Alex Pereira is staying at heavyweight as he prepares to face Sergei Pavlovich in a five-round co-main event at UFC 335. The matchup could play a major role in determining his place in the heavyweight title picture.
With Ciryl Gane and Josh Hokit set to battle for the undisputed heavyweight title at UFC 334, Pereira has another opportunity to keep his dream of becoming the first three-division champion in UFC history alive.
While the Brazilian is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous strikers in MMA, moving up to heavyweight also means dealing with bigger opponents who can pose serious challenges on the ground.
Pereira recently got some help in that department from UFC legend Cain Velasquez, who appeared to show him a few tricks for dealing with body locks during a training session.
Cain Velasquez Helps Alex Pereira Sharpen His Body Lock Defense
Velasquez recently shared training footage on his Instagram account with the caption, “Chama por vida.” The former two-time UFC heavyweight champion worked with Pereira in the video, demonstrating how to navigate both sides of a body lock while Glover Teixeira watched the session.
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For those unfamiliar with Velasquez’s background, the 44-year-old was an accomplished NCAA Division I wrestler at Arizona State University. He earned All-American honors in 2005 and was named Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year that same year, finishing his collegiate career with an impressive 86-17 record.
He carried those wrestling skills into the Octagon and became one of the most dominant heavyweight fighters in UFC history. Velasquez used his relentless pressure and wrestling to dismantle some of the division’s biggest names, including Brock Lesnar, Junior dos Santos, Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira, and Antonio Silva.
Around the same time, Velasquez also shared a picture of himself posing with several active fighters at the UFC Performance Institute, including fighters like Johnny Walker, Sean Sharaf, and Tatiana Suarez.
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The training footage showed Velasquez looking in great shape, and his experience could prove valuable to Pereira as he continues to develop his heavyweight game. There is little doubt about Poatan’s striking credentials, but his wrestling and grappling have not earned the same level of praise. Working with someone like Velasquez could help him address those concerns as he prepares for bigger challenges.
Velasquez’s return to the gym comes after his release on parole following the February 2022 car chase incident. After pleading no contest to charges including felony attempted murder, assault, and weapons violations, he was sentenced to five years in prison followed by four years of supervised probation.
However, the judge credited him with 1,283 days for time already spent in custody and under strict house arrest. That credit, combined with his participation in prison rehabilitation programs, helped pave the way for his early parole. Velasquez served roughly 11 months of his remaining sentence at a state prison in Soledad before returning to his family earlier this year.
Since his release, the former heavyweight champion has returned to American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, where he has been mentoring and teaching younger MMA fighters. His work with Pereira appears to be part of that effort, giving the Brazilian an opportunity to learn from one of the best heavyweights the sport has ever seen.