Dana White comments on Alex Pereira’s heavyweight future following concern over UFC 335 return

Dana White says a win and a win alone will help cement Alex Pereira as a heavyweight.

In December, Pereira will face Sergei Pavlovich in his second fight since vacating the light heavyweight title in order to move up a division.

The fan favorite taking on one of the most dangerous contenders in the division has led to some raising concerns about Pereira’s future heading into UFC 335.

This led to the UFC president being asked what he needs to see from ‘Poatan’ in order to prove that this is where the Brazilian belongs.

Tell us how Alex Pereira's second heavyweight fight plays out…

Alex Pereira remained focused on a rematch with Ciryl Gane before different fights were announced for both men for upcoming events.

While ‘Poatan’ has spoken a lot about his issues with the referee in his loss to ‘Bon Gamin’, the defeat opened up a lot of questions about his heavyweight future.

Many felt like he took the wrong approach by putting on so much additional weight, while others questioned whether he should have moved back to light heavyweight.

Pereira still being focused on winning a belt at heavyweight means that he has a lot to prove when he returns in December.

In an interview with UFC on Paramount+, Dana White was asked what he needs to see from the Brazilian star in order to be confident that he’s right for this division.

“A win,” White responded. “A win will help.”

Given the track records of both Pereira and Sergei Pavlovich, it’s hard to imagine either man winning without it producing one of the highlights of the night.

'Poatan' is now in an awkward position after leaving light heavyweight

Joe Rogan highlighted Sergei Pavlovich’s size, power, and boxing ability when calling Alex Pereira’s next fight a “tough ask”.

If you’re trying to make the argument for ‘Poatan’ in this matchup, there are some positives to consider.

Pavlovich doesn’t come close to matching Ciryl Gane in the speed and evasiveness department, which should give Pereira more opportunities to make reads and land huge shots of his own.

The big question will be what happens if the Russian is able to find success when returning fire.