Heavyweight slugger Sergei Pavlovich reacted after knocking out Tallison Teixeira in brutal fashion at UFC Macau.
Pavlovich, the No. 3-ranked UFC heavyweight, was a massive betting favorite coming into the bout, and he made the oddsmakers look smart when he needed just 39 seconds to starch the No. 15-ranked Teixeira. It was an absolutely devastating knockout win for Pavlovich, who surprisingly did not receive a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus for his efforts.
Sergei Pavlovich Reacts After Tallison Teixeira KO at UFC Macau
After the fight, Pavlovich took to his social media to share his reaction to knocking Teixeira out in just 39 seconds.
“Friends, thank you all for your congratulations! This is our common victory,” Pavlovich wrote on his Instagram.
For Pavlovich, this win improves his UFC record to 9-3 overall with seven knockout victories. He will retain his spot as the No. 3-ranked heavyweight, as he closes in on a title shot in the UFC’s heaviest weight class.
Up next at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, the interim UFC heavyweight title is on the line when Ciryl Gane battles Alex Pereira, who is moving up to heavyweight to try and win a record third UFC belt.
After beating Teixeira, Pavlovich said he wants to fight the winner of that bout, though it remains to be seen whether the UFC will book it, since they are still technically waiting on UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall to unify his belt against the winner of that bout.
However, Aspinall’s still eye injury has him out on the sidelines, with no set date for his return. Plus, his manager, Eddie Hearn, recently requested the UFC release him, so there’s no telling what is going on with the champ right now.
What’s Next for Sergei Pavlovich?
In an ideal world for Pavlovich, he will fight the winner of Gane vs. Pereira for the interim heavyweight title next. But again, the winner of that bout is supposed to face Aspinall for the title. So let’s assume that’s what will happen, and in that case, Pavlovich will need to fight someone else.
One option for Pavlovich would be the loser of Gane vs. Pereira, especially if it’s Gane, as he’s the No. 1-ranked contender in the heavyweight division right now. Although Pavlovich wants the title shot, the next-best thing would be fighting Gane and taking his spot as the No. 1 contender in the division. So that’s a real option if Gane loses to Pereira, as if Pereira loses that fight, it feels like he’ll move back down to light heavyweight.
Looking at the heavyweight rankings, Pavlovich could also potentially fight No. 2-ranked heavyweight Alexander Volkov in a rematch. Volkov beat Pavlovich in 2024, but with both men back in heavyweight title contention, the promotion could attempt to run that fight back.
Pavlovich could also take on the winner of the UFC Freedom 250 heavyweight fight between No. 5-ranked Josh Hokit and No. 9-ranked Derrick Lewis, especially if Hokit wins that fight, as he is an emerging superstar for the UFC. Pavlovich vs. Hokit would be an incredible fight if it happened, so don’t be surprised if that’s the next bout if Hokit beats Lewis, as the betting odds suggest he will.
We’ll see what the UFC does with Pavlovich, but he’s put himself in a great spot with this awesome victory over Teixeira at UFC Macau.
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