Alex Pereira lines up another heavyweight test at UFC 335 after working with Cain Velasquez

Alex Pereira is set to make a quick adjustment to heavyweight again, after getting training work with former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. The move comes as Pereira’s next fight is already taking shape: he has been booked to face Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 in December, a bout that marks Pereira’s second appearance in the heavyweight division.

Pereira’s path to heavyweight has been defined by transitions. Known first for his striking power and technique at 185 pounds, he later moved up to take on some of the sport’s biggest threats at 205. Now, with another heavyweight fight scheduled, he is adding yet another layer to his competitive resume, this time against a division heavyweight built for the same kind of explosive outcomes Pereira has often produced.

Velasquez’s involvement is a notable detail in that context. Velasquez, a former heavyweight champion whose UFC career was shaped by wrestling control and heavy finishing pressure, represents a different style of challenge than the majority of sparring partners. The report indicates Pereira “gets some work in” with Velasquez, suggesting a hands-on look at the physical and positional demands that come with top-level heavyweight preparation.

Sergei Pavlovich is the opponent, and the booking frames the matchup as a true test of Pereira’s ability to translate his striking-first approach to a weight class where opponents carry both power and size from range to grappling exchanges. A heavyweight bout also increases the margin for error, since the threat of sudden impact is present longer and from more angles than it typically is at lighter weights.

UFC 335 is scheduled for December, making this fight a central part of late-year planning for the promotion and a key moment for Pereira’s heavyweight decision-making. For fans and analysts, the most immediate question is whether Pereira can keep the fight in the spaces where his offense tends to be most effective, or whether Pavlovich’s heavy-hitter profile and size will force a slower, more structural pace.

This bout also continues a broader UFC heavyweight storyline around contenders who can credibly challenge for the division’s top ranks. Pereira entering heavyweight with momentum from multiple weight-class runs adds pressure to the timeline at the top, because it complicates the matchups other heavyweights might have been targeting earlier in the year.

For Pereira, the practical takeaway is that heavyweight preparation is not just about strength and power, it is about handling the athletes who can neutralize rhythm through physicality and positioning. Working with a former champion like Velasquez points to a focus on the defensive and control elements that often decide heavyweight fights.

What to watch next is whether UFC 335’s heavyweight landscape settles around Pavlovich as a benchmark opponent for Pereira, or whether the promotion uses the event to create a bigger picture title sequence. As fight-week nears, expect more clarity on how Pereira is shaping his game plan for a bout that could serve as a clearer referendum on his heavyweight ceiling.