Valter Walker says Sergei Pavlovich will KO Alex Pereira at UFC 335, sends 'Poatan' back to the tire shop

UFC heavyweight Valter Walker has escalated his war of words with Alex Pereira, predicting that his Gor MMA teammate Sergei Pavlovich will knock out the former two-division champion in the first round at UFC 335 on December 12 in Las Vegas, and that Pereira's future lies "back at the tire shop." Walker made the comments this week in an interview with the Brazilian YouTube channel Sexto Round and in an Instagram video, according to Sherdog, Bloody Elbow and Knockout Daily.

How the feud started

Pereira vs Pavlovich is the co-main event of UFC 335 at T-Mobile Arena, under Charles Oliveira's BMF title defense against Diego Lopes. It is Pereira's first fight since Ciryl Gane knocked him out in his heavyweight debut at UFC Freedom 250 on the White House lawn in June.

Walker, a fellow Brazilian, first questioned how Pereira would fare against Pavlovich and called "Poatan" a favorable matchup for himself. Pereira answered in an interview with Laerte Viana, reported by Sherdog and Yahoo Sports on October 13, and claimed Walker had turned down an invitation to train together.

"I invited him to train with me and he ran off," Pereira said. "I heard he was scared. He said he wasn't a punching bag." Pereira then offered to fly Walker from Russia to Las Vegas in first class for a sparring session and to pay him the amount of his last fight purse if Walker caught his foot.

Walker: 'I'm still waiting for that ticket'

In an Instagram video with his coach Gor Azizyan, Walker said he has not received the promised flight, Sherdog reported on October 16.

"Poatan, I'm still waiting for that ticket," Walker said. "Buy it, and I'll head straight to Las Vegas to get a hold of your foot. If you don't want me grabbing your foot at the Performance Institute, no problem. I'll buy you a business-class ticket, and you can come here to Russia instead."

Speaking with Sexto Round, Walker went after Pereira's spending and said the former champion has a "very wounded ego." He mocked a recent luxury car purchase that, he claimed, Pereira does not fit inside, and followed it with crude personal insults that Sherdog and Bloody Elbow quoted in full.

Walker denied he had been disrespectful. "How did I disrespect him? I just have my opinion. The Russian is going to knock out 'Poatan' in the first round," he said, according to Bloody Elbow. "He's gonna get KO'd in the first round, then I'll fight him, take his foot. Brother, you can expect 'Poatan' back at the tire shop. Unfortunately, that is the future waiting for him."

Pavlovich promises 'surprises'

Pavlovich himself has stayed quieter. On Thursday the 34-year-old Russian posted video of himself drilling combinations on the pads with the caption "There will be many surprises #ufc335," Bloody Elbow reported.

Walker's leg-lock run

Walker, 16-1 according to Bloody Elbow and Knockout Daily, has won five straight. The first four came by heel hook, and in July at UFC Abu Dhabi he made Thomas Petersen tap to a calf slicer. That record is why his threat to "take his foot" is more than a figure of speech.

No fight between Pereira and Walker has been discussed by the UFC. According to Bloody Elbow, the winner of Pereira vs Pavlovich will most likely face the winner of Gane vs Josh Hokit, who meet for the heavyweight title at UFC 334 on November 14 at Madison Square Garden.

What's next

• UFC 334, November 14, New York: Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit for the heavyweight title
• UFC 335, December 12, Las Vegas: Charles Oliveira vs Diego Lopes (BMF title), Alex Pereira vs Sergei Pavlovich