Pereira Reveals Weight Plan For UFC 335 Comeback

Alex Pereira will enter the cage roughly 10 pounds lighter for his rematch with the heavyweight division at UFC 335.

The former two-division champion told Ariel Helwani he plans to weigh around 240 pounds when he faces Sergei Pavlovich in the April co-main event, per BJPENN.com. That marks a significant drop from his UFC Freedom 250 appearance, where Pereira looked slow in a TKO loss to Ciryl Gane for the interim title.

Why Pereira Is Cutting Weight For Pavlovich Fight

Pereira explained the tactical shift stems from Pavlovich's knockout power and his own competitive nature. "I'll be lighter, around 240. I just feel that I've gotta be a little lighter," he said. Training camp included a sparring partner who had previously lost to Pavlovich, with everyone telling Pereira the Russian is a machine.

The Brazilian said he considered dropping back to light heavyweight, where he beat Magomed Ankalaev, Jiri Prochazka, and Khalil Rountree Jr. before moving up. But he wants to finish what he started at heavyweight first. "The plan is to stay at heavyweight, but you never know," Pereira said. "I'm not going to be the guy trying to go too much with these heavyweights if I have a different option."

The winner of Pereira-Pavlovich could face the victor of Gane versus Josh Hokit for the title, with Tom Aspinall's return timeline still uncertain. Pereira and Pavlovich meet at UFC 335 with a potential title shot on the line.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Alex Pereira reveals massive change for second heavyweight fight at UFC 335