Tai Tuivasa will have his hands full weathering the initial storm against Sergei Pavlovich, explains Dan Hardy

Former UFC welterweight Dan Hardy recently shared his insights on the upcoming fight between Tai Tuivasa and Sergei Pavlovich.

No.4-ranked UFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa and No.5-ranked contender Sergei Pavlovich are all set to fight each other at UFC on ESPN 42. The bout is scheduled to take place on December 03, 2022, at the Amway Center in Orlando, United States.

Appearing on a recent episode of The War Room, Dan Hardy gave a detailed breakdown of the upcoming heavyweight fight.

Hardy believes Pavlovich's ground game is quite strong and could pose a problem for 'Bam Bam,' who struggles on the ground.

Hardy did note, however, that Tuivasa has some powerful strikes and that it would be wise for him to use them to slow down the fight in the first few rounds.

Sharing his thoughts on how the fight would go, 'The Outlaw' said:

"I do feel like Pavlovich, if he decides he wants to put this fight on the floor, he's most likey going to be able to. I feel like his overall game is going to be more well-rounded than Tai Tuivasa's. Tuivasa, of course, is going to try and keep it in the striking range. But slowing the fight down in the clinch might be a wise thing for him [Tuivasa] to do."

Check out Dan Hardy provide his breakdown of Tuivasa vs. Pavlovich below [quotes at the 8:20 mark]:

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Tai Tuivasa vs. Sergei Pavlovich: Career record comparison

At UFC Orlando, it will be Tai Tuivasa's 13th appearance in the promotion, while his opponent, Sergei Pavlovich, will be making his sixth appearance in the UFC.

The Australian fighter most recently faced Ciryl Gane at UFC Fight Night 209, where he was knocked out by the No.1 heavyweight contender.

Tuivasa currently holds 15 pro-MMA victories under his belt, 14 of which have come via knockout. The fighter also has a record of 12 first-round knockouts. With his recent defeat to Gane, 'Bam Bam' now has four losses in his career.

The Russian, on the other hand, recently defeated Derrick Lewis in the first round of their UFC 277 matchup via TKO. Pavlovich currently has 16 victories in his pro-MMA career. He has 13 knockout victories, all of which have come in the opening round.

With his most recent victory, the 30-year-old is now on a four-fight winning streak in the UFC.

Check out the entire fight card for UFC Orlando below: