"Russian Brock Lesnar" - Throwback snap of Sergei Pavlovich and Khabib Nurmagomedov training has fans in awe of the heavyweight's size

Fans are impressed by Sergei Pavlovich’s body size in a throwback picture with Khabib Nurmagomedov.

On Saturday, November 11, Pavlovich will face Tom Aspinall on short notice in the UFC 295 co-main event. There will be added stakes for the heavyweight matchup, as Jon Jones’ recent injury led to a need for an interim champion.

Ahead of his massive opportunity, a picture of Pavlovich training with MMA legend Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2017 has gone viral. Once ESPN MMA shared the image on Twitter, fans filled the comment section with messages about the Russian’s size:

“Jeez, that looks wild lol He looks absolutely massive in that picture, like a Russian Brock Lesnar!”

“That boy Pavlovich is huge!”

“Bro Pav is a huge man. This fight will be interesting”

“And Khabib’s not a small dude either. That’s wild and really puts the size of Pav into perspective.”

“Just after seeing this pic Bro ain’t gonna loose he’s finna sleep Aspinall”

“I am now 100% convinced Pavlovich Will obliterate Aspinall You don’t train with the eagle and not become a violent machine that only lusts for hurting people”

Twitter comments

Sergei Pavlovich made his UFC debut in November 2018, losing against Alistair Overeem in the first round. Since then, Pavlovich has won six consecutive fights, all by first-round KO/TKO. He now looks to claim the UFC interim heavyweight title on Saturday.

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Sergei Pavlovich claims heavyweight co-main event matchup against Tom Aspinall is for ‘legit title’

Jon Jones’s torn pectoral muscle will likely leave him sidelined for at least six months. Therefore, some people have questioned whether he should have vacated his UFC heavyweight title until he returns, making Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tom Aspinall for the undisputed throne.

During the UFC 295 media day, Pavlovich was asked about potentially being upset that his fight with Aspinall was for the interim throne. The Russian knockout artist responded by saying:

"You know, for me, this is the legit title."

Tom Aspinall’s first UFC fight was in July 2020, starting a five-fight win streak, all inside the distance. Aspinall’s momentum was halted in July 2022 when he suffered a non-contact severe knee injury against Curtis Blaydes after 15 seconds of action.

Luckily for Aspinall, he bounced back from his recovery process and secured a first-round knockout win against Marcin Tybura on July 22. The English heavyweight now has an opportunity to capitalize on his success by taking out the always-dangerous Sergei Pavlovich.