'He Ran': Alex Pereira Dares Valter Walker to Spar With Money on the Line

Alex Pereira is currently preparing for a high-stakes heavyweight co-main event against Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 on Dec. 12. Pereira originally wanted an immediate title rematch against Ciryl Gane after losing to him at UFC Freedom 250. But the newly elevated undisputed champion is instead scheduled to defend his belt against No. 6 contender Josh Hokit. 

The buildup to Pereira’s upcoming bout took a sharp detour when Pavlovich's training partner, fellow Brazilian heavyweight Valter Walker, publicly dismissed Pereira's chances online with a series of disrespectful predictions. The 39-year-old did not waste time escalating the beef further. 

Alex Pereira Offers First-Class Sparring Bet After Valter Walker Ducked Invite

Pereira detailed how the private feud escalated, revealing that Walker turned down an initial offer to train together before taking their business to social media. According to "Poatan," Walker wanted no part of sharing a gym with him.

"I invited him to train with me and he ran off," Pereira told Laerte Viana. "I heard he was scared. He said he wasn't a punching bag. He got scared, and now he wants to hype up something he knows isn't going to happen."

To settle the dispute, Pereira laid out an expensive, open-ended challenge to fly the Russian-based fighter to Nevada out of his own pocket. "I'm not kidding," Pereira said. "Whenever he wants. Let's go to Las Vegas -- I'll fly him in from Russia, put him in first class. We'll spar. If he beats me, if he catches my foot, I'll pay him the amount of his last fight purse." 

Pereira Taking Aim at Walker's Submission Prowess in Wager 

While Pereira did not name a dollar figure, the bet targets Walker's strengths. He has built a reputational streak in the division by winning his last five consecutive fights via leg-lock submissions.

Walker, who trains out of GOR MMA in Russia, has frequently used his training access to target Pereira online while supporting his main camp partner. When discussing the matchup with Sherdog in July, Walker didn't mince words about how his teammate would handle "Poatan."

"Sergei is a heavyweight built like a tank," Walker said. "In my opinion, Pavlovich would run right through him." Walker later doubled down on the prediction, stating, "Seriously, I think Sergei Pavlovich is going to knock Poatan out in the first round."

The back-and-forth adds severe pressure to Pereira's training. While he has criticized his previous loss by arguing that Gane landed illegal strikes to the back of his head, No. 2-ranked Pavlovich presents a completely different challenge. He is a heavy-handed striker, so the UFC 335 co-main event serves as a critical test for Pereira's title credentials at 265 pounds.

Meanwhile, Walker wants a quick return to the division. After submitting Thomas Petersen with a first-round calf slicer at UFC Abu Dhabi, Walker called out veteran striker Derrick Lewis. He hopes to secure this grappler-versus-striker matchup on an upcoming Middle East card later this year. However, the UFC has not yet officially booked the bout.