- Sergei Pavlovich is a 32-years-old Russian professional mixed martial artist.
- The former heavyweight champion began his career at a young age and has since made it to the UFC.
- He is an experienced hand-to-hand combatant, thanks to the years he worked in the military
- Pavlovich has never been married, he does not have a wife and doesn’t seem to be dating anyone.
Over the years, Sergei Pavlovich has built a successful career that landed him a spot in the heavyweight division of the UFC. Through this, the Russian professional mixed martial artist has popularized his name across the globe and many people are now curious to learn more about his life outside of what he does for a living.
He Was Born and Raised in Rostov Oblast, Russia
Sergei Vladimirovich Pavlovich, as you would easily find, was born on the 13th of May 1992. According to records, he was born in a village called Orlovsky, the administrative division of Rostov Oblast. Sergei shared his childhood with his only sibling, an older brother named Viktor Pavlovich.
The highlight of his childhood was when he developed an interest in basketball, handball, and mixed martial arts. In fact, he went as far as buying UFC fights on CD so he can keep up with the latest fights. It was through this that he discovered other mixed martial artists like David Abbott and Fedor Emelianenko. These are some of the fighters who inspired him to pursue a career in MMA.
Sergei Pavlovich Started Training in Kindergarten…
While in school, the MMA fighter wanted to hone his skill in handball but got rejected at the training camp due to his height. This pushed him to join other children at the wrestling training facility. He revealed that he started visiting the Greco-Roman wrestling section of his Kindergarten school when he was five years old to pursue the hobby. At the time, his coach was Alexander Fedorich Aloyan.
Because training was free, Pavlovich and other boys from his village enjoyed visiting the facility. Thus, he gained wrestling experience. He remained there till he reached the 11 grade in school. This laid the foundation for him to explore and pursue his dream of fighting for a living.
And Launched His MMA Career at the Age of 22
Sergei Pavlovich’s combat sports career officially kicked off in 2014 when he was 22 years old. He was signed to Fight Nights Global where he won 12 successive fights. It was an impressive start that left many pundits predicting that he would become a champion.
This came to pass three years after he joined the Russian mixed martial arts promotion. He won the heavyweight championship through a unanimous decision against Mikhail Mokhnatkin. As one would expect, this pushed him to the top of the promotions ranking. It also set him up as a prospect for other first-rate promotions like the UFC.
He Lost His Debut UFC Match in November 2018
The Russian fighter launched his UFC campaign against Alistair Overeem on November 24, 2018, at Fight Night 141. Though it was a dream come true to fight under the biggest MMA promotion, he lost the match in a TKO, marking an end to his winning streak across three years.
The experienced fighter moved beyond the defeat in his next fight against Marcelo Golm. This would earn him The Performance of the Night award, his first UFC accolade. His career took a negative turn in 2020 as he suffered a knee injury that prevented him from facing Ciryl Gane. His next match against Tom Aspinall in 2021 also did not hold due to the Visa issues he was having at the time.
These issues made his ranking fall. Nevertheless, he made a successful comeback in 2022 at UFC Fight Night 204 against Shamil Abdurakhimov. Sergei Pavlovich won the fight and it earned him his second Performance of the Night award. He has since fought other opponents and won 16 out of 17 fights as of this writing.
His next match against Tai Tuivasa is slated for December 3, 2022.
Sergei Pavlovich Isn’t Married and Doesn’t Seem to Have a Girlfriend
According to our findings, Pavlovich is not married neither are there any indications that he is dating anyone. The heavy-weight fighter is known for keeping his personal life away from media. As such, it has been very hard to keep track of his life outside of his combat sports career.
Considering how some athletes choose to keep the spotlight on their careers, it would not be surprising that he is seeing someone. So at the moment, we can only confirm that he is not married and has never been.
Interesting Facts to Know about the UFC Fighter
1. Sergei Pavlovich Served in the Army Before He Became a Professional Fighter
According to Pavlovich, he decided to join the army after his 11th grade. While in the army, his attention was drawn to the military’s hand-to-hand combat. This reignited his passion for combat sports so after he left the army, he decided to pursue a career as a professional fighter. Sergei would agree that his experience with the army was a moment that defined what he wanted to do with his life.
2. The Orlovsky Native Participated in the Hand-to-Hand Combat Championship in 2018
As mentioned earlier, his experience in hand-to-hand combat was an important skill Sergei acquired during his time in the military. While he lost his MMA fight in 2018, he participated in the Hand-to-Hand Championship representing Team Krasnodar Krai. He and other team members like Magomed Idrisov and Kurban Omarov won some medals for their team.
3. Sergei Pavlovich Stands at 6 Feet 3 Inches and Has a Long Reach
Pavlovich’s height of 6 feet 3 inches is one of the most outstanding physical attributes of the fighter. Add that to his +9.0″ reach and it immediately becomes clear how much of a formidable fighter he can be in the octagon.
In combat sports like MMA and boxing, a long reach (the arm length of an athlete) is considered an advantage for an obvious reason: you get to strike opponents from a safe distance. This explains why Pavlovich has reached the top 5 spots in back-to-back finishes.
4. He Rejected “Drago” as His Nickname
His rise to stardom as a mixed martial artist has raised lots of comparisons, especially between him and other Russian MMA fighters; including the likes of Alexander Volkov. Due to his tackling prowess, many have referred to him as Drago, which happens to be Volkov’s nickname.
Sergei rejected the nickname, stating that he does not want to be identified with other people’s nicknames. However, he does not mean this as a disrespect to Volkov as suggested in some quarters. Pavlovich admires Volkov whom he once trained with in Moscow.
See Also: Kennedy Nzechukwu: 10 Facts About The MMA Fighter
5. Sergei Pavlovich’s Net Worth Is Estimated at $1.5 Million
The Russian fighter and former military man has a net worth of $1.5 million which he earned from his MMA career. It is estimated that he earns as much as $100,000 per fight. The UFC fighter reportedly pocketed $103,000 when he fought Shamil Abdurakhimov. Apart from his in-ring performances, he also makes good money from endorsement deals.
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