Junior dos Santos predicts a successful future for rising contender Sergei Pavlovich, who has achieved a 6-0 record with six first-round knockouts under the UFC banner, predicting Pavlovich will dominate the division soon and possibly pick up the mantle if the heavyweight belt is vacant again before the end of 2023.
Former MMA fighter Junior dos Santos sees a very promising future for the rising MMA contender, Sergei Pavlovich. Since joining the UFC in 2019, the Russian 31-year-old has made a name for himself, registering a flawless 6-0 record with all victories coming from first-round knockouts, a streak punctuated with noted victories over Curtis Blaydes, Tai Tuivasa, and Derrick Lewis. Dos Santos is very optimistic about Pavlovich’s trajectory, believing that it’s only a matter of time before the heavyweight gets his title shot.
Having had the opportunity to train with Pavlovich personally, dos Santos had nothing but praises for him. He believes that Pavlovich’s strength and fighting prowess will intimidate many opponents and he sees him becoming the dominant figure in the division sooner rather than later. The champion also remarked that Pavlovich is at a stage where he’s still improving and has yet to reach his peak potential.
UFC heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones is set to face off against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in New York City on Nov. 11, and there are speculations that if a double retirement happens, the belt will potentially be vacant. Given this setting, dos Santos sees Pavlovich as the suitable fighter to assume the mantle and embark on a lengthy title reign. However, dos Santos did not disregard his fellow Brazilian Jailton Almeida, who is also showing potential in his upcoming fight against Blaydes in UFC Sao Paulo.
Respecting the effort that Almeida has put into his training, dos Santos still places his bets on Pavlovich, citing his personal experience training with him. He acknowledges the impressiveness of Almeida’s work, but his firsthand knowledge of Pavlovich’s toughness in training makes him more convinced of the latter’s success. Beyond the personal experiences and predictions, dos Santos also hailed Jon Jones, the reigning champion who has never lost in his career, recognizing his exceptional talent and noting that his matches are always must-watches.