Sergey Pavlovich began to make his first-round knockouts seem routine, even while racking up the biggest win of his career.
In the main event of UFC Fight Night 222 on Saturday at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, the 30-year-old Russian (18-1) faced longtime heavyweight contender Curtis Blades (17-4, 1 NC), with a future title shot from It is very likely that you are at stake. The narrative that went into the headline of “UFC Vegas 71” was the story of the wrestler Blaydes versus the attacking Pavlovich, but the American made only one serious attempt to bring the fight to the canvas, a two-legged kick in the center of the cage that Pavlovich slashed. Easily. The rest of the action was conducted entirely on the feet, with both men having moments of success, but Pavlovich’s advantage in power was abundantly clear to all, including Blaydes, who never seemed entirely at ease. After a series of exchanges in which Pavlović’s punches seemed to hurt Blades greatly, the ball really started to roll with a big forehand. When Blaydes stumbled, Pavlović lunged in, knocking him down with another right hand, then poured on his punches until referee Mark Goddard had seen enough. The end officially came at 3 minutes 8 seconds into the first round.
The win, Pavlovich’s sixth in a row since dropping his UFC debut to Alistair Overeem in 2018, set a record for the most consecutive wins by first-round knockout in the promotion’s modern history. In defeat, Blaydes’ record in the octagon dropped to 12-4 with a no-contest.
Silva Sparks Tavares
Facing his first losing streak in over a decade, Bruno Silva (23-8) turned things around in a big way, lighting Brad Tavares (19-8) with a progressive knee and punch in the first round of the middleweight co-main event. At first, “Blindado” looked a little different from the sluggish beta version of himself who dropped back-to-back fights with Gerald Mearschaert and Alex Pereira in 2022, while Tavares appeared in typical, confident and aggressive form.
However, Silva seemed to know what he was about and halfway through began returning fire with deadly accuracy, including a short right hook to a surging Hawaii that caused him to stumble. From there, Silva began to pursue the finish with a sense of disciplined urgency. A brutal right knee from the end accelerated the start of the finish, followed by a massive right hand that leveled Tavares. Referee Mark Smith forced the stoppage without a follow-up. This led to a complaint from Tavares, but it quickly dissipated, and by the time the result was announced – a technical knockout at 3:35 of the first round – he was congratulating the Brazilian. The high profile finish brought Silva’s Octagon record to 3-3 and re-established him as a top 15 talent, while Tavares fell to 14-8 in the UFC as the most accomplished alumnus of season 11 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
An unintentional headbutt results in a no contest for Green, Gordon
A promising lightweight scrap between Bobby Green and Jared Gordon ended in disappointment for all involved, as Green rode an accidental collision of heads to an apparent TKO victory late in the first round, only to be declared a no-contest on the restart. The bout was shaping up to be a spectacularly competitive fight, with former featherweight Gordon surprisingly successfully walking down the green’s taller, faster and more agile route to land punches. With less than a minute left in the opening segment, Greene’s crown hit Gordon squarely in the temple during a close boxing exchange. Green pursued his stunned opponent to the canvas, hitting him senseless with several accurate follow-up punches and prompting referee Keith Peterson to stop. Gordon’s corner – and the announcers’ table, which includes longtime friend and training partner Paul Fielder – understandably erupted in protest. After reviewing the final sequence in consultation with replay official Chris Tognoni, it was declared a no contest at 4 minutes 35 seconds into the first round. Green and Gordon met the announcement with equanimity, and may have even set up a run-in later this year.
Lucindo Boxes Up Walker
In a heavyweight show, Iasmin Lucindo’s aggression and combination punching were just too much for Brogan Walker. The 21-year-old Brazilian proved her incredible edge early on, blocking Walker’s kicks with two punches and three punches. Walker was playing the whole time, and she continued to throw forward and throw offense even as she got worse in almost every exchange. Although competitive overall, the fight had grown more one-sided with each passing round, and by the final frame Walker’s face was showing significant damage, including a nasty gash. The cage judges scored the fight for Lucindo an identical 30-27 score, bringing her record in the octagon to 1-1 and her overall tally to 14-5; Walker is down to 7-4 overall, 0-2 in the UFC.
Wells grinds down Semelsberger
Jeremiah Wells used effective grappling and furious speed to take a deserved reign over fellow rookie welterweight Matthew Simmelsberger in the high-energy main card opening. A wild first round ended with Wells carrying all the momentum, as the Philadelphia native Semmelsberger dropped early, only for Wells to take charge with his grappling and ground-and-pound effectiveness. A similar dynamic played out during the second and third periods, only in Wales’ favour, with Simelsberger effectively landing on his feet, but largely unable to stop the takedowns. Wells’ ground attack caused him offense although it limited Simmelsberger’s chances of inflicting damage. He managed big slams in rounds 2 and 3, applying intense pressure and a steady stream of punches and elbows, punishing Simmelsberger’s submissions and escape attempts. The judges scored the fight for Wales via split scorecards (29-28, 28-29, 30-27), pushed him to 12-2-1 (4-0 UFC) and dropped Simelsberger to 11-5 overall, 5-3 in the UFC.
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