Report: Derrick Lewis vs. Sergei Pavlovich Fight Expected for UFC 277 Card
UFC is tentatively planning to stage a heavyweight fight between Derrick Lewis and Sergei Pavlovich on July 30, according to ESPN's Marc Raimondi.
Lewis and Pavlovich rank fifth and 11th, respectively, in UFC.com's ranking of the heavyweight challengers.
Raimondi reported UFC is still working out some of the specifics for the pay-per-view event, including the location and branding for the show.
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The fight will be an opportunity for Pavlovich to make a major statement.
Lewis is 26-9 with 21 knockouts over his professional career, including a UFC-record 13 KOs. The 37-year-old has dropped two of his last three bouts after riding a four-fight winning streak into an interim heavyweight title clash with Ciryl Gane at UFC 265. Lewis got TKO'd in that August 2021 bout.
For Pavlovich, beating Lewis is the kind of result that would really cement his credentials within the division.
Returning to the Octagon for the first time since 2019, the 29-year-old earned a first-round TKO of Shamil Abdurakhimov at UFC Fight Night 204 in March. The Russian has reeled off three straight wins since losing his UFC debut to Alistair Overeem in November 2018.
Twelve of Pavlovich's 15 wins have come by knockout or TKO. If nothing else, pitting him against Lewis should make for a thrilling encounter.
