There are few brighter stars in the UFC Heavyweight division than Sergei Pavlovich. The Russian-born star has quickly come up through the ranks in the UFC, and he is now ranked as the second-best fighter in the weight classification. His performances have been absorbing to this point, and he looks set to finally be rewarded with a championship showdown with Jon Jones in 2023. But, can the top Russian UFC star overcome the biggest challenge and what has he achieved already throughout his career?
Early Career
Pavlovich began his MMA career in the Fight Nights Global promotion in 2014. He made an immediate impression with the promotion, winning all 12 of his first professional fights without suffering a defeat. The Russian finally landed a first title in June 2017, as his unanimous decision win over Mikhail Mokhnatkin saw him claim the heavyweight championship. He would defend the title on one occasion before moving to the UFC in 2018.
Early UFC Fights
Pavlovich made his UFC debut in November 2018, but he would suffer a first professional defeat at the hands of Alistair Overeem by first-round KO. However, he bounced back from that defeat with a commanding KO win over Marcelo Golm, before beating Maurice Greene by first-round knockout in October 2019.
A huge showdown with Ciryl Gane was set for UFC Fight Night 174, but it was later scrapped due to the Russian picking up an injury. This would be the first of a number of canceled high-profile bouts, with fights against Tom Aspinall and Tanner Boser both also canceled in 2021.
However, he returned to the octagon in excellent fashion in March 2022, defeating Shamil Abdurakhimov by first-round knockout. His biggest career success would then come against Derrick Lewis, as he scored a controversial first-round win. His habit of ending fights early would continue in late 2022 with a stunning victory in under a minute against Tai Tuivasa, before defeating Curtin Blaydes in the first round.
UFC Honours
Pavlovich is yet to be awarded a championship opportunity, but he has made an instant impression in the UFC since his debut loss. He has already won the Performance of the Night bonus on four occasions, with his bonus following victory against Blaydes being his second straight fight to achieve that. Pavlovich also currently boasts the longest first-round knockout streak in UFC history with six opening-round finishes.
The Russian also holds the UFC record for the highest number of significant strikes landed per minute with 8.72. His stock continues to rise with every appearance he makes in the octagon, and fans are waiting patiently for his showdown with the reigning heavyweight champion to be announced.
Conclusion
There are few brighter stars in the UFC heavyweight division than Pavlovich, and it looks like a matter of time before he finally gets his hands on the world title. However, it will be a nervy wait before we see his date with Destiny, as a bout with Jones may not be set until much later in 2023.
