Pereira (13-4) is scheduled to face Sergei Pavlovich (21-3) at UFC 335 on Dec. 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Josh Hokit (10-0) will face Ciryl Gane (14-2) for the heavyweight title at UFC 334 on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Pereira said he initially expected either a rematch with Gane or a grudge match against Hokit, but he sees the Pavlovich booking as a favorable stylistic matchup.
Alex Pereira explains UFC matchmaking frustration and why Sergei Pavlovich is more dangerous than Josh Hokit
Pereira lost his UFC heavyweight debut to Gane by technical knockout in an interim title bout at UFC Freedom 250. After Tom Aspinall relinquished the undisputed championship, Pereira said the promotion discussed a title rematch with Gane or a fight against Hokit, who has repeatedly criticized “Poatan.”
Pereira considers Hokit an easier opponent than Pavlovich. Nevertheless, he said a conversation with UFC executive Hunter Campbell resolved his frustration, and he now looks forward to the December bout.
“What got me more upset at that time was because they told me that I was possibly going to fight Gane for the belt or fight Hokit,” Pereira told Ariel Helwani. “And then none of that happened. Coming from a loss, fighting Hokit would be much, much easier for me than fighting Pavlovich, who's supposed to be a harder fight. Hokit would be a much easier fight for me. We got together [with Hunter Campbell], we talked, we straightened things out, so it was fine. Pavlovich is a little more dangerous opponent, but looking at it in a technical way today, I see that it's actually also a very good fight for me.”
Alex Pereira reveals what upset him about the UFC's decision not to book him against Ciryl Gane or Josh Hokit: “What got me more upset at that time was because they told me that I was possibly going to fight Gane for the belt or fight Hokit. And then none of that happened. Coming from a loss, fighting Hokit would be much, much easier for me than fighting Pavlovich, who's supposed to be a harder fight. Hokit would be a much easier fight for me. We got together [with Hunter Campbell], we talked, we straightened things out, so it was fine. Pavlovich is a little more dangerous opponent, but looking at it in a technical way today, I see that it's actually also a very good fight for me.”— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 21, 2026