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#2 Best: Pavlovich makes his mark again
Russian Heavyweight Sergei Pavlovich came into the UFC a year ago with plenty of fanfare; he’d gone 12-0 on the Russian regional scene and appeared to have everything it took to succeed in the UFC, with incredibly heavy hands coupled with a lot of speed and athleticism.
Unfortunately, he was matched far too highly for his UFC debut – against title contender Alistair Overeem – and succumbed to a first round TKO loss.
Since then though, while he might’ve been flying under the radar a little, Pavlovich has definitely regained any lustre he might’ve lost in the Overeem fight. The Russian destroyed Marcelo Golm in February and today, he took just over two minutes to turn the lights out on Maurice Greene, stopping him with a violent combination of punches.
Sure, Greene – and Golm – aren’t top calibre opponents, but you can only finish whoever’s in front of you and Pavlovich did that today in impressive fashion.
Overeem might’ve been a step too far for him as a debutant, but with three Octagon appearances now in the books it feels like it’s time for a push up the card for the Russian. At the very least, he should be on the main card for his next appearance.
