Two top heavyweights, Sergei Pavlovich, and Curtis Blaydes, collide and headline the upcoming UFC Fight Night 222, on April 22 at the UFC Apex on Saturday night.

Both fighters enter the Octagon on the heels of remarkable winning streaks. Pavlovich, who has a penchant for devastating knockout victories, soared up the rankings since dropping his debut fight against Alistair Overeem in 2018. Blaydes, on the other hand, steadily steered his career.

Moreover, the fight between #3 ranked Pavlovich and #4 ranked Blaydes carries enormous title implications for the division in the future. Likewise, UFC veteran Chael Sonnen argues it is the Russian fighter who is better placed in their encounter. And if he brushes aside ‘Razor’, it leaves no doubt in the mind of matchmakers of his case for the title push.

A win might push Sergei Pavlovich to the title contender’s slot

Sonnen, appearing on the latest segment of Beyond The Fight, contended a sole win separated the 30-year-old Russian and his title aspirations. Further, Pavlovich, who was the backup fighter for Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane‘s title showdown at UFC 285, might bag the number-1 contender title if he found success against the American fighter.

The former UFC associate said, “It’s the kind of thing that if he had success against Curtis Blaydes, we’d make number-one contender. Inside of a division that you couldn’t name five guys.”

“Inside a division where the most popular guy is [Tai] Tuivasa. And the most dangerous guy, Tom [Aspinall], we don’t know he’s still on an injury list,” he added later on.

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Notably, Pavlovich currently holds the longest active winning streak, 5, in the division. And the surging contender’s title ambitions need a slight boost. However, it might prove to be a mountainous task against the fighter who recently declared himself as the hardest matchup for ‘Bones’.

Curtis Blaydes argues his case as the hardest matchup for Jon Jones

In an interview, Blaydes argued he possessed the skill set to overwhelm the current heavyweight champion.

The 17-1-3 record holder said, “I have the size, I have the wrestling. I have the athleticism, I have the speed, I have the agility. I have all the things you need to match up with a talent like Jon Jones.”

Despite presenting himself as a potent threat to Jones, he expressed his doubts about whether he could go through Stipe Miocic.

Read More: “Like Bones and Cormier, F*cking Hate Each Other”: Dwayne Johnson Once Traded Words With Joe Rogan Years Before Podcaster Called Him Out for Using Steroids

What do you make of this prediction by UFC veteran Chael Sonnen? Do you believe Sergei Pavlovich deserves a go at the title shot? Let us know in the comments below.

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