"Most dangerous when he gets hurt" - Former UFC title challenger casts his prediction for Tai Tuivasa vs. Sergei Pavlovich

Former UFC lightweight title challenger Kenny Florian has given his prediction for the upcoming heavyweight collision between the always-entertaining Tai Tuivasa and the extremely dangerous Sergei Pavlovich.

The TUF 1 finalist retired from the sport over a decade ago following a decision loss to Jose Aldo for the featherweight strap. Since leaving the in-ring aspect of mixed martial arts in the past, the 46-year-old has gone on to become a largely respected commentator, and after a stint with the UFC, now works for the PFL.

While discussing the heavyweight clash that's set to take place this weekend during the Anik & Florian Podcast, Kenny Florian predicted that the underdog is "most dangerous when he gets hurt" and expects him to come out on top against the odds:

"Listen, I think there's a lot of value in Tai Tuivasa... I think he's [Pavlovich] a big-time problem, the dude's a gorilla, I think he hits extremely hard. But Tai Tuivasa, I think there's value enough for me and I think he's dangerous enough to get on the inside. He's most dangerous when he gets hurt, you know? You go in for the kill and all of a sudden, Tai catches you with something, [and] he takes you out. I like Tai here, give me the underdog, I need some points."

'Bam Bam' is coming off a memorable brawl when he met Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC Paris earlier this year. While it's hard to bet against the Australian in a slugfest with anybody, he was stopped during a back-and-forth war against 'Bon Gamin' just three months ago.

Check out what Kenny Florian had to say about the heavy-hitting affair in the video below:

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Who is Sergei Pavlovich, the man stepping up to face Tai Tuivasa next?

Although he hasn't had too many matchups in the UFC, Sergei Pavlovich has certainly made his mark in the heavyweight division and is fast-tracking himself towards a title shot.

Despite losing in his octagon debut to Alistair Overeem four years ago, the Russian has been on a tear throughout the weight class, finishing each of his following four opponents. A recent win over Derrick Lewis at UFC 277 marked his most notable success to date.

Carrying a 16-1 record with 13 wins by knockout, the rangy heavyweight has already breached the top five in his division and will likely put himself into title contention with a win on December 3.