Sergei Pavlovich scored a quick knockout victory over Tallison Teixeira at UFC Macau. The former heavyweight title challenger returned to winning form with the early finish.
Sergei Pavlovich returned to the win column in emphatic fashion at UFC Macau, stopping Tallison Teixeira by knockout in the early stages of their heavyweight contest on May 30, 2026.
Pavlovich, 34, entered the bout ranked third in the heavyweight division and carrying the weight of expectations as a former title challenger. The Russian striker out of Eagles MMA holds a 20-3-0 professional record and brings a lean, devastating style to the cage — six-foot-three with an 84-inch reach, he averages 4.43 significant strikes per minute as a southpaw. The finish marked his return to winning ways and reaffirmed his place among the division's most dangerous finishers.
Standing across from him was Teixeira, the 26-year-old Brazilian ranked 13th in the heavyweight division. Known as "Xicao," the Team Lucas Mineiro product came in with a 9-1-0 record and physical tools that are difficult to ignore — a towering six-foot-seven frame and an 83-inch reach, with a striking accuracy rate of 64 percent and 5.02 significant strikes landed per minute. He had also shown a willingness to mix levels, averaging 2.48 takedown attempts per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Pavlovich's knockout keeps him firmly in the top-three heavyweight picture and strengthens any case for a title shot or high-stakes contender bout.
- Teixeira suffers his first professional loss, a significant test of how the young Brazilian responds at the elite level.
- The style matchup pitted two aggressive strikers against one another, with Pavlovich's southpaw timing proving decisive against the orthodox Teixeira.
