The main card of UFC Saudi Arabia was stacked with bangers from top to bottom. And it did not disappoint at all. Before we even got to the co-main event, we witnessed 2 brutal finishes.
While Volkan Oezdemir finished Johnny Walker in 1st round Sharaputdin Magomedov picked up an impressive 3rd round finish.
However, it was the heavyweight co-main event between Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov that had us on the edge of our seats. The former training partners turned rivals batted it out at Kingdom Arena, Riyadh.
Sergei Pavlovich came into the fight to seek redemption after his KO loss to Tom Aspinall in his first UFC title fight. On the other hand, Alexander Volkov was on a roll with 3 finishes in his last 3 fights.
And it was Volkov who put on a striking clinic against his former teammate at UFC Saudi Arabia. pavlovich did have some success on the feet. But, we learned tonight that power alone would not help Pavlovich run through the top of the heavyweight division.
Alexander Volkov’s output and brilliance in controlling the distance helped him shut down Pavlovich for the majority of the fight. Volkov’s leg kicks were crucial and shattered Pavlovich’s lead leg. His jabs were on point and caused visible damage.
Even if Pavlovich was landing some of his jabs and power hooks he looked a little gun-shy coming off a KO loss against Tom Aspinall. In the end, it was Volkov who secured a comfortable win against a dangerous heavyweight contender.
Sergei Pavlovich shows no respect to Alexander Volkov after loss
After his second UFC loss, Sergei Pavlovich was visibly pissed as he shoves his former teammate. Volkov who wanted to shake his hands. This was not something fight fans appreciated after the two heavyweights put on such a barn burner. Alexander Volkov handled the situation calmly and addressed the incident in his post fight octagon interview. And it did not seem like Volkov held any grudge despite the disrespect Pavlovich showed after their fight.
UFC heavyweight division after Pavlovich vs Volkov
We can’t deny that the UFC heavyweight division has suffered in the absence of its undisputed champion Jon Jones. The interim champion, Tom Aspinall is defending his belt against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 305. And the winner of this fight might end up facing another contender as Jones is adamant to face Miocic on his return.
Ciryl Gane recently confirmed he wants to make his octagon return at UFC Paris. And a rematch between two of the best strikers in HW division, Gane and Volkov would certainly be a delight for the fight fans.
On the other hand, things got even worse for Pavlovich, who was coming off his first KO loss. Even though he had a lot of success in the 3rd round, he suffered a lot of damage in the fight. So Pavlovich should take some time off before he jumps into the heavyweight fight pool again.
