Co-Main Event Spotlight | UFC Saudi Arabia (2024)

Knockout artists Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov lock horns in a crucial heavyweight bout a month before Tom Aspinall puts his interim belt up for grabs opposite Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in Manchester.

Let’s take an in-depth look at this heavyweight matchup.

Sergei Pavlovich

Most heavyweights like to say they’re “all gas, no brakes” when it comes to looking for a quick knockout, but Pavlovich embodies that. Not one of his nine UFC bouts have gone past the first round, and he picked up knockouts in each of the seven contests he won. That leads to some eye-popping numbers. Pavlovich ranks first all-time in knockdowns per 15 minutes (5.9) and his fights average the 2nd-shortest length (2:13 per fight). His 8.21 strikes per minute also rank third in UFC history.

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After falling to Alistair Overeem in his UFC debut, Pavlovich racked up six wins in a row, including three knockout wins over Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa and Curtis Blaydes to earn a shot at the interim heavyweight title opposite Tom Aspinall at UFC 295. Although he fell to Aspinall he remains right in the thick of the heavyweight title picture.

Alexander Volkov

Over the last decade, few heavyweights have fought the strength of schedule that “Drago” can boast. Volkov has been in and around the title picture for the better part of his UFC tenure since joining the roster in November 2016 and been a win away from a title shot on a handful of occasions.

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While he had setbacks along the way, the towering 35-year-old hasn’t lost back-to-back fights in the Octagon and comes to Saudi Arabia riding a three-fight winning streak. The 6-foot-7 battler boasts 24 total knockouts, and his striking is as clean as it gets among a division full of brawlers. He is methodical and strategic in his attack, utilizing his long limbs to pick and prod his opponents before sitting down on a strike. He ranks second only behind the eternal Andrei Arlovski in significant strikes landed (1,016) and is third in accuracy (57.5 percent).

Meeting In The Middle

While both men profile as knockout artists, they go about their work in much different ways. Pavlovich marches forward and throws bombs. He has a sneaky-long reach at 84 inches, giving him a four-inch advantage over Volkov despite Volkov’s four-inch advantage in height. The general thought is Volkov will have the advantage the longer the fight goes, and if he can use his diverse kicking game to keep Pavlovich occupied and, at distance, he has a great chance of getting the fight into deeper waters.

However, Pavlovich is willing to go into the fire to press the action, which is what got him caught against Aspinall, but it also brought him the success that put him in that position in the first place.

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While a takedown attempt from either man would surprise most, it would also play into Volkov’s advantage to mix things up and wear Pavlovich down a bit more. He did as much to Tai Tuivasa in his most recent fight and picked up an impressive submission win, his first under the UFC banner. For all the talk about Pavlovich’s gas tank, the 32-year-old is 3-0 in fights that go the distance, including a five-round decision win in November 2016.

All things considered, however, the co-main should bring fireworks, and when the two men walk into the Octagon, the tension of the best and most exciting heavyweight fights will be present.