Sergei Pavlovich dares Curtis Blaydes to test his wrestling in UFC Fight Night 222 headliner

LAS VEGAS – Sergei Pavlovich welcomes Curtis Blaydes’ pursuit of takedowns in the UFC Fight Night 222 main event.

Going into Saturday’s heavyweight headliner, which takes place at the UFC Apex and streams on ESPN+, the strengths of both men are quite obvious. Pavlovich (16-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is a devastating knockout specialist, while Blaydes (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) has found the majority of his career success by taking his foes to the ground.

Defensive grappling proved to be a flaw for Pavlovich in his UFC debut in November 2018, when he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Alistair Overeem. Since then he’s recorded five consecutive first-round knockouts, but unless he can get the job done quickly again, he’s likely to face some takedown attempts from his opponent.

It’s nothing he appears to fear, though, and said he invites Blaydes to try.

“What can I say about it?” Pavlovich told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter during Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 222 media day. “We’ll have a fight. We’ll see if he can take me down or not.”

Tactics aside, Pavlovich said he’s reveling in the opportunity to be in the main event of a UFC spot for the first time. The Russian said it’s been his dream since he started in the sport, and now he’s starting to see the benefits of his years of hard work come to mind.

It’s a huge moment for him, and Pavlovich said he’s focused on delivering a strong impression.

“I think it’s going to be a great show,” Pavlovich said. “I think it’s going to be a great fight. There’s going to be two fighters in there that are not willing to back down. Nobody is trying to give the other person a chance. Everyone is fighting for the same goal. So I think it’s going to be a fun fight, it’s going to be an interesting fight, and everyone who tunes in is going to see a show.”

If Pavlovich can pull off the win, his six-fight streak would be the longest among active heavyweights and have him in prime position to call for the winner of the next title fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. Pavlovich isn’t thinking about what comes in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night 222, though, and said it’s important to stay dialed in on Blaydes.

“I don’t really think ahead this moment,” Pavlovich said. “I’m only thinking about and concentrating on the fight ahead of me.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 222.