Former UFC title challenger plays matchmaker for Sergei Pavlovich

Sergei Pavlovich has taken the heavyweight division by storm and is on the path to earning himself a title shot. Due to his recent dominance, former UFC title challenger Anthony Smith has played matchmaker for the devastating Russian.

Although he is an active fighter on the roster, 'Lionheart' can often be found analyzing UFC bouts for ESPN or spending time co-hosting the 'Believe You Me' podcast alongside Michael Bisping. Despite his experience in the sport, the 205er has previously shared some wild takes which have not gone down well with fans.

During a recent interview, Anthony Smith gave Sergei Pavlovich his proverbial flowers and credited his performance against Curtis Blaydes. As the powerhouse comes within touching distance of a title shot, the Texan gave his opinion on who the knockout artist should face next:

"You can't dismiss how dangerous [he is] and I mean, the hand speed on that guy for as big as he is is insane. He has no problem standing in the pocket, he's got a hell of a chin... I'd like to see Pavlovich in a big fight now... I don't know who the name needs to be but if it's not Ciryl Gane or Stipe or someone like that, I don't know who it should be because it needs to be one of those guys."

Many believe that Pavlovich had his most impressive performance when he dominated the dangerous Curtis Blaydes in the first round of their affair. Check out what Anthony Smith had to say in the video below:

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Jon Jones vs. Sergei Pavlovich: How realistic is the heavyweight super-fight?

Sergei Pavlovich extended his unbeaten run to six straight and in turn ended Curtis Blaydes' impressive three-fight win streak, so how realistic is a fight against Jon Jones for the Russian?

After capturing gold in his division debut, 'Bones' called for an all-time fight against the consensus greatest UFC heavyweight of all time, Stipe Miocic, which was originally supposed to go down during International Fight Week.

With many question marks surrounding the battle of titans, the next in line after Miocic is undoubtedly Sergei Pavlovich. While it seems unlikely to unfold at present, there is only one clear contender for the title should the Miocic fail to come to terms with the UFC.