Sergei Pavlovich returned to his knockout form by finishing Tallison Teixeira in the first 40 seconds of their bout. The heavyweight contender had previously gone to unanimous decision in consecutive fights following his loss to Tom Aspinall, ending a six-fight first-round knockout streak. Pavlovich has now recaptured his early finishing form with the quick stoppage victory.
Sergei Pavlovich reminded the heavyweight division exactly who he is, stopping Tallison Teixeira just 40 seconds into their bout to record one of the fastest finishes of his career.
Pavlovich, 34, enters the win with a 20-3-0 record and holds the number-three ranking in the heavyweight division. The Russian southpaw out of Eagles MMA stands six-foot-three with a remarkable 84-inch reach — 213 cm — and has built his reputation almost entirely on early stoppages. That reputation had taken a slight dent after back-to-back unanimous decision losses following his defeat to champion Tom Aspinall, snapping a six-fight first-round knockout streak. The finish of Teixeira signals a return to the explosive, pressure-heavy style that made him one of the most feared punchers in the division.
Teixeira, known as "Xicao," came in at just 26 years old with a 9-1-0 record and the number-13 heavyweight ranking, representing Brazil and Team Lucas Mineiro. At six-foot-seven and 201 cm tall with an 83-inch reach, the young Brazilian brought considerable physical tools into the fight. He had shown genuine striking output in prior bouts, landing 5.02 significant strikes per minute at an eye-catching 64 percent accuracy, and had also demonstrated a takedown threat at 2.48 per 15 minutes. The quick stoppage, however, gave him no opportunity to display any of those attributes.
Reigning heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, 33, holds a 15-3-0 record and sits sixth in the pound-for-pound rankings. Aspinall's 67 percent striking accuracy and 7.63 significant strikes per minute represent the standard at the top of the division.
Why it matters
- Pavlovich re-establishes himself as a serious title threat at heavyweight after two consecutive decision losses
- A win over the ranked Teixeira pushes Pavlovich's case for a shot at Aspinall's title
- The speed of the finish underlines the matchup danger Pavlovich's power presents to any heavyweight
