UFC Saudi Arabia: Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov continues on the main card with a co-main event fight in the heavyweight division between Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov. Pavlovich comes into this fight off his interim heavyweight title loss where he was knocked out in round one meanwhile, Volkov is surging at the right time with three consecutive finishes in a row. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Pavlovich-Volkov prediction and pick.

Sergei Pavlovich (18-2) had his chance at becoming the interim heavyweight champion slip through his hands when Tom Aspinall brutally knocked him out in less than two minutes. Pavlovich will look to get himself back into the win column when he takes on a mainstay in the heavyweight division Alexander Volkov in Saudi Arabia.

Alexander Volkov (37-10) has been a contender in the UFC’s heavyweight division for quite a while but he has yet to fight for the title. As he comes off of three consecutive finishes and a matchup with Sergei Pavlovich, Volkov hopes a win this weekend will put him on track to a potential title shot in the future.

Here are the UFC Saudi Arabia Odds, courtesy of BetOnline. 

UFC Saudi Arabia Odds: Sergei Pavlovich-Alexander Volkov Odds

Sergei Pavlovich: -240

Alexander Volkov: +205

Over 1.5 rounds: +120

Under 1.5 rounds: -150

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Why Sergei Pavlovich Will Win

Sergei Pavlovich came up short in his bid to become the interim heavyweight champion when he was knocked out in under two minutes against Tom Aspinall. Before his title shot, Pavlovich was a wrecking machine finishing each of his last six opponents by first-round knockout. Now, Pavlovich will be looking to get back to form when he faces off against seasoned veteran Alexander Volkov this weekend at UFC Saudi Arabia.

Pavlovich is one of the scariest knockout artists we’ve seen grace the Octagon in the heavyweight division. His one-punch knockout power is something that is hard to gameplan against regardless of how skilled the fighter is much like Volkov. We’ve seen Volkov be on the end of a last-second knockout after dominating the fight. This allows Pavlovich to just touch the chin of Volkov and potentially put him away. It’ll be up to Pavlovich to navigate the length of Volkov get into boxing range and land his shots and if he’s able to do that he’s got a great chance of getting back on track.

Why Alexander Volkov Will Win

Alexander Volkov is just three fights removed from losing to the current interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall who submitted him via straight armlock in round one. Since that loss, Volkov has won three straight fights with all three wins coming by knockout before the third round. He will be looking to extend his winning streak to four in a row potentially putting his name at the top of the list for a title shot in the near future when he steps into the Octagon this weekend against Sergei Pavlovich.

Volkov brings a unique skillset to the Octagon that’s very hard to match even for someone like Pavlovich. He’s 6’7″ with an 80″ but has elite-level striking utilizing his long limbs to his advantage. This makes it difficult for his opposition to get within range to land their strikes. There has only been one time in Volkov’s UFC career where he was caught and that was the last 11 seconds of his fight against Derrick Lewis. If Volkov can maintain his distance with his long-range attacks and avoid the power strikes of Pavlovich he has a chance at outstriking and potentially finishing him and scoring the upset.

Final Sergei Pavlovich-Alexander Volkov Prediction & Pick

This should be an absolute barnburner for however long it lasts between these two heavy-hitting heavyweight contenders. Pavlovich will try to put only his second loss behind him as he comes into this weekend’s matchup, meanwhile, Volkov will hunting for another big victory over a tough and dangerous opponent when he steps inside the Octagon in Saudi Arabia. While we know Pavlovich is exceptionally dangerous with one-punch knockout power, these are the type of fights that Volkov does well against for the majority of his career. Ultimately, Pavlovich will be looking to push the pace and be the aggressor hunting for the finish but he will be out of range for the majority of the fight where Volkov will utilize his straight punches and kicks to punish him at distance to a potential late finish or outstriking him to a decision victory.

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Final Sergei Pavlovich-Alexander Volkov Prediction & Pick: Alexander Volkov (+205), Over 1.5 Rounds (+120)