Veteran coach thinks Alex Pereira just too small for heavyweight: ‘Can he take the power?’

Key Points:

• Veteran coach Ray Longo believes Alex Pereira may be struggling to compete effectively at heavyweight after his loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC White House in June, where Pereira was stopped in the second round.
• Pereira, aiming to become the UFC’s first three-division champion, now faces heavyweight contender Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 on December 12, a matchup Longo views as another significant challenge due to size and power differences.
• Longo highlights Pereira’s fighting style, noting his tendency to keep his hands down and absorb hits, which could be problematic against larger heavyweights who deliver more powerful strikes.
• Despite Pereira’s successful UFC career with notable knockouts over top fighters like Israel Adesanya and Jan Blachowicz, Longo emphasizes that the heavyweight division presents a unique and tougher physical challenge.
• A win over Pavlovich could position Pereira for another title shot in 2027, but Longo cautions that competing against heavyweights requires adjustments and resilience that Pereira has yet to fully demonstrate.