Sergei Pavlovich is anxiously awaiting his own shot at the UFC heavyweight title, but for the time being, he’ll continue serving as the backup fighter when Jon Jones faces Stipe Miocic in November.
The 31-year-old Russian, who is currently riding a six-fight UFC win streak, is expected to back up the UFC 295 main event between Jones and Miocic at Madison Square Garden in New York. Sources confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Wednesday following an initial report from Igor Lazorin on Instagram.
This will be the second straight Jones title fight where Pavlovich weighs in as a potential alternate. He previously did the same when Jones made his return in March against Ciryl Gane to crown a new heavyweight champion.
Outside of a loss to Alistair Overeem in his UFC debut, Pavlovich has been a force of nature, recording six straight knockouts without a single opponent making it out of the first round.
Over his past three appearances, Pavlovich has laid waste to one-time UFC heavyweight title challenger Derrick Lewis, Curtis Blaydes, and Tai Tuivasa, while spending less than five minutes of total time in the octagon.
Pavlovich has almost assuredly earned a title shot of his own, but Jones specifically sought out a fight with Miocic, the longest reigning heavyweight champion in UFC history.
If he doesn’t end up competing in November, Pavlovich will likely stand as the next in line for the winner between Jones and Miocic in 2024.
