Sergei Pavlovich reveals losing money on the slot machine hours before UFC main event fight against Curtis Blaydes
Sergei Pavlovich kept his first-round knockout streak going with another stellar performance in the main event of UFC Fight Night 222 this weekend.
The surging heavyweight contender took on Curtis Blaydes, a tough stylistic matchup for Pavlovich given Blaydes' wrestling credentials. But Pavlovich made short work of his opponent, connecting with a series of powerful punches that hurt Blaydes and forced the referee to stop the fight.
Footage emerged online of Sergei Pavlovich gambling on a slot machine in Las Vegas hours before his clash with Curtis Blaydes. The Russian was asked about the viral video during his post-fight press conference. He responded:
"To be honest, I've never gambled or played any of those things. A buddy of mine was like, 'Here's 100 bucks, go and try it.' And then somebody else shot the video and there you go..."
Pavlovich then admitted that he lost everything while gambling:
"Alright, I'll tell you what happened. First I won, then I'm thinking, 'Alright, maybe I'll win some more.' And then I lost everything."
Watch the videos below:
I asked Sergei Pavlovich about the clip of him playing slots before his fight https://t.co/ONPuNqxynu
Cold Coffee followed up and got this explanation 💀 https://t.co/Kquyx1LKL1
Sergei Pavlovich is undefeated in his last six UFC bouts and holds the promotional record for the most consecutive first-round knockouts. Following back-to-back KO victories over top-ranked heavyweights in Tai Tuivasa and Curtis Blaydes, many expect Pavlovich's next fight to be for the UFC title.
To view his full post-fight press conference, click here.
Sergei Pavlovich is confident he will be the man to defeat Jon Jones
Sergei Pavlovich's recent win over Curtis Blaydes will certainly get Jon Jones' attention.
'Bones' is the current heavyweight champion, and although many expect his first title defense to be against Stipe Miocic later this year, he may face Pavlovich in the future.
Jones relinquished his light heavyweight title in 2020 and announced his move to heavyweight. He then spent the next three years bulking up to be able to compete against larger opponents. 'Bones' made his return against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March, winning the bout via first-round submission and becoming the heavyweight champion.
Jon Jones is widely regarded as the greatest fighter in MMA history, but Sergei Pavlovich is confident that he will defeat 'Bones' should the pair face off in the octagon.
Following his impressive victory at UFC Fight Night 222, Pavlovich said:
"The fight will show, I will be prepared, I will be super ready. But the fight will show."
Watch the video below from 2:00: