Sergei Pavlovich Blasts Curtis Blaydes in UFC Fight Night 222 Main Event

Sergei Pavlovich is beginning to make first-round knockouts look routine, even while picking up the biggest win of his career.

In the main event of UFC Fight Night 222 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, the 30-year-old Russian (18-1) faced longtime heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes (17-4, 1 NC), with a future title shot very possibly at stake. The narrative entering the “UFC Vegas 71” headliner was that of wrestler Blaydes versus Pavlovich the striker, but the American made only one earnest attempt at bringing the fight to the canvas, a double-leg in the center of the cage which Pavlovich snuffed out with ease. The rest of the action was conducted entirely on the feet, with both men having their moments of success, but Pavlovich’s advantage in power was glaringly obvious to all, including Blaydes, who never appeared fully comfortable. After a series of exchanges in which Pavlovich’s punches appeared to hurt Blaydes significantly, the ball truly started rolling with a big right uppercut. As Blaydes stumbled, Pavlovich swarmed, dropping him with another right hand, then pouring on punches until referee Marc Goddard had seen enough. The end came officially at 3 minutes, 8 seconds of Round 1.

The win, Pavlovich’s sixth straight since dropping his UFC debut to Alistair Overeem in 2018, set a record for the most consecutive first-round knockout wins in the modern history of the promotion. In defeat, Blaydes’ Octagon record fell to 12-4 with one no contest.

Silva Sparks Tavares

Facing down his first losing streak in over a decade, Bruno Silva (23-8) turned things around in a big way, lighting up Brad Tavares (19-8) with a step-in knee and punches in the first round of the middleweight co-main event. In the early going, “Blindado” seemed little different from the slow, tentative version of himself that had dropped back-to-back fights to Gerald Meerschaert and Alex Pereira in 2022, while Tavares appeared to be in typical form, confident and aggressive.

However, Silva apparently knew what he was about, and halfway into the round he began to return fire with deadly accuracy, including a short right hook to the onrushing Hawaiian 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 clinch precipitated the beginning of the end, followed by a massive right hand that leveled Tavares. Referee Mark Smith dove in for the stoppage with no follow-up needed. That prompted a complaint from Tavares, but it dissipated quickly, and by the time the result was announced—a technical knockout at 3:35 of Round 1—he was congratulating the Brazilian. The highlight-reel finish brought Silva’s Octagon record to an even 3-3 and reestablished him as a Top 15 talent, while Tavares dropped to 14-8 in the UFC as the most accomplished alumnus of Season 11 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Inadvertent Headbutt Leads to 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 clash of heads to an apparent TKO win late in the first round, only to have it declared a no contest upon replay. The bout had been shaping up as a competitive striking battle, with former featherweight Gordon experiencing surprising success walking down the taller, quicker and slicker Green to land punches. With under a minute left in the opening stanza, the crown of Green’s head struck Gordon squarely in the temple during a close-quarters boxing exchange. Green pursued his dazed foe to the canvas, pounding him senseless with several pinpoint follow-up punches and prompting the stoppage from referee Keith Peterson. Gordon’s corner—and the announcers’ table, featuring friend and longtime training partner Paul Felder—understandably erupted in protest. After reviewing the final sequence in consultation with replay official Chris Tognoni, the bout was declared a no contest at 4 minutes, 35 seconds of Round 1. Green and Gordon met the announcement with equanimity, perhaps setting up a second go-round later this year.

Lucindo Boxes Up Walker

In a strawweight showcase, Iasmin Lucindo’s aggression and combination punching were too much for Brogan Walker. The 21-year-old Brazilian established her striking superiority early, countering Walker’s kicks with two- and three-punch ripostes. Walker was game throughout, continuing to throw come forward and throw offense even as she got the worse of almost every exchange. The fight, while generally competitive, grew more one-sided with each passing round, and by the final frame Walker’s face was showing significant damage, including a nasty cut. The cageside judges scored the fight for Lucindo by identical 30-27 marks, bringing her Octagon record to 1-1 and her overall tally to 14-5; Walker fell to 7-4 overall, 0-2 in the UFC.

Wells Grinds Down Semelsberger

Jeremiah Wells used effective wrestling and a furious pace to take a well-deserved verdict over fellow rising welterweight Matthew Semelsberger in the high-energy main card opener. A wild first round ended with Wells carrying all the momentum, as Semelsberger dropped the Philadelphia native early, only to have Wells take over with his wrestling and effective ground-and-pound. A similar dynamic played out over the second and third periods, only further in Wells’ favor, with Semelsberger landing effectively on the feet, but largely unable to stop the takedowns. Wells’ ground assault created offense for him even as it limited Semelsberger’s chances to do damage. He managed big slams in Rounds 2 and 3, applied heavy pressure and a constant stream of punches and elbows, and punished Semelsberger’s submission and escape attempts. The judges scored the fight for Wells by split scorecards (29-28, 28-29, 30-27), propelling him to 12-2-1 (4-0 UFC) and dropping Semelsberger to 11-5 overall, 5-3 in the UFC.



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