Charles Oliveira Points to Sergei Pavlovich Flaw That Could Favor Alex Pereira at UFC 335

Alex Pereira (13-4) returns on Dec. 12 at UFC 335, facing Sergei Pavlovich (21-3) in a five-round heavyweight bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This marks Pereira's second appearance at 265 pounds since Ciryl Gane stopped him in the second round during the White House card on June 14.

Pavlovich enters the contest on a three-fight winning streak, which features a 39-second knockout of Tallison Teixeira at UFC Macau on May 30. The Russian powerhouse has finished 16 of his wins by knockout. Despite Pavlovich's formidable power, Charles Oliveira, who also competes on the UFC 335 card against Diego Lopes, believes Pereira possesses a clear path to secure his 12th career knockout.

Charles Oliveira Says Sergei Pavlovich Leaves Himself Open to Kicks

"Do Bronxs" and “Poatan” have known each other for more than a decade, and the two Brazilians will fight in the top two bouts of the same card. Oliveira respects Pavlovich's punching power but recently highlighted a defensive hole he thinks Pereira can exploit.

"Pavlovich is a very tough guy, a heavy hitter, a big guy, a strong guy, but Poatan is Poatan," Oliveira said. "If Poatan lands a punch, if he's in the right mindset and gets his timing right, if he lands that punch, he can also knock him out easily.”

He added, “It's a very dangerous fight, I know that, but Pavlovich doesn't defend against kicks, and Poatan kicks a lot. Poatan moves well. In reality, if he manages to connect and gets his timing right first, it will definitely be another great knockout."

Pereira's history as a Glory kickboxing champion gives him the exact tools to test Oliveira's theory. Consistent leg and body kicks can break down a heavy hitter's stance and slow down their forward pressure.

That control is vital against Pavlovich, who recently used three consecutive punches to drop Teixeira. Pereira must manage the distance and avoid trading in close quarters, where size and power control the exchange. Ciryl Gane's second-round victory proved how severely the heavyweight division punishes mistakes.

Oliveira remains highly confident in this blueprint. "I really believe in Poatan's firepower and his strategy, and in his ability to get in there and win," he claimed

Securing a victory -- whether by knockout, submission, or a judges' decision -- is the only thing that matters for Pereira. He currently holds a 0-1 record in the heavyweight division. So, the stakes could not be higher. Pereira has already stated that if he loses this bout, he will abandon his heavyweight experiment and return to the light heavyweight division.