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Sergei Pavlovich has not entered the octagon since suffering a first-round knockout loss to Tom Aspinall with the interim heavyweight title on the line at UFC 295 last November. The No.3-ranked heavyweight is reportedly set to make his return to the octagon in June when he faces Alexander Volkov at UFC on ABC 6, which will mark the promotion's first trip to Saudi Arabia.
Speaking to Russian media outlet Match TV (via Ringside24), Volkov described sparring with his rumored opponent, stating:
"Well you saw these sparring sessions yourself, he hits like a hoof – very hard. It was very hard to work with him. I think I didn't win a single round against him. Of course, after every punch, my legs were shaking."
The No.6-ranked heavyweight added:
"To be honest, when he came to sparring, I tried to stand with him less, because I realized that every time he hit, some injury could happen. I stood up for the very first rounds with him and tried not to stand up anymore. Because when Sergei was warming up, he could hit very hard."
Pavlovich has become known for his knockout power since making his promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 141 in 2018. While he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Alistair Overeem, he was able to pick up knockout victories over his next six opponents to earn an interim title shot.
Pavlovich holds a professional mixed martial arts record of 18 wins and two losses, with 15 of his victories coming via knockout.
Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov were unaware of UFC on ABC 6 clash
Last month, UFC CEO Dana White took to social media to announce that the promotion would be headed to Saudi Arabia for the first time. White announced five bouts, including a co-main event featuring Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov.
According to Red Fury MMA, neither fighter was aware of the reported bout. The Russian media outlet shared the news on Instagram stating (via translation):
"⚡️ Sergei Pavlovich’s team, as well as Alexander Volkov’s team, are surprised by the official announcement from the UFC about the fight with each other in Saudi Arabia."
Check out Red Fury MMA's post on Sergei Pavlovich vs. Alexander Volkov below:
This would not mark the first time that the promotion seemingly jumped the gun on a fight announcement. A bout between Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa was announced for UFC 284 last February, but Costa claimed that he never signed a contract for the fight. The pair did not end up fighting on the card. However, they were later pitted against one another at UFC 298.
