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This past Saturday, Sergei Pavlovich defeated fan-favorite Tai Tuivasa via KO. However, the win was no simple knockout. The Russian behemoth flattened 'Bam Bam' within 54 seconds of the first round. It was a shocking result, given Tuivasa's granite chin.
As things stand, the UFC heavyweight division has become shallow. The reigning 265lbs kingpin, Francis Ngannou, has defeated the top three ranked heavyweights in the division. Ciryl Gane, Stipe Miocic, and Curtis Blaydes have all fallen before the thunderous might of the Cameroonian phenom.
However, Sergei Pavlovich is yet to face 'The Predator'. His unique set of skills presents an interesting puzzle for the division's power-punching ruler. While many have touted Ciryl Gane as a future world champion, perhaps it is the surging Russian heavyweight who will capture heavyweight gold.
#5. Sergei Pavlovich has terrifying knockout power
Sergei Pavlovich has fought a total of 18 fights across his entire MMA career thus far. In those fights, he has only gone to a decision once. Every other win has been a first-round knockout. His two most recent UFC wins were both sub-minute knockouts as well.
Furthermore, his win over Tai Tuivasa was especially impressive. 'Bam Bam' had only ever been KO'd twice prior to this bout. The first time was against Junior dos Santos, a very powerful striker and former heavyweight champion. Meanwhile, his second time being KO'd was after a three-round war against Ciryl Gane.
By comparison, Sergei Pavlovich needed only 54 seconds. Very few have escaped the first round against the Russian power puncher. A foe with such knockout power doesn't bode well for Francis Ngannou, given the Cameroonian's penchant for overextending his punches and getting out of position.
#4. Sergei Pavlovich is among the fastest heavyweights by a margin
Speed is an underrepresented attribute in the heavyweight division. However, across every division, a clear advantage in speed has always been a difference-maker. Even when opponents are closely matched in terms of skill, speed can be the decisive factor.
Alexander Volkanovski, for example, improved his speed to such an extent that by the time of his third fight with Max Holloway, the Hawaiian great was hitting nothing but air. Tom Aspinall's primary advantage over his foes in the heavyweight division is his blistering speed.
Sergei Pavlovich is similar to these fighters. His natural speed enables him to wade into the line of fire and evade most of his opponent's punches. Not only does this keep him relatively safe during striking exchanges, but it allows him to return fire the moment his opponents get out of position.
Since he's so fast that they can't reset their stances before they are hit, the Russian's opponents are exposed to punches they don't see coming. This renders them exceedingly vulnerable to being KO'd, especially given Pavlovich's punching power. His foes, unsurprisingly, rarely last more than a round against him.
Against him, Ngannou will have to be cautious. The Cameroonian is not especially fast, while Pavlovich is absurdly quick.
#3. His reach advantage
Sergei Pavlovich is not a small heavyweight. He stands at six feet and three inches tall. Furthermore, he is well-muscled and exceptionally strong. However, his reach advantage is what is truly beyond the norm. The Russian giant possesses an 84-inch wingspan.
His arms are four inches longer than Alexander Volkov's, even though 'Drago' stands four inches taller than his compatriot. Only Jon Jones possesses a greater reach advantage than the surging Russian contender, and it is only by half an inch.
Pavlovich's reach renders his striking even more difficult to deal with. With such long arms, Pavlovich stings his foes with hard combinations that convince them that they must quickly close the distance against him. However, upon doing so, they run into vicious counters that are too fast to anticipate.
Thus, the Russian's reach complements his speed. Furthermore, it allows him to cause his opponents to overextend their punches as they desperately try to reach him. Francis Ngannou is prone to overextending against opponents who aren't even close to being as long as he is.
This could prove to be a fatal mistake against Sergei Pavlovich. Against an opponent as powerful as the Russian, one mistake is often all he needs.
#2. Sergei Pavlovich's time at AKA
Sergei Pavlovich is mainly a boxer. Despite his lone loss to Alistair Overeem, the Russian behemoth has a background in Greco-Roman wrestling and Combat Sambo. After realizing that he needed to improve his defensive wrestling and grappling, the surging heavyweight spent some time at AKA.
The American Kickboxing Academy is home to elite wrestlers and grapplers like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Cain Velasquez, and Daniel Cormier. The lessons that the Russian giant derived from his time training are yet to be seen, but he must have improved in his time there, given how unafraid he is of takedown attempts.
Given that he had the benefit of training under a highly reputable head coach like Javier Mendez, it's likely he's already improved by leaps and bounds. If he improves to the same degree that Francis Ngannou did under Kamaru Usman's guidance, Sergei Pavlovich will become an overwhelming force.
Furthermore, outside of Curtis Blaydes, there are no other strong wrestlers in the top ten rankings at heavyweight. This bodes well for the Russian behemoth as it affords him more time to improve his anti-wrestling without having to face a high-level wrestler.
#1. His toughness
The hardest-hitting UFC fighters compete in the promotion's heavyweight division. The current 265lbs champion is Francis Ngannou, who just so happens to be the most powerful puncher in UFC history. In order to face 'The Predator' without immediately falling victim to his power, opponents require several attributes.
Speed is certainly helpful as it will aid fighters in evading the Cameroonian's heaviest blows. The unfortunate truth about fighting Ngannou is that every opponent will get hit at least once, and that just might mean "good-night."
One punch is typically all 'The Predator' needs. Thus, Sergei Pavlovich is fortunate to possess an iron chin. In his UFC career thus far, the Russian behemoth has faced Tai Tuivasa and Derrick Lewis.
Ciryl Gane, who has fought both Francis Ngannou and 'The Black Beast', identified 'Bam Bam' as the hardest hitter. However, when Russia's latest heavyweight sensation fought the Australian brawler, he was able to walk through his shots without incident.
The ability to withstand such power will be pivotal in his quest for heavyweight gold. It might render Pavlovich that much more difficult for Ngannou to overcome.
