With the exciting UFC Orlando: Thompson vs. Holland fight card in the history books and with so many takeaways from this great event, one seems to stand out the most. Sergei Pavlovich’s dismantling of Tai Tuivasa in less than a minute was very impressive and what was even more impressive was the fact that he started the onslaught with a jab. When you think about it, it truly is remarkable that a jab could do so much damage early on in a fight.
The fans may have booed Pavlovich as he entered the Octagon, but after what he did to the fan favorite Tai Tuivasa, it was nice to see them show respect after such an amazing performance. Being booed may have been the fuel that Sergei Pavlovich needed to flip the switch and unleash pure violence on his opponent, who he ultimately respected all through fight week interviews.
With comparisons to Francis N’Gannou being thrown around because of his mirrored power and KO finish rate, Pavlovich might have a date in the near future against the current heavyweight king.
What’s Next for the Russian Assassin?
Since his UFC debut loss to Alistair Overeem back in 2018, Sergei Pavlovich has been on a tear with sheer dominance and what’s next could simply be a fight for a contender spot or he could even slip into a title fight as it could be an easily hyped-up fight.
Two contenders that would be the most obvious would be Ciryl Gane and Curtis Blaydes. Both are dangerous opponents with a high risk and huge reward. If Pavlovich could add one of the two names to his win column there would be no denying who is next in line.
Ciryl Gane is sitting pretty in the rankings – at the moment he sits atop with the number one ranking beside his name. Ciryl could wait for a money contender fight against Stipe Miocic and add to his already impressive UFC defeated list, or he could take a fight against Pavlovich. A fight between the two could be a perfect set up and would benefit both Gane and Pavlovich. It would be an easy sell to the MMA fans as it took Gane three rounds to finish Tai Tuivasa and only fifty-four seconds for Sergei Pavlovich.
Curtis Blaydes is always around the top of the heavyweight division rankings – he is always a contender just waiting for his shot at a title. Sergei Pavlovich just hopped the line past Blaydes with the current rankings being released. A matchup between the two would surely headline a fight night or even gain the co-main honors on a pay-per-view card.
Title Fight Not Yet
The current champ Francis N’Gannou might be set up to have a dream fight against Jon Jones and with discussion of a better contract, that leaves the option of a championship fight off the table for now for Sergei Pavlovich.
What were your thoughts on Sergei Pavlovich’s performance at UFC Orlando? Fight fans, do you feel he is ready for a title shot? Let us know in the comments below.
