Heavyweights Sergei Pavlovich and Curtis Blaydes will battle in a potential No. 1 contender’s bout at UFC Vegas 71 on April 22, and now the poster for the event has been revealed.
Considering the stakes in the fight, it’s no surprise that Pavlovich and Blaydes take center stage ahead of the card, which is scheduled to take place at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
Both fighters competing in the main event have put together impressive win streaks. Blaydes has rattled off three straight wins, including back-to-back victories over Tom Aspinall and Chris Daukaus in his most recent outings. Overall, Blaydes has gone 7-1 in his past eight fights, with his only setback coming in a loss to Derrick Lewis in 2021.
Meanwhile, Pavlovich has gone undefeated in the UFC since falling to one-time title challenger Alistair Overeem in his octagon debut. The ferocious Russian has put together a destructive five-fight winning streak, with all of his victories coming by first-round knockout, including finishes of Lewis, Tai Tuivasa, and Shamil Abdurakhimov.
With new heavyweight king Jon Jones expected to clash with Stipe Miocic later this year, the fight between Pavlovich and Blaydes could very well determine who gets the winner.
While not featured on the poster, UFC Vegas 71 also features a number of intriguing fights on the undercard, including the co-main event, which pits Song Yadong against Ricky Simon at bantamweight, as well as the return of Bobby Green taking on Jared Gordon, which is also on the main card.