Glover Teixeira backs Sergei Pavlovich as a better matchup for Alex Pereira than Ciryl Gane

Alex Pereira’s team is leaning into a matchup-specific argument as fight week for UFC 335 moves toward Dec. 12 in Las Vegas. In comments attributed to Pereira’s coach and mentor, Glover Teixeira, the Brazilian said Sergei Pavlovich is a more favorable stylistic fit than Ciryl Gane, who has also been discussed as a possible heavyweight threat in the same competitive orbit.

Teixeira’s comparison centered on how opponents position and move inside heavyweight bouts. According to the reporting, Teixeira believes Pavlovich’s style is more “stationary,” making him a less difficult puzzle than Gane for Pereira to solve. The point was not framed as a guarantee of victory, but as an evaluation of the kind of reads and timing Pereira may be able to impose more consistently when an opponent’s movement patterns are more predictable.

For Pereira, the matchup represents more than another headline opponent. He is fighting as a reigning champion, and his camp’s focus on style comes with practical implications: when a fighter believes the opponent is giving a certain rhythm, it can shape how long the champion is comfortable standing in the pocket, what the champion chooses to shoot for, and how the team plans to manage distance and angles across the early minutes of a title fight. Teixeira’s comments suggest the Pereira camp sees enough in Pavlovich’s game to expect a steadier tactical script than the one Teixeira associates with Gane.

Sergei Pavlovich and Pereira are scheduled to meet in the co-main event of UFC 335, according to the same report. That placement matters because co-main positioning typically draws a concentrated audience, with the bout expected to carry major title-picture weight for the division. For Teixeira, it also underscores why matchup analysis inside the gym is so emphasized in a camp when a titleholder is involved and when the opponent’s tendencies could dictate how the champion’s strengths translate in live exchanges.

The “better fit” framing also speaks to the way heavyweight matchups often play out at the highest level. Heavyweights frequently win rounds through singular sequences, whether it is a clean entry that forces a clinch, a power-based counter after an opponent commits, or a surge that changes the pace late in a round. A coach’s belief that one fighter is easier to read than another can reflect an expectation that the champion will spend less time reacting and more time setting traps, forcing the opponent to answer rather than dictate.

Still, style matchups are not results. Pavlovich’s reputation in the division has been built on finishing threat and physical pressure, and Teixeira’s comments should be understood as an argument about match mechanics rather than an assurance that the fight will resemble a specific sparring session. Pereira’s ability to execute under pressure, manage exchanges when the pace spikes, and adjust if Pavlovich changes how he moves during the fight remains the deciding factor.

The next step for fans is simple: watch how the styles test in real time. If Pavlovich stays more planted and less fluid, Pereira’s team may find the reads Teixeira expects, including opportunities to set up entries and control distance longer than they would against a more mobile opponent like Gane. If Pavlovich adjusts and demonstrates more dynamic movement than the camp is anticipating, the “fit” argument could be challenged early. UFC 335 on Dec. 12 will determine whether Teixeira’s matchup assessment holds up once the rounds begin.