Sergei Pavlovich
Russia
Finishes strong against Cortes-Acosta
Pavlovich defeated Waldo Cortes-Acosta via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) at UFC Shanghai on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
Pavlovich got off to a slower start and fought his surging opponent to relatively even terms in Round 1, but the former title contender got stronger as the fight went on, proving to be the better man when it was all said and done. He was the fresher fighter late, out-landing WCA 30-to-14 in Round 3. It would have been nice to see Pavlovich seek the finish given he seemed to have his opponent compromised on a few occasions, but Pavlovich intelligently cruised to what would be an easy decision for the judges. He's now won two in a row and could see title-implicating fights in the near future.
Pavlovich got off to a slower start and fought his surging opponent to relatively even terms in Round 1, but the former title contender got stronger as the fight went on, proving to be the better man when it was all said and done. He was the fresher fighter late, out-landing WCA 30-to-14 in Round 3. It would have been nice to see Pavlovich seek the finish given he seemed to have his opponent compromised on a few occasions, but Pavlovich intelligently cruised to what would be an easy decision for the judges. He's now won two in a row and could see title-implicating fights in the near future.
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Taking on Cortes-Acosta
Pavlovich will face Waldo Cortes-Acosta in a heavyweight bout in Shanghai on Aug. 23, per Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl.
ANALYSIS
Pavlovich is coming off a win over Jaizinho Rozenstruik back in February that snapped a two-bout losing streak for the 33-year-old fighter. That pushed his UFC record to 7-3, and he'll look for win No. 8 against an opponent in Cortes-Acosta who is off to an excellent start in the promotion, sitting at 7-1 and winning his last five fights.
Pavlovich is coming off a win over Jaizinho Rozenstruik back in February that snapped a two-bout losing streak for the 33-year-old fighter. That pushed his UFC record to 7-3, and he'll look for win No. 8 against an opponent in Cortes-Acosta who is off to an excellent start in the promotion, sitting at 7-1 and winning his last five fights.
Snaps brief losing streak
Pavlovich defeated Jair Rozenstruik via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
ANALYSIS
It was a boring, 15-minute slog. It was also a clear cut unanimous decision win for Pavlovich, which is all he cared about on the heels of back-to-back defeats to Alexander Volkov and Tom Aspinall. Sergei landed the bigger blows on the feet, although he was credited with just 25 significant strikes landed. He won the fight on the strength of two successful takedowns and 6:17 worth of control time. Pavlovich obviously has massive power. He's also an underrated grappler. The main question mark is the cardio. The 32-year-old Russian is clearly a top-five heavyweight despite his recent struggles.
It was a boring, 15-minute slog. It was also a clear cut unanimous decision win for Pavlovich, which is all he cared about on the heels of back-to-back defeats to Alexander Volkov and Tom Aspinall. Sergei landed the bigger blows on the feet, although he was credited with just 25 significant strikes landed. He won the fight on the strength of two successful takedowns and 6:17 worth of control time. Pavlovich obviously has massive power. He's also an underrated grappler. The main question mark is the cardio. The 32-year-old Russian is clearly a top-five heavyweight despite his recent struggles.
Rozenstruik up next
Pavlovich is scheduled to compete against Jair Rozenstruik in a heavyweight fight at UFC Saudi Arabia on Feb. 1, per Nolan King of MMA Junkie.
ANALYSIS
After suffering a decision loss to Alexander Volkov during the UFC's inaugural Saudi Arabia event, Pavlovich will take a step down in competition ranking-wise and go back to the country to redeem himself. Pavlovich had logged six consecutive KO/TKOs before suffering back-to-back defeats at the hands of Volkov and Tom Aspinall.
After suffering a decision loss to Alexander Volkov during the UFC's inaugural Saudi Arabia event, Pavlovich will take a step down in competition ranking-wise and go back to the country to redeem himself. Pavlovich had logged six consecutive KO/TKOs before suffering back-to-back defeats at the hands of Volkov and Tom Aspinall.
Unable to solve Alexander Volkov
Pavlovich lost to Alexander Volkov via unanimous decision (27-30, 27-30, 28-29) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
ANALYSIS
This performance will do nothing to quiet the concerns that Pavlovich is nothing more than a one-punch knockout artist. Not only had Sergei never seen the final bell in his previous eight UFC bouts, he had never even seen a second round. To his credit, his cardio looked just fine, but he had all sorts of issues getting inside against his taller, longer opponent. Volkov simply stood at distance and picked Pavlovich apart with his jab and leg kicks. Sergei landed a few heavy blows, but nothing that came close to putting Volkov away. Pavlovich had won seven straight prior to his knockout defeat to Tom Aspinall last November. Just like that, he's riding a two-fight losing streak and finds himself miles from title contention.
This performance will do nothing to quiet the concerns that Pavlovich is nothing more than a one-punch knockout artist. Not only had Sergei never seen the final bell in his previous eight UFC bouts, he had never even seen a second round. To his credit, his cardio looked just fine, but he had all sorts of issues getting inside against his taller, longer opponent. Volkov simply stood at distance and picked Pavlovich apart with his jab and leg kicks. Sergei landed a few heavy blows, but nothing that came close to putting Volkov away. Pavlovich had won seven straight prior to his knockout defeat to Tom Aspinall last November. Just like that, he's riding a two-fight losing streak and finds himself miles from title contention.
Looks to bounce back in June
Pavlovich will take on Alexander Volkov in a heavyweight matchup at the UFC event scheduled for June 22 in Saudi Arabia, UFC President Dana White announced Wednesday night.
ANALYSIS
Pavlovich was given an opportunity for the interim heavyweight title last November, but he fell to Tom Aspinall in the very first round. He'll get a relatively quick turnaround against Volkov, a veteran fighter on a three-fight winning streak. On paper, Pavlovich will be giving up four inches in height, but he'll also enter the cage with a four-inch reach advantage. Neither fighter typically employs much wrestling in their game plan, and if it stays on the feet as expected, Pavlovich has the statistical edge in striking volume.
Pavlovich was given an opportunity for the interim heavyweight title last November, but he fell to Tom Aspinall in the very first round. He'll get a relatively quick turnaround against Volkov, a veteran fighter on a three-fight winning streak. On paper, Pavlovich will be giving up four inches in height, but he'll also enter the cage with a four-inch reach advantage. Neither fighter typically employs much wrestling in their game plan, and if it stays on the feet as expected, Pavlovich has the statistical edge in striking volume.