Sergei Pavlovich
Active 2019–present · rated in 3 editions · peak overall 85.0
Scouting report
Setting a modern UFC record with six consecutive first-round knockout victories over opponents including Tai Tuivasa, Curtis Blaydes, and Derrick Lewis, Sergei Pavlovich established himself as a dangerous knockout puncher. Hailing from Orlovsky, Russia, Pavlovich utilizes an 84-inch wingspan and Greco-Roman leverage, his power captured by a 95 Boxing and 96 Strength, cementing an 85 Overall rating.
Peak ratings
By edition
Pavlovich made an entrance into the heavyweight division between 2019 and 2021, scoring first-round knockout victories over Marcelo Golm in St. Petersburg and Maurice Greene in Singapore with heavy hooks. His 84-inch reach, Greco-Roman wrestling base, and punching power are reflected in a 93 Boxing and 95 Strength.
Pavlovich won consecutive first-round stoppages between 2022 and 2023, flattening Shamil Abdurakhimov, Derrick Lewis in Dallas, Tai Tuivasa in Orlando, and Curtis Blaydes in Las Vegas to earn an interim title challenge at UFC 295. His overhand right power and hand speed anchor his 95 Boxing and 96 Strength.
Sergei Pavlovich: reach, wrestling roots and a knockout streak
Sergei Pavlovich grew up in the village of Orlovsky in Rostov Oblast and started Greco-Roman wrestling at five. He later trained combat sambo and is listed as a one-time Russian champion in combat kung fu (also recorded as a wushu sanda national title in the heavyweight class), and is believed to have the largest ape index of any active fighter in the promotion. After losing his debut to Alistair Overeem in 2018, he stopped Marcelo Golm, Maurice Greene, Shamil Abdurakhimov, Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa and Curtis Blaydes. That is six straight first-round finishes.
Pavlovich, line by line
Boxing. Elite. He put Tuivasa away in under a minute in December 2022 and Blaydes in round one in April 2023.
Kickboxing. Decent, but he rarely needs more than his hands to finish a fight.
Wrestling. Real background from years of Greco-Roman work, though his finishes rarely come from it.
BJJ. His lowest rating, and his best results all came standing.
Strength. The top of his card. Lewis was stopped in under a minute in July 2022 in a stoppage many called early.
Durability. Aspinall knocked him out in round one of the interim title fight in 2023, which shows the chin has limits.
Cardio. Modest. Most of his wins end early, so a long fight has rarely tested him, and Volkov beat him on points in 2024.
Fight IQ. Reasonable. He won a decision over Rozenstruik in 2025 and another over Waldo Cortes-Acosta later that year.
Strength at 96 is the whole draw
The number is the highest of any on his card and matches a career built on first-round finishes. Blaydes had a wrestling base as strong as any heavyweight, and Pavlovich stopped him in April 2023. If a fight ends in the first exchange, this is the pick.
Ground skill is his lowest: BJJ 68
Sixty-eight is well below the rest of his card, and none of his best wins came on the ground. Against a grappler who can survive the first two minutes, he has little on the mat. He lost his debut in 2018 and his 2023 title shot, both by first-round stoppage.
Keep exploring
Closest heavyweight profiles to Sergei Pavlovich, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Walt Harrisbest strength 91 · weakest bjj 66
- Tai Tuivasabest strength 92 · weakest bjj 62
- Derrick Lewisbest strength 96 · weakest bjj 64
- Francis Ngannoubest strength 99 · weakest bjj 74
- Heavyweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Sergei Pavlovich's strongest attribute, Strength.
Draft Sergei Pavlovich into your build
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Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Sergei Pavlovich is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Sergei Pavlovich's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.