Former UFC champion Michael Bisping believes Pereira might retire soon if things do not go his way against Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335.
The UFC recently announced its final pay-per-view event of the year, with Alex Pereira set to face knockout specialist Sergei Pavlovich in a five-round heavyweight co-main event at UFC 335 in Las Vegas.
The bout marks Pereira’s second appearance at heavyweight following his controversial loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250 earlier this year. Now, the former two-division UFC champion faces another dangerous test in Pavlovich, one of the division’s most feared finishers.
Pavlovich enters the fight riding a three-fight winning streak and owns knockout victories over fighters such as Tallison Teixeira, Derrick Lewis, and Tai Tuivasa. His power has already raised concerns among several MMA analysts, including UFC commentator Joe Rogan.
However, it is Michael Bisping who has gone a step further, suggesting that Pereira might retire soon if he suffers another setback at UFC 335.
“Could this be the end of Alex Pereira?” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Pereira’s style is flat-footed. He’s not nice and light on his feet, he’s not spritely, he’s not overly agile. At heavyweight, the guys can take the bigger shots and can give the bigger shots, and they are naturally that size. They haven’t put the weight on by force.”
The matchup also carries added motivation for Pereira. Earlier this year, Pavlovich knocked out Pereira’s teammate Tallison Teixeira in just 39 seconds, handing the Brazilian camp a painful defeat.
Still, Bisping believes the challenge goes beyond revenge. He questioned what comes next for Pereira if he loses another high-profile heavyweight fight.
“If he goes up against Pavlovich and he does lose, and there’s a real chance of that, then where does he go from there?” Bisping said. “Because he wouldn’t be in line for a title shot any time soon. He wouldn’t just have to win one fight; he would have to win two or three. Does Alex Pereira want to do that? Does he want to be just a contender in the heavyweight division?”
The UFC Hall of Famer also pointed to Pereira’s age and financial success as reasons why retirement could become a realistic option. Pereira turns 40 next year and has already enjoyed a remarkable career that includes championship reigns at both middleweight and light heavyweight.
“Then you factor in how much money he has made in his career. I don’t know the number, but it’s definitely more than $5 million each fight,” Bisping continued. “Does he want to be a contender and the co-main event? This is not a walk in the park. Pavlovich could knock out Alex Pereira.”
The narrative heading into UFC 335 is clear. While Pereira remains one of the UFC’s biggest stars, the stakes have never been higher.
