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Israel Adesanya had a similar reaction to the majority of mixed martial arts viewers when he witnessed fan-favorite Tai Tuivasa get quickly dispatched in the first round against the towering Russian Sergei Pavlovich on Saturday.
'Bam Bam' has been constantly raising his name value each and every time he steps into the cage. Unfortunately, this time his European foe dominated the bout from start to finish, knocking him out in less than a minute.
While watching the heavyweight showdown alongside his brother, Israel Adesanya initially thought Tai Tuivasa was going to come away with his hands raised. Needless to say, he was quick to realize just how highly skilled Sergei Pavlovich is:
"'Damn, that was quick. Fu** they just went in. They pretty much just went, 'All right, let's go.' It was a street fight... I assumed he [Pavlovich] would be a wrestler, MMA guy. All right, he can bang. He literally stood toe-to-toe and said, 'Let's go.'"
Though many expected him to win, Tuivasa took a mere three-month-long break before entering the octagon again following his Fight of the Year contender against Ciryl Gane in September.
The win extended Sergei Pavlovich's streak to five straight inside the UFC, with back-to-back wins over the Australian and Derrick Lewis. The 30-year-old is en route to a title shot and may not need many more wins to reach the top of the division.
The heavyweight title is currently in limbo as fans are still uncertain about what champion Francis Ngannou will do next, with rumors about a potential matchup with Jon Jones circulating.
Check out what Israel Adesanya had to say about the battle of the titans in the video below:
When will Israel Adesanya fight next?
After a busy 2022 with three fights to his name, Israel Adesanya will likely take a short break from the sport. Still, it is widely believed that the former middleweight king will get an instant rematch against Alex Pereira next.
Following his championship win at UFC 281, Pereira spoke publicly about 'The Last Stylebender', gifting him a chance to recapture his throne and avenge the three losses he has to 'Poatan'.
While nothing has been made official on Adesanya's return, Dana White and his team are working hard to book a UFC Africa event, which would be a fantastic occasion for 'Izzy' to seek revenge.
