Charles Oliveira knows exactly how dangerous Sergei Pavlovich is, however, he still expects Alex Pereira to find a way through him at UFC 335. The plan he has in mind starts with Pereira’s kicking game.
The BMF champion, who defends his belt against Diego Lopes in the main event of UFC 335, broke down the heavyweight co-main event between his longtime friend and the Russian in an interview with MMA Fighting. He was quick to credit Pavlovich’s power first.
“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 also named the hole he thinks Pereira can attack:
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“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.”
Check out Charles Oliveira‘s comments below:
Pavlovich is on a three-fight winning streak and has finished 16 of his 21 wins. The 34-year-old Russian holds the UFC record for consecutive first-round knockouts, six of them, and his last outing was a 39-second stoppage of Tallison Teixeira in Macau in May. He is ranked No. 2 at heavyweight, one place above Pereira (13-4), and the co-main event is set for five rounds.
Oliveira, who beat Max Holloway in March to win the BMF belt, said sharing the card with Pereira matters:
“Two tough fights, both mine and his, but I really believe in Poatan’s firepower and his strategy, and in his ability to get in there and win.”
The BMF champion was also proud of the fact that the Brazilian pair were part of the card after coming through various hardships.
Alex Pereira chases a first heavyweight win after Freedom 250
Alex Pereira’s heavyweight debut came at UFC Freedom 250 in June, on the South Lawn of the White House, where he challenged Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title.
However, things didn’t go ‘Poatan’s’ way. Gane dropped him with a jab and finished him at 1:27 of the second round, ending Pereira’s bid to become the UFC’s first three-division champion.
Pereira, who weighed a career-high 251 pounds for the fight, later said some of Gane’s shots landed illegally on the back of his head and that he was looking at legal options. He also took shots at the referee Herb Dean, and called for action to be taken against the veteran official.
Edited by Saiyed Adeem Karim
