Sergei Pavlovich has been booked into arguably the biggest test of his career when he faces UFC heavyweight mainstay Derrick Lewis later this year.
Pavlovich (15-1) and Lewis (26-9, 1NC) are set to face off at UFC 277, on July 30, 2022. ESPN was first to report news of the match-up, which Pavlovich subsequently confirmed on social media.
Lewis enters the fight looking to rebound from a knockout loss at the hands of Tai Tuivasa at UFC 271 earlier this year. Or, more accurately, at the elbow of Tuivasa, given that’s exactly what felled “The Black Beast.”
Currently ranked at #4 in the weight class, Lewis is 2-2 across his last four fights. In that span he’s captured wins over Curtis Blaydes and Chris Daukaus, while losing to Tuivasa and Ciryl Gane. Both of those losses came at home in Houston, Texas, so Lewis is wisely avoiding the recently revealed Austin card.
Pavlovich has been spotless in his MMA career thus far, with one exception: Alistair Overeem. The Russian fighter ran into “The Reem” in his UFC debut in 2018, and was finished within a round. Debuting against the legend was a big ask for any newcomer, even a highly-touted Fight Nights Global champion.
Since that loss, Sergei Pavlovich has put together three straight wins inside the octagon. He’s finished all three of those fights.
UFC 277 does not yet have a location or venue officially announced. No other fights have been reported for the card thus far.
