Oliveira Backs Pereira to KO Pavlovich in Heavyweight Debut at UFC 335

Alex Pereira moves up to heavyweight for the first time on Dec. 12, and one of his oldest friends in the sport likes his chances. Charles Oliveira, defending his BMF title against Diego Lopes in the UFC 335 co-main event at T-Mobile Arena, is backing "Poatan" to knock out Sergei Pavlovich in the night's headliner. The two Brazilians sit atop the card, and Oliveira isn't hiding his bias.

Pereira arrives at 13-4 (11 KO), currently the UFC's No. 3 light heavyweight, and he's coming off a second-round KO loss to Ciryl Gane — so this is a reset as much as a debut. Oliveira, meanwhile, rides a two-fight winning streak after beating Mateusz Gamrot in Rio and Max Holloway in March, and he's been lobbying for a stadium show in Brazil ever since. A shared card in Vegas isn't quite the soccer-stadium dream, but it's a start.

Why Oliveira Likes the Matchup

Oliveira's read is simple: Pavlovich is big, strong and hits like a truck, but he's vulnerable to kicks — and kicking is a core part of Pereira's game. Oliveira argued that if "Poatan" nails his timing and lands first, the fight ends in another highlight-reel finish. He didn't sugarcoat the danger, calling it a risky bout, but he kept circling back to Pereira's firepower.

The two have known each other for more than a decade, and this isn't the first time they've worked the same marquee. At UFC 300 in April 2024, Pereira knocked out Jamahal Hill minutes after Oliveira dropped a close split decision to Arman Tsarukyan. Oliveira framed the reunion as two guys who came up from nothing now headlining together on the biggest stage.

What's at Stake

For Pereira, this is about proving the move up a weight class holds up against legit heavyweight power — Pavlovich is exactly the kind of test that doesn't offer second chances. For Oliveira, the BMF defense against Lopes is the real business, but the emotional pull of the night is sharing it with Pereira.

Whether "Poatan" cashes in on that supposed kicking gap is the question. Oliveira's confident. The catch, as always with heavyweights, is that one clean shot from either man rewrites everything — and Pavlovich carries plenty of those.