Alex Pereira Set for UFC 335 Heavyweight Return

'Poatan' is going heavyweight. Former two-division champion Alex Pereira will step up to the heavyweight division at UFC 335, where he'll feature in the co-main event — a move announced during Saturday night's UFC 332 broadcast that sent shockwaves through the MMA world.

Pereira's rise has been one of the most remarkable in UFC history. After conquering the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, the Brazilian knockout artist now takes aim at a third weight class, a feat that would cement his legacy as one of the greatest to ever do it.

But the bout carries an extra layer of intrigue: revenge. Seven months ago, Sergei Pavlovich brutally knocked out Pereira's teammate Tallison Teixeira, a result that stung the camp deeply. Now Pereira gets the chance to settle the score in the most direct way possible — inside the Octagon.

Pavlovich remains one of the most dangerous punchers in the sport, and heavyweight is an unforgiving place. The question is whether Pereira's precision striking and legendary chin translate against naturally bigger men.

If anyone can pull it off, it's Pereira. From kickboxing champion to two-division UFC king, he has made a career of defying expectations. UFC 335 could be the night he becomes the first three-division champion in UFC history.