Sergei Pavlovich had never gone past round one in the UFC. Either Pavlovich knocked him out, or his opponent knocked him out. At UFC Saudi Arabia, Alexander Volkov went the distance with Pavlovich and scored a unanimous victory in the decision.
Pavlovich and Volkov were former training partners who showed animosity before and after the fight. They had an intense face-off, and Pavlovich even shoved Volkov when the 6’7″ Russian went to shake hands with the former interim heavyweight champion.
Pavlovich Analyzes Mistakes in Volkov Bout
Volkov performed impressively against his former training partner. He effectively used his range against Pavlovich. The leg kick plus jab combo was effective throughout the fight. The tallest active UFC fighter peppered Pavlovich’s face with jabs. Pavlovich has now released his first statement after the heartbreaking loss.
“It wasn’t my day, nothing went according to plan. I was ready for anything, but I was too focused on getting a knockout and took too many unnecessary hits. The result was a loss by points. This was very emotional and tough for me, especially knowing that I didn’t meet your expectations. Thank you all for your support! I promise to come back stronger and wiser..,” tweeted Pavlovich.
When the UFC updates its heavyweight rankings, Pavlovich will lose his number 3 spot. However, he has not fallen too far off a title shot. Only a handful of contenders are in the UFC’s heavyweight division. Therefore, a few victories will put him back in title contention.
As for his next opponent, the loser of the potential matchup between Ciryl Gane and Jailton Almeida stands out. Almeida has been clamoring for a fight with Gane at UFC Paris. If that materializes, Sergei Pavlovich will have his next opponent after UFC Paris.
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Also Read: MMA Fans React to Alexander Volkov Getting His Hair Combed in the UFC Saudi Arabia
