UFC Vegas 71: Sergei Pavlovich hopes lessons learned from an idol propel him to the top
LAS VEGAS — For all the wins he racked up and titles and accolades he won in a nearly 23-year MMA career, Fedor Emelianenko's greatest accomplishment was inspiring an entire generation of fighters to give this once unknown sport of mixed martial arts a try.
When Emelianenko finally opted to retire after being stopped by Ryan Bader at Bellator 290 on Feb. 4, scores of current and past MMA greats took to social media to pay tribute to him, his career and his influence upon the sport.
Emelianenko was a larger than life figure in his native Russia, and was virtually unbeatable at his peak for a point during the first decade of this century.
Khabib Nurmagomedov succeeded Emelianenko as not only one of Russia's greatest sporting heroes but also as, for a time, the best fighter in the world. But the one-time UFC lightweight champion retired from the sport, leaving a void that hasn't been filled.
On Saturday at Apex, the guy who may fill those enormous shoes will take on his biggest fight ever. He will face Curtis Blaydes in Saturday's main event in a significant bout with title implications.
Sergei Pavlovich is No. 3 in the UFC's heavyweight rankings, behind No. 1 Ciryl Gane and No. 2 Stipe Miocic. Champion Jon Jones destroyed Gane in March, and is expected to fight Miocic, the ex-champion, in New York at Madison Square Garden in November.
Things are aligning nicely for Pavlovich to be in line for a title shot in early 2024. He's 17-1 overall and 5-1 in the UFC. His only loss came in his UFC debut in Beijing, China, to Alistair Overeem on Nov. 24, 2018. Overeem landed a right and immediately went in and took Pavlovich down. After jockeying for position, Overeem landed a hard right from the top that hurt Pavlovich and he quickly stopped him.
After that, it was five wins for Pavlovich, none of which got out of the first round. The guy who grew up idolizing Emelianenko may be the guy who does what Emelianenko couldn't, or wouldn't, do and win the UFC heavyweight title.
That's a tall task for anyone, but it's particularly difficult with Jones, the greatest MMA fighter ever, holding the UFC title, and Blaydes, long a divisional mainstay, in front of him on Saturday. But while the understated Pavlovich isn't about to make outlandish predictions, he definitely hopes to have the career and the influence upon the sport that Emelianenko once did.
"Fedor was definitely a big influence on me growing up and going down this path," Pavlovich, who began his career as a Greco-Roman wrestler, told Yahoo Sports. "He was not only a great fighter, but he was a great example of a man, what a man should be: He should be honorable, he should be responsible, humble. We would always watch his fights and you could see how he handled himself during the fight, after the fight and just as a man, as a person. He was always a great example.
"When I first started, I got tired and there were days I didn't want to go to the gym. Fedor didn't want to sometimes, but he did. He showed you how to be a pro and how to stay on the right path and be consistent. When I don't want to go to the gym even now, I think of Fedor and I go and I do my work to be at my best."
He'll have to be at his best to beat Blaydes, who is a -170 favorite. Pavlovich, who knocked out Derrick Lewis in 55 seconds and Tai Tuivasa in 54 seconds in his last two bouts, is +145 at BetMGM.
It's a bit of an eye-opener for a powerful hitter who has 14 first-round KOs on his resumé. That's likely because of Blaydes' considerable wrestling credentials, but Pavlovich isn't concerned.
"I think a lot of people forget I come from a wrestling background," he said. "And this is mixed martial arts and we know we have to be prepared for all eventualities. Of course, you might have greater skill and technique in one area compared to another, but you have to have a mastery of all of them if you are going to make it in this sport."
He knows, though, that if he wins and enters the title picture, his fame and responsibilities are only going to rise in his native Russia.
Though Charles Barkley famously said he wasn't a role model, Pavlovich expects it and said he'll try to fulfill the role.
"As you grow in any profession, just as with us here in MMA, you carry a responsibility to show an example to others," he said. "I know there are kids who are starting down this path and getting into the sport and I want to be an example to them of what it takes. I will do what I can to move that forward."
