UFC fans claim Jon Jones is scared of fighting Sergei Pavlovich after latest KO

Jon Jones, the freshly crowned UFC heavyweight champion, could very well face Stipe Miocic next. However, after Sergei Pavlovich's resounding victory over Curtis Blaydes this past weekend, the Russian has been identified by fans as the ideal opponent for Jon Jones' next fight.

Sergei Pavlovich accelerated his ascent to heavyweight prominence with a first-round knockout victory over Curtis Blaydes in the main event of UFC Vegas 71 on Saturday. Pavlovich is now on a six-fight winning streak, all of which have come via KO/TKO in the first round.

A prospective bout between Jones and two-time former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic has been in the works for quite some time. UFC president Dana White confirmed that the organization is working on scheduling Jon Jones' next fight at Madison Square Garden later this year, dismissing rumors that the fight will be booked for UFC 290.

However, fight fans believe that Sergei Pavlovich should be the next contender in line, even going as far as to allege that Jones is scared to fight the Russian. One fan wrote:

"Sergei Pavlovich fu**ing mauls Jones after that showing."

Another fan wrote:

"As a big Jon Jones fan, he needs to beat Stipe & retire."

One fan claimed that Jones would not be interested in facing a surging contender like Pavlovich:

"Fighting Gane was required to get the belt. There’s nobody but Stipe, Francis, or fucking Brock Lesnar that Jones is ever fighting again. It wouldn’t even be worth it to him. He’s not trying to stick around and beat the heavyweight of the week."

Check out some more fan tweets below:

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Jon Jones next fight: Sergei Pavlovich will wait for the winner of Jones vs. Miocic next

A quick TKO victory over Curtis Blaydes on Saturday at UFC Vegas 71 cemented Sergei Pavlovich's status as a viable contender in the heavyweight division. Fighters, MMA experts, and fans agree that the Russian has immense championship potential.

Pavlovich has now claimed that he does not intend to compete again unless it is for the UFC heavyweight championship. Speaking at the UFC Vegas 71 post-fight press conference, Pavlovich stated:

“I’ll rest. I’ll eat. I’ll sleep. I’ll rest some more. I’ll wait.”

Speaking about a potential fight against either Jones or Stipe Miocic, Pavlovich added:

“I wouldn’t say that either of them would be an easy fight. I mean, they’re both hard warriors so I would have to prepare for whoever it is, then be ready for whoever they give me.”

Check out the post-fight press conference below: