Sergei Pavlovich has already returned to full sparring just over a week after his victory over Glover Teixeira. Heavyweight sparring partner Valter Walker described being lifted and slammed to the mat by Pavlovich through sheer physical force, saying the Russian needed no technique to overpower him. Walker told Canal Encarada the session involved six brutal rounds against multiple fighters, with Pavlovich standing out as the most physically dominant.
Sergei Pavlovich wasted little time getting back to work, returning to full sparring just over a week after his heavyweight victory over Glover Teixeira.
Pavlovich, 34, carries a 20-3-0 record and holds the number-three ranking in the UFC heavyweight division. The six-foot-three Russian southpaw out of Eagles MMA is one of the division's most dangerous finishers, averaging 4.43 significant strikes landed per minute and standing out for his raw physical power. That power was on full display in training, according to heavyweight sparring partner Valter Walker, who told Canal Encarada that Pavlovich needed no technical refinement to dominate the session — simply lifting and slamming Walker to the mat through sheer force. Walker described a grueling six-round workout against multiple fighters, with Pavlovich standing as the most physically overwhelming presence in the room.
The man on the other end of the most recent result, Glover Teixeira, is a 46-year-old Brazilian veteran now holding a 33-9-0 record. Teixeira, fighting out of his own Teixeira MMA and Fitness gym, is an orthodox striker standing six-foot-two with a 76-inch reach. He has long been respected for his well-rounded game, averaging 2.11 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside a 3.73 significant strikes per minute output across his career.
Why it matters
- Pavlovich's rapid return to hard sparring signals he emerged from the Teixeira fight in strong physical condition
- At ranked number three at heavyweight, Pavlovich is firmly within range of a title shot, and staying active in the gym keeps him competitive in a division that moves quickly
- His reported physical dominance in sparring underscores the size and reach advantages — an 84-inch reach, the longest among the heavyweights near the top — that make him a difficult matchup for anyone in the division
