Pavlovic vowed to take away valuable lessons from the loss in New York City and return to the octagon even stronger than before.
UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden witnessed a mix of thrilling victories and crushing defeats. The main card featured five matches, all concluding with brutal knockouts or technical knockouts, leaving the vanquished contenders to cope with disappointment.
Russian heavyweight Sergei Pavlovich was one of those contenders, taking a short-notice interim title bout against Tom Aspinall. Pavlovic displayed early aggression, landing multiple blows on Aspinall, but ultimately succumbed to two powerful punches to the top of his head, rendering him unconscious and forcing him to the mat.
The fight, which was brief for both Aspinall and Pavlovich, lasted a mere 1 minute and 09 seconds in its entirety (see highlights here).
After the loss, Pavlovic expressed gratitude to his supporters and provided an update on his well-being.
“I am in good health and recovering well,” he stated. “Tom proved to be quicker and I was fortunate to connect first, but he showed greater precision. He got the decisive blow.”
“I will return to the octagon soon. My aim is to remain active and perform at a level that will earn me another opportunity to vie for the title,” he affirmed. “That is my goal, and I will undoubtedly achieve it! I am grateful for your support, thank you!”
He conveyed a similarly positive message on Instagram.
“Thank you, my friend, for your support!” he wrote. “Let’s regroup and return even stronger.”
Pavlovic has amassed six first-round knockout victories in the past four years and will continue to pose a threat in the UFC heavyweight division. Aspinall put an end to that streak, but it’s unlikely this is the last time these two heavyweights will collide.
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