss to champion Ciryl Gane in June
- Pavlovich brings a three-fight winning streak and is ranked second in the heavyweight division
- Early betting lines favor Pavlovich at -135 over Pereira at +114
- The five-round bout serves as a potential title eliminator in the heavyweight division
Sources: yardbarker.com | lowkickmma.com | mmafighting.com
Alex Pereira will fight Sergei Pavlovich in the co-main event of UFC 335 on December 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The UFC announced the five-round heavyweight bout during the UFC 332 broadcast on Saturday.
Pereira is returning to the heavyweight division for his second appearance after losing to current champion Ciryl Gane in June. He suffered a second-round technical knockout loss at the UFC White House card, ending his attempt to become the first three-division UFC champion.
The Brazilian fighter previously held titles at both middleweight and light heavyweight. He vacated the light heavyweight championship before moving up to challenge Gane for the interim heavyweight title.
This is what Pavlovich did to Alex Pereira's main sparring partner Tallision Texeira
Pereira will genuinely not make it alive out of the octagon, this is gonna be a BRUTAL knockout. Sergei sparks out this fraud in ONE round. pic.twitter.com/Nz7BGv6rt2
— Mohi (@mohithegoat) October 4, 2026
Pavlovich Brings Winning Streak Into Fight
Pavlovich enters the bout on a three-fight winning streak. His most recent victory came in May when he knocked out Tallison Teixeira in just 39 seconds at UFC Macau.
The Russian heavyweight contender is ranked second in the division, one spot ahead of Pereira. He holds a professional record of 21-3 and has won eight of his last ten UFC fights.
Pavlovich previously fought for an interim heavyweight title in 2023 but lost to Tom Aspinall. He then dropped a decision to Alexander Volkov before starting his current winning streak.
A victory over Pereira could put the 34-year-old back in position for another title shot. The five-round format gives the fight a title eliminator feel despite not being an official championship bout.
Early Betting Lines Favor Pavlovich
Bookmakers have installed Pavlovich as an early favorite for the matchup. One sportsbook listed him at -135, while Pereira opened at +114.
Another odds comparison showed Pavlovich at -140 and Pereira at +110. The -135 line gives Pavlovich an implied probability of about 60 percent, while Pereira’s +114 price equals roughly 40 percent.
The small gap in the betting lines indicates oddsmakers view this as a competitive fight. Pavlovich’s natural size advantage and experience against heavyweight opponents appear to have shaped the early market.
Pereira holds a 13-4 overall record and reclaimed the light heavyweight title with a first-round knockout of Magomed Ankalaev before his heavyweight debut. His striking accuracy and kickboxing background have been key to his UFC success.
The fight will take place beneath the main event, which features Charles Oliveira defending the BMF title against Diego Lopes. UFC 335 is expected to add more fights to the card in the coming days.
