Derrick Lewis vs. Sergei Pavlovich targeted for UFC 277 on July 30

When Derrick Lewis lost to Tai Tuivasa at UFC 271 in February, many fans wondered what his next move will be. Now there’s an answer.

“The Black Beast,” Lewis (26-9 MMA, 17-7 UFC) has been booked to take on surging Russian heavyweight Sergei Pavlovich (15-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at UFC 277 on July 30. The card doesn’t currently have a location.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup informed MMA Junkie of the booking Wednesday but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. ESPN first reported the bout.

Most recently,Lewis lost to Tuivasa via first-round knockout in his home city of Houston. The loss set him back, but Lewis isn’t a stranger to situations in which he needs to rebound. Although he has lost two of his past three, Lewis has also won five of seven.

Former M-1 Global heavyweight champion Pavlovich looks to continue rolling in the UFC by adding onto a current three-fight winning streak. His wins are over Marcelo Golm, Maurice Greene and Shamil Abdurakhimov in that stretch.

With the addition, the UFC lineup for July 30 includes:

• Alex Pereira vs. Sean Strickland
• Derrick Lewis vs. Sergei Pavlovich