UFC 295: Former Heavyweight Champion Claims Sergei Pavlovich Will Dominate Division If Jon Jones And Stipe Miocic Retire

Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos has high hopes for Sergei Pavlovich as a heavyweight contender. The Brazilian recently claimed that if Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic retire after UFC 295, the Russian will be unstoppable. 

Sergei Pavlovich has established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the UFC’s heaviest weight class. The 31-year-old Russian has dispatched his last six opponents via first-round KO/TKOs. His professional record stands at 18-1, with his sole loss coming against Alistair Overeem on his UFC debut. 

Since joining the promotion in 2019, Pavlovich has defeated world-class heavyweights like Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa, and Curtis Blaydes. Given his incredible fighting prowess and devastating punching power, many believe he could even trouble Jon Jones in the octagon. However, the Russian is taking it one step at a time. 

Jon Jones is set to face Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 on November 11. Their highly anticipated heavyweight title fight will go down at Madison Square Garden in New York City. While fans are undoubtedly hyped to watch two of the greatest fighters clash, there’s an air of melancholy surrounding it. It’s speculated that Miocic could announce his retirement after the fight, with Jones joining him in calling it a career. 

If that happens, Junior Dos Santos claims there’s no stopping the Sergei Pavlovich train. In a recent interview on the Trocacao Franca podcast, ’Cigano’ claimed that he’s trained with Pavlovich and felt his power. Dos Santos predicted the Russian would be a bonafide star and dominate the heavyweight division if he claimed the championship.

Reflecting on his own experience as a former heavyweight champion, Junior Dos Santos also claimed that only Stipe Miocic posed a reasonable challenge to Jon Jones. He revealed that Miocic was the hardest puncher he ever faced. However, he admitted that Jones is a fighting maverick and the greatest of all time. 

Meanwhile, Sergei Pavlovich could potentially face Tom Aspinall next, thanks to the Brit being the only one calling him out.