Israel Adesanya is questioning Alex Pereira’s decision to continue competing in the heavyweight division after the former two-division UFC champion suggested he would return to light heavyweight if he loses his upcoming fight against Sergei Pavlovich.
Pereira is scheduled to face Pavlovich at UFC 335 on December 12 in his second appearance at heavyweight. The matchup comes six months after Pereira suffered a devastating defeat to Ciryl Gane in their interim heavyweight title fight at UFC Freedom 250.
During an interview with Connect Cast earlier this week, Pereira revealed that he plans to return to the 205-pound division if he cannot get past Pavlovich. Those comments did not sit well with Adesanya, who faced Pereira twice in middleweight title fights in 2022 and 2023.
Speaking on Demetrious Johnson’s Mighty podcast this week, Adesanya expressed confusion over Pereira’s decision to take the fight and questioned why he would consider moving back down to light heavyweight before the matchup even takes place.
“I don't know why he's taking this fight. It doesn't make sense to me. I mean, I already saw a clip of Pereira saying if he loses to Pavlovich, he's going back down to 205. I don't like that. I don't like the fact that (he’s) putting that out there because then what do you what the fuck you mean, ‘If I lose’?” Adesanya said.
The former middleweight champion also questioned why Pereira did not immediately return to light heavyweight following his loss to Gane, arguing that a move back to 205 pounds would have made sense after the defeat.
“Go back to ‘Chama’. All this BS, all the fugazi…nah. Stick to ‘Chama.’ Why not just stay at 205 after this last fight with, what's his name…Ciryl Gane? Why not just go to (205)…I thought he was going to go (back) to 205. It made sense,” Adesanya said.
Pereira, known by his nickname “Poatan,” previously held UFC championships at both middleweight and light heavyweight. His size and ability to compete across multiple weight classes have been defining aspects of his career, although the move to heavyweight presents a different challenge against some of the division’s most powerful fighters.
Adesanya also revisited the discussion surrounding Pereira’s weight cuts during their rivalry at middleweight, suggesting that concerns about the Brazilian’s size at 185 pounds became more prominent after their fights.
“Again, he's a big, big dude for 185. People didn't say shit about weight cutting until I knocked him out,” Adesanya added.
The pair developed one of the UFC’s most notable rivalries, first competing against each other in kickboxing before meeting in the Octagon. Pereira defeated Adesanya in their first UFC encounter in 2022 before Adesanya reclaimed the middleweight title with a knockout victory in their April 2023 rematch.
Pereira subsequently moved to light heavyweight, where he won the division’s championship, before deciding to test himself at heavyweight.
His upcoming bout with Pavlovich could prove pivotal in determining whether he continues pursuing success in the heavyweight division or returns to 205 pounds. For Adesanya, however, Pereira’s willingness to discuss a potential return before the fight raises questions about the Brazilian’s commitment to the challenge ahead.
