Alex Pereira’s path toward heavyweight gold and title status

Heavyweight rematch setup

Pereira meets Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 on December 12 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This five-round heavyweight matchup is the co-main event. Pavlovich carries a 21-3 professional record and arrives on a three-fight winning streak. He finished Tallison Teixeira in 39 seconds in May and previously earned decision victories over Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Waldo Cortes-Acosta. Pavlovich has a 9-3 record inside the UFC and previously challenged Tom Aspinall for the interim heavyweight title in November 2023, losing by knockout in 69 seconds. He also holds losses against Alistair Overeem, Tom Aspinall, and Alexander Volkov. I find the decision to book five rounds for a co-main event reflects the promotion’s heavy investment in this specific heavyweight pairing. Pavlovich currently ranks number two in the heavyweight division. Whoever wins between Pereira and Pavlovich becomes the leading contender for Ciryl Gane’s title. The UFC 335 card also includes a middleweight clash between Joe Pyfer and Bo Nickal. Pyfer is on a four-fight winning streak that includes a win over Israel Adesanya in March. A win at UFC 335 would push either man into the title conversation. In the main event, Charles Oliveira defends his BMF title against Diego Lopes. Oliveira, aged 36, won the title at UFC 326 with a unanimous decision over Max Holloway. Oliveira holds UFC records for most wins by submission, with 17, most finishes, with 21, and most post-fight bonuses, with 14. Diego Lopes, aged 31, makes his lightweight debut following a TKO win over Steve Garcia in June. Lopes’ only losses in featherweight came in two title fights against Alexander Volkanovski.

The mid-year setback

Pereira suffered a second-round knockout loss to Ciryl Gane on June 14 at UFC Freedom 250. This historic event on the White House South Lawn featured Ilia Topuria against Justin Gaethje for the lightweight title unification, which marked the first time the promotion held a major MMA event at the presidential residence. The loss to Gane effectively destroyed his immediate pursuit of becoming the first three-division champion in UFC history. This event, which the UFC formally announced during the UFC 326 broadcast on March 7, 2026, will stream on Paramount+ in the United States. You already know his move to heavyweight involves less difficult weight cuts than his middleweight days. The event took place in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. Zac Brown is expected to perform the U.S. national anthem at the historic venue. The UFC 334 card includes Kayla Harrison defending her women’s bantamweight title against Amanda Nunes on November 14 at Madison Square Garden, and it also includes heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane defending his title against Josh Hoki. The outcome of the Gane bout matters directly for the heavyweight title picture.

The light heavyweight status

Carlos Ulberg holds the undisputed UFC Light Heavyweight Championship after he knocked out Jiri Prochazka at UFC 327 on April 19, 2026. Ulberg finished the fight in the first round despite tearing his ACL during the bout. The fighter from City Kickboxing is 35 years old and has won 10 consecutive fights. He most recently defeated Dominick Reyes in the first round to maintain his 15-1-0 record. Pereira reclaimed the light heavyweight title from Magomed Ankalaev on October 4, 2025, at UFC 320 using punches and elbows in the first round. He previously lost the title to Ankalaev at UFC 313 in March 2025 via unanimous decision. Pereira’s professional MMA record is 13-4, with 11 of those wins coming by KO/TKO. The division remains competitive with Magomed Ankalaev, Bogdan Guskov, Khalil Rountree Jr., and Jamahal Hill seeking a path back to the gold. Ankalaev currently holds top contender status in the division. Will Pereira attempt to regain his former status at 205 pounds before the year ends?