Pereira dares leg-lock specialist Walker to spar, stakes a full fight purse on his feet

Alex Pereira has publicly challenged Valter Walker to a sparring session in Las Vegas, offering to cover the Russian’s travel costs and pay him the equivalent of his most recent fight purse if Walker can submit him with a leg attack. The challenge came after Walker predicted Pereira would struggle against Sergei Pavlovich in the co-main event of UFC 335 on 12 December.

Walker, a submission specialist who has won his last five bouts by leg-lock, had described the former two-division UFC champion as a favourable matchup for himself. Pereira, speaking to Laerte Viana, dismissed the claims and suggested Walker had already been given the chance to back them up.

“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. He got scared, and now he wants to hype up something he knows isn’t going to happen. I’m not kidding. Whenever he wants. Let’s go to Las Vegas — I’ll fly him in from Russia, put him in first class. We’ll spar. If he beats me, if he catches my foot, I’ll pay him the amount of his last fight purse.”

The challenge adds a pointed edge to what is already a notable build-up for Pereira, who is looking to rebuild momentum at heavyweight following his stoppage loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250 — his debut in the division. A strong performance against Pavlovich, one of the hardest hitters in the heavyweight rankings, would go a long way toward restoring his title credentials.

Walker’s leg-lock record gives his comments a degree of credibility that Pereira appears unwilling to let stand unchallenged. Whether the sparring session materialises or remains a social media exchange, the back-and-forth has sharpened attention on both fighters ahead of UFC 335.