UFC Saudi Arabia results: Alexander Volkov busts up, bloodies Sergei Pavlovich to win decision

Alexander Volkov didn’t want a slugfest and instead showcased a smart, tactical game plan to outduel Sergei Pavlovich in the UFC Saudi Arabia co-main event.

With size and reach on his side, Volkov used that to his advantage as he stayed on the outside and acted like a sniper with long punches that just mashed Pavlovich in the face throughout the fight. When time expired in the third round, Pavlovich had blood dripping down his face and a nasty mouse forming under his eye, which showed just how much damage Volkov inflicted during the 15-minute battle.

The judges scored the fight 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 with Volkov earning one of the biggest wins of his UFC career. He has now had his hand raised in four straight fights.

The bad blood between them nearly boiled over afterward when Volkov came to offer a handshake to his former teammate and Pavlovich immediately shoved him away.

“I just came to say thank you for a great fight, he was mad because I was fighting him,” Volkov said about the altercation. “It wasn’t anything bad for him.”

Part of that interaction probably came down to Pavlovich expressing his frustration after he failed to get any significant offense going in the fight. As usual, Pavlovich came out aggressive, throwing huge bombs, but he just couldn’t find a home for his biggest punches.

In return, Volkov stuck a lead left in Pavlovich’s face while showing caution not to get drawn into a firefight with his heavy-handed opponent. Again and again, Volkov fired off that same jab that opened a cut on the nose as Pavlovich struggled to cut off the cage or get inside on his fellow Russian.

There were fleeting moments when Pavlovich was able to unleash his biggest power punches, but he was largely following Volkov’s lead as he circled around the octagon. Volkov continued to pepper away at him with his boxing while also mixing in some nice calf kicks that also slowed Pavlovich down.

While it was an understandably frustrating fight for him, Pavlovich was still dangerous after he clipped Volkov with a stiff punch late in the second round that made the veteran heavyweight get back on his bike to ensure he didn’t take a fight-ending shot.

The primary key for Volkov was not letting his defense lapse, especially in the few moments where he decided to bite down on his mouthpiece and trade punches with Pavlovich on the feet. There were a few exchanges were it looked like Pavlovich might unload a knockout shot, but Volkov avoided that fate while staying active with the same lead jab that paid dividends throughout the fight.

There was no doubt Volkov had done more than enough to win as he celebrated the unanimous decision victory. Now on a win streak, he’s hoping a shot at UFC gold may be in his future.

“Jon Jones would be a great fight for me,” Volkov said. “Big reach, big guy. For my legacy here, I fought all my life. It would be a nice challenge.”