The time has finally come as UFC Las Vegas draws to a close when two of the scariest fighters in the Heavyweight Division will square off for an opportunity at the title. No. 3 ranked Russian Sergei Pavlovich will take on the division's best wrestler in No. 4 ranked Curtis “Razor” Blaydes. There's no way this one is going the distance! Check out our UFC odds series for our Pavlovich-Blaydes prediction and pick.

Sergei Pavlovich is 17-1 in his MMA career and has gone an impressive 5-1 in the UFC during his run to the top of the heavyweight rankings. Coming into the UFC with an undefeated record, Pavlovich dropped his debut fight against Alistair Overeem in 2018. Since, he's been perfect at 5-0 and has had all of his UFC fights stopped in the first round. He's on a unique path of destruction as he's discarded of top heavyweights in devastating fashion. He'll look to add Curtis Blaydes to his long list of victims as he looks for a title shot next. Pavlovich stands 6'3″ with an 84-inch reach.

Curtis Blaydes has a professional record of 17-3-1 and has gone 12-3-1 since joining the UFC. Two of his three losses have come to Francis Ngannou, which is already a huge discrepancy in the competition he's faced in comparison to Pavlovich. Blaydes is on a streak that's seen him win his last three consecutive fights. He was dominant against Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Chris Daukaus, but won his last fight due to referee stoppage when Tom Aspinall blew his knee out. If he can win this fight, he could be the next in line for a long-awaited title shot. Blaydes stands 6'4″ with an 80-inch reach.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

UFC Las Vegas Odds: Sergei Pavlovich-Curtis Blaydes Odds

Sergei Pavlovich: +138

Curtis Blaydes: -170

Over (1.5) rounds: +116

Under (1.5) rounds: -148

How to Watch Sergei Pavlovich vs. Curtis Blaydes

TV: ESPN+

Stream: ESPN App, UFC Fight Pass

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)

Why Sergei Pavlovich Will Win

Sergei Pavlovich may be the most unique puzzle in the Heavyweight Division right now. He's a massive guy for the division and has a solid six-pack at 255 lbs. His game plan is simple – Pavlovich rushes his opponent from the opening bell and will throw everything behind his shots in trying to discard of them in the opening round. He has ungodly power in his hands and will almost certainly wobble his opponent if he can land clean. We've seen Curtis Blaydes get knocked out clean in the past, so it could take Pavlovich only a few shots until Blaydes suffers the same fate as all his other opponents.

The biggest question here for Pavlovich will be his cardio. He's never made it out of the first round in the UFC and with this main event scheduled for five rounds, Pavlovich should look to get out of there as quickly as possible. Pavlovich has also not been tested in the wrestling department to this point, so it'll be interesting to see how much time he spends on his back being controlled by Blaydes. Pavlovich will have the luxury of knowing that he just needs one shot to land, so look for him to come out very aggressive as Blaydes has been known to start slow in the past.

Why Curtis Blaydes Will Win

Curtis Blaydes is, without a doubt, the best wrestler in the Heavyweight Division and arguably the UFC. Blaydes is a National JUCO Wrestling Champion from Harper College in Illinois and has been dominant against some of the best wrestlers at the UFC level. His massive body and otherworldly strength allows him to control his opponents whenever the fight hits the ground. Blaydes has tremendous top pressure and is a burden to try and get out from underneath of. His signature is the concussive ground-and-pound he looks to land once he gets into side control or mount. If Curtis Blaydes can find a  few takedowns in this one, Pavlovich will be no match for his wrestling.

The biggest question for Blaydes is whether he can land enough takedowns before getting knocked out on the feet. With the power of Pavlovich coming back his way, Blaydes will have to be very defensive and not be too eager in shooting for a takedown. We've seen Blaydes start slow in the past, so look for him to be aware of the fast start from Pavlovich. If Blaydes can withstand the initial storm and make it out of the first round, he'll have a serious chance to wear Pavlovich out with his wrestling and empty the gas tank as he maintains control. However, he'll have to be very careful of any uppercuts during his shots, as Derrick Lewis was able to knock him out clean with the same punch in his last loss.

Final Sergei Pavlovich-Curtis Blaydes Prediction & Pick

This will be a classic matchup of striker vs. wrestler with the stakes being as high as ever. If Curtis Blaydes can get the takedowns, he'll wear Pavlovich out and win this fight. If Pavlovich can land a few shots through Blaydes' guard in the opening minutes of this fight, he'll knock him out and win the fight. With Blaydes being the favorite, odds makers are backing his experience against former champions and top-ranked competition. However, we've only seen Sergei Pavlovich fights end one way and those betting against him haven't been winning much. Let's take Pavlovich the get the win here as the underdog. However, if this fight gets out of the first round, you'll almost HAVE to live bet Curtis Blaydes to win.

Final Sergei Pavlovich-Curtis Blaydes Prediction & Pick: Sergei Pavlovich (+138); Curtis Blaydes Wins in Round 4, 5, or by Decision (+550)