Alex Pereira is heading back to heavyweight and bookmakers may not be favoring him accoring to early numbers. Sergei Pavlovich has opened as a small favorite over Alex Pereira for their newly announced five-round heavyweight co-main event at UFC 335. The early line puts Pavlovich at -135, with Pereira returning +114 ahead of their December 12 meeting at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
One online book listed Pavlovich as the early favourite shortly after the bout was confirmed, while an odds comparison listing showed a similar market of Pavlovich -140 and Pereira +110. The small gap tells the story: bookmakers see a close contest, but have initially leaned toward the established heavyweight.
At -135, Pavlovich’s implied probability is about 60 percent. Pereira’s +114 price equates to roughly 40 percent. Those figures should not be treated as a fight forecast, especially this far from the event, but they show the Russian as the narrow early pick. Anyone doing real research on this should be looking into fast payout options before fight week even starts, not after they’ve already got funds tied up somewhere slow (source:
Alex Pereira vs Sergei Pavlovich Odds: Early UFC 335 Betting Lines
Pavlovich enters as a proven heavyweight contender with a 21-3 record and a three-fight winning run following losses to Tom Aspinall and Alexander Volkov. His latest outing ended in a 39-second knockout of Tallison Teixeira in May, a result that kept his name near the front of the title picture. He is listed second in the UFC heavyweight rankings, one place ahead of Pereira. His advantage in natural size, experience against heavyweight opposition and power at this weight appear to have shaped the opening market.
There is an obvious risk to assuming Pavlovich can simply walk forward, though. He has been stopped before, and he is being booked for five rounds against one of MMA’s cleanest counter-strikers. A short price may reflect heavyweight familiarity more than certainty.
Pereira, 13-4, is a former UFC middleweight champion and two-time light heavyweight champion. UFC 335 will be his second heavyweight contest after a knockout loss to current champion Ciryl Gane at the UFC White House card in June.
The Brazilian’s route is clear: manage range, punish entries and make Pavlovich think twice about loading up in the pocket. Pereira has built his UFC run around timing and kickboxing experience, and the +114 line gives bettors a modest plus-money return if they believe his speed and accuracy can transfer more effectively in his second outing at heavyweight. This is not a title fight, although its five-round format and the fighters’ rankings give it a title-contender feel.
UFC 335 takes place on Saturday, December 12, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Pereira vs. Pavlovich is the five-round heavyweight co-main event, beneath Charles Oliveira’s BMF title defence against Diego Lopes. Dana White announced the Pereira-Pavlovich booking during UFC 332, and the UFC subsequently confirmed the bout.
