Sergey Pavlovich now has seven first-round knockouts in the UFC, tied for second-most among heavyweights. Vitor Belfort holds the all-time UFC record with 11 first-round knockouts, followed by Anthony Johnson with nine and Michal Oleksiejczuk with eight.
Sergey Pavlovich has cemented his place among the most devastating finishers in UFC heavyweight history, reaching seven first-round knockouts in the promotion to draw level with Michal Oleksiejczuk for second on the all-time list.
The Russian knockout artist now sits just behind Anthony Johnson, who holds nine first-round stoppages across his UFC career, and well-clear of the chasing pack. The all-time UFC record across all weight classes belongs to Vitor Belfort, whose 11 first-round knockouts remain the benchmark.
Belfort, a 49-year-old Brazilian southpaw who compiled a career record of 26-14-0, built his legacy on explosive early-round violence that spanned multiple weight classes. Standing 183 cm with a 74-inch reach, "The Phenom" landed his significant strikes at a rate of 1.59 per minute across a long and decorated career.
Oleksiejczuk, the man Pavlovich has now matched on the list, is a 31-year-old Polish southpaw out of Akademia Sportow Walki Wilanow. Carrying a record of 22-10-0, "Hussar" stands 183 cm with a 74-inch reach and is one of the division's more active strikers, landing 5.85 significant strikes per minute at 53 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- Seven first-round knockouts in the UFC places Pavlovich among the most prolific early finishers in heavyweight history
- Only Johnson's nine and Belfort's all-time record of eleven stand between Pavlovich and the top of the list
- Oleksiejczuk's presence on the leaderboard underlines how light heavyweight's finishers compare to the heavier division in sheer first-round finishing volume
- The milestone reinforces Pavlovich's identity as one of the UFC's most dangerous opening-round threats at heavyweight
