Robert Whittaker is no stranger to tough challenges. Throughout his career, the former UFC middleweight champion has faced elite fighters such as Khamzat Chimaev, Israel Adesanya, and Yoel Romero twice. He made a strong impression in his light heavyweight debut by defeating Nikita Krylov at UFC 329.
Alex Pereira, the former middleweight and light heavyweight UFC champ with a 13-4 MMA record (10-3 in UFC), recently fell short in his bid to win a third title when Ciryl Gane stopped him in their interim heavyweight championship bout at UFC Fight Night 250. Pereira aims to bounce back in a five-round fight against Sergei Pavlovich (20-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC), which will co-headline UFC 335 on December 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, airing on Paramount+.
Pereira has indicated that if he loses to Pavlovich, he is likely to return to the light heavyweight division—a move Whittaker is eagerly anticipating. “It would be great. I’d love to welcome him back—that would be fun,” Whittaker told Submission Radio. “It would be a lot of fun. We’d have to wait and see.”
Despite this, Whittaker expressed doubt that Pavlovich will defeat Pereira. “The division is evolving with many significant fights on the horizon, so we’ll have to see what happens with Pereira,” Whittaker said. “I don’t see how Pavlovich beats Pereira. It wouldn’t be by decision; he’d have to rush in and land a massive knockout punch.”
Whittaker is set to face Bogdan Guskov (18-4-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 298 on February 6 at Afterpay Arena in Sydney.
Fan Take: This potential return of Pereira to light heavyweight could electrify the division, setting the stage for some blockbuster matchups with Whittaker and others. For fans, it signals a thrilling period ahead as top fighters shift divisions, pushing the sport’s competitive boundaries even further.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
