Alex Pereira isn't hiding his exit strategy. Speaking on Connect Cast, the former two division champion said that if he loses to Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335 on December 12, he'll cut back down to light heavyweight rather than keep grinding it out with the big boys.

Pereira comes into the bout off a rough stretch, having lost his last outing to Ciryl Gane by knockout in the second round back on June 14. Despite the heavyweight detour, he's still ranked third at light heavyweight, so a return wouldn't be starting from scratch.

Pavlovich, ranked third at heavyweight, is riding momentum after stopping Tallison Teixeira with a first round knockout on May 30. The oddsmakers like him here too, with Pavlovich sitting at minus 205 to Pereira's plus 189. Our own model agrees, giving Pavlovich a 66 percent lean to Pereira's 34. The Elo numbers tell a closer story, Pereira at 1571 across ten UFC bouts, Pavlovich at 1543 across seven.

Israel Adesanya, never shy about his old rival, isn't a fan of the hedge. He questioned Pereira's heavyweight gamble altogether, and when asked about the light heavyweight contingency plan, Adesanya simply said 'I don't like that.'

Fans are already picking the story apart on r/MMA, with a thread dedicated to Pereira's comments about moving back down if things don't go his way against Pavlovich. Whatever happens, this fight looks like it decides more than just a heavyweight matchup.