Sergei Pavlovich made a statement in Macau, stopping Tallison Teixeira in just 39 seconds at UFC Macau and immediately turning his attention to the top of the heavyweight division.
Pavlovich needed less than a minute to close the show, as referee Lukasz Bosacki stepped in to halt the heavyweight bout after Pavlovich’s punches had Teixeira stumbling to the cage wall. The victory marked Pavlovich’s sixth knockout win in the UFC and the 16th knockout of his professional career, all of which have come in the first round.
With the emphatic finish secured, Pavlovich used his post-fight interview to call for the biggest opportunity available. “Dana [White], give me the title shot or at least give me a contender fight,” Pavlovich said.
Looking ahead to the heavyweight landscape, Pavlovich added, “It doesn’t matter to me who wins [between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane at UFC White House], I want to get the winner. I work hard. I work every single day. I want the belt.”
Pavlovich now holds a professional record of 21-3 and is ranked No. 5 at heavyweight in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings. He previously fought for an interim title at UFC 295, where he lost to Tom Aspinall.
