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

Veteran MMA coach Ray Longo has raised serious doubts about Alex Pereira's viability at heavyweight following the former light heavyweight and middleweight champion's second-round knockout loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC White House in June. Pereira was pursuing a historic third divisional title, but found himself overwhelmed by Gane's striking power and size before being caught by strikes in the co-main event.

Appearing on the Anik & Florian Podcast, Longo expressed admiration for Pereira's skill and knockout power but questioned whether the kickboxing-turned-MMA star can absorb the punishment delivered by elite heavyweights. "When you get with these bigger guys now, can he take the power coming back is the problem," Longo explained, noting that Pereira's fighting style—keeping his hands low and welcoming exchanges—may be fundamentally incompatible with the size and power at heavyweight. Longo cited Pereira's sparring footage as evidence that he regularly absorbs shots, a luxury he cannot afford against heavyweight-caliber strikers.

Pereira's next test comes against Sergei Pavlovich, the No. 5-ranked heavyweight contender, on December 12 at UFC 335. Longo remains skeptical that Pereira can succeed at the weight class, pointing to the visible size disparity during the Gane bout. Despite his decorated record of finishes over opponents including Israel Adesanya, Jan Blachowicz, and Jiri Prochazka, Pereira struggled to impose his offense on Gane before being knocked down by a jab—demonstrating, in Longo's view, the stark difference between fighting at 185 pounds versus 250.

A victory over Pavlovich could position Pereira for another heavyweight title shot in 2027, but another defeat would reinforce a growing narrative: that heavyweight elite operate in a different realm of power and size that his current skillset cannot navigate.