WATCH: Easy-going Sergei Pavlovich plays slots just hours before main event against Curtis Blaydes
Sergei Pavlovich was seen playing slots in a Las Vegas casino before fighting later tonight.
On Saturday night, Pavlovich will meet the number four-ranked heavyweight Curtis Blaydes in the UFC Vegas 71 main event. Before locking into his latest challenge, the Russian took time to relax and test his luck on a slot machine. Former UFC fighter and current analyst Alan Jouban posted a video of the number three-ranked heavyweight in the casino with the caption saying:
“.@SPavlovich13 not feeling the pressure of fight day! #ufcvegas71”
Pavlovich will enter his latest Octagon appearance with a UFC record of 5-1. He made his promotional debut in November 2018, losing in the first round against Alistair Overeem. Since then, the Russian-born fighter has emerged as a legitimate title contender, winning five consecutive fights by KO/TKO. His last two knockouts came in under a minute when he went up against Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa.
Meanwhile, Blaydes has had his ups and downs during sixteen UFC appearances. After losing against Derrick Lewis in February 2021, ‘Razor’ has won three consecutive fights, with two inside the distance. He last fought in July 2022, defeating Tom Aspinall after a severe knee injury ended the bout abruptly.
Watch Sergei Pavlovich play slots ahead of his upcoming fight below:
🏼 #ufcvegas71.@SPavlovich13 not feeling the pressure of fight day! 😂👌🏼 #ufcvegas71 https://t.co/DFIYkquP1O
What’s at stake between Sergei Pavlovich and Curtis Blaydes?
On March 4, Jon Jones shook up the UFC heavyweight division by defeating Ciryl Gane to claim the vacant title. During his post-fight interview, he called out Stipe Miocic for his first title defense, which is expected to take place later this year.
Sergei Pavlovich and Curtis Blaydes could be fighting for a title shot at UFC Vegas 71. The only fighter ranked ahead of them is Gane, who needs another win or two to build himself back up. Things could be shaken up again as Jones has recently teased retiring in the near future.
Pavlovich vs. Blaydes will be an intriguing stylistic matchup, regardless of the high stakes. ‘Razor’ will likely utilize his superior grappling skills to counter the Russian’s vicious power. Both fighters are riding an impressive winning streak, which should lead an action-packed main event on Saturday night.