UFC heavyweight superstar Alex Pereira is not closing the door on a return to the UFC light heavyweight division.
Pereira returns to the Octagon at UFC 335 in December when he battles Sergei Pavlovich in a heavyweight No. 1 contender bout.
Should Pereira win that fight, he will most likely fight the winner of the UFC 334 UFC heavyweight title bout between champion Ciryl Gane and challenger Josh Hokit for the belt in 2027.
But if he loses to Pavlovich, which would make him 0-2 at heavyweight, Pereira intends to move back down to light heavyweight.
Alex Pereira Willing to Move Back to 205 lbs
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Pereira admitted that if things go poorly for him against Pavlovich, he will move back down to light heavyweight, as going 0-2 in the heavyweight division would prove to him that he’s competing in the wrong weight class.
“Pavlovich is a dangerous guy. I’ve always said this – I want to win, but I can lose too. If I lose, I’m not going to stay at heavyweight. Everyone knows I’m lighter than all those heavyweights. So I’m not going to keep trying to match their strength when I could do something else and be better off,” Pereira said.
“Pavlovich is a dangerous guy. I’ve always said this – I want to win, but I can lose too.
If I lose, I’m not going to stay at heavyweight. Everyone knows I’m lighter than all those
Alex Pereira Is Trying To Make UFC History at Heavyweight
The reason Pereira went up to heavyweight in the first place was to challenge himself to make history as the first UFC fighter to win a championship title in three different weight classes.
There have been several fighters who have won UFC belts in two weight classes, including Pereira, who has won the belt at both 205 lbs and 185 lbs during his outstanding UFC career, but no one has won a belt in three weight classes yet.
That’s why the Brazilian decided to vacate his 205 lbs title in the first place and move up to heavyweight. While his fight against Gane at UFC Freedom 250 for the interim title did not go his way, he still believes that he has a chance to achieve history, and that’s why he’s giving the heavyweight division one more shot when he takes on Pavlovich at UFC 335.
Alex Pereira Not Closing Door on UFC Light Heavyweight Return