UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes Odds, Prediction and Fight Preview
This Saturday, at UFC Fight Night 222, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Las Vegas with a card at the UFC Apex and coverage on ESPN+. Main event fighters Sergei Pavlovich (16-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and Curtis Blaydes (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) square off for five rounds in a heavyweight bout with major championship implications.
Pavlovich vs. Blaydes
This Saturday’s return of UFC APEX features a heavyweight main event between two contenders, Sergei Pavlovich and Curtis Blaydes.
After being out of action for two years, Pavlovich came back strong last year. The stoppage victory over Shamil Abdurakhimov in March got him back on track, and the first-round knockouts of Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa in July and December respectively put him in top form.
Blaydes also had a string of victories after his win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik in September ’21. He knocked out Chris Daukaus in the second round in Columbus, and in July, he triumphed over the British heavyweight Tom Aspinall.
On the other hand, Blaydes has won three in a row and eight of his past nine bouts, while Pavlovich has won his last five. When Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic finally meet, the winner of this fight might potentially be the next in line to challenge for the heavyweight belt.
This is an intriguing matchup between two big men with real strength, and it will be interesting to see how Blaydes’ wrestling plays into things as the two get to know each other on Saturday night.
Odds: Curtis Blaydes -200 and Sergei Pavlovich +170
Prediction: Pavlovich has been on a role recently and will be a difficult challenge for any heavyweight. The first round will be very difficult for Blaydes, however, if he can survive the initial onslaught, he can get his hand raised. With that, we predict a victory for Blaydes.
Other fights on the card
As veteran middleweights Brad Tavares and Bruno Silva square off again, it’s a main card matchup not to be missed.
Tavares, one of the longest-tenured middleweights on the roster, is looking to bounce back to the form that saw him win six of eight bouts before his loss to Dricus Du Plessis last July. The 33-year-old Silva got out to a good start, winning his first three UFC bouts, but he enters this one on a two-fight losing streak after defeats at the hands of Alex Pereira and Gerald Meerschaert.
Israel Adesanya is currently perched atop the middleweight throne, but the first order of business for these two guys is to get back on track with a win.
Furthermore, lightweight division mainstays Bobby Green and Jared Gordon square off to get their respective 2023 campaigns off to a good start after sour conclusions to the previous year.
Green improved to 10-9-1 inside the Octagon with a win over Nasrat Haqparast in the first month of 2022 before suffering stoppage losses to Islam Makhachev (on short notice) and Drew Dober. Gordon’s first two fights of the year ended in a loss to Grant Dawson and a win over Leo Santos, but he was on the wrong end of a controversial decision against Paddy Pimblett in December.
These individuals have cemented their places in the division and are examples of the well-rounded, seasoned fighters essential to the division’s continued existence and growth. Saturday night’s main event is a fight between two seasoned veterans, so it should be a good one.
On Saturday, the UFC welcomes two contrastingly experienced sophomores to the Octagon, Brazilian prospect Iasmin Lucindo and TUF finalist Brogan Walker.
The 21-year-old Lucindo fought valiantly but ultimately lost in her debut against Yazmin Jauregui last summer in San Diego, ending her seven-fight winning streak. Although losing by third-round stoppage to eventual champion Juliana Miller in the finale of The Ultimate Fighter: Women’s Edition last season, Walker is an eight-year veteran who has battled established names under the Invicta FC banner.
This is a fascinating matchup because Lucindo has had more overall appearances in her career, but Walker has faced tougher opposition.
UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes Odds
Curtis Blaydes -200
Sergei Pavlovich +170
Brad Tavares -130
Bruno Silva +110
Bobby Green -225
Jared Gordon +190
Iasmin Lucindo -300
Brogan Walker +250
Jeremiah Wells -140
Matthew Semelsberger +120
Ricky Glenn -225
Christos Giagos +190
Montel Jackson -500
Rani Yahya +385
Karol Rosa -225
Norma Dumont +190
Muhammed Usman -120
Junior Tafa +100
Francis Marshall -400
William Gomis +330
Karine Silva -250
Priscila Cachoeira +210
Batgerel Danaa -175
Brady Hiestand +150
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