Sergei Pavlovich defended the third-place ranking in heavyweight, beating the outstanding Waldo Cortes-Acosta in UFC Shanghai.
It didn’t take long for the fist to fly between two of the most decorated knockout artists in the heavyweight division. Pavlovich’s counterstriking proved to be Russia’s most valuable weapon, but Cortes Acosta was a more active fighter throughout the first half of the battle.
The second-most successful Pavlovic began pushing the pace and began to put pressure on Cortez Acosta towards the fence. Still, the Dominicans showed no signs of retreat as they headed for the third round of a very close contest.
By the time they reached the third round, Pavlovich locked up the timing and connected to the stanza with a 90-second right hook.
Official Results: Sergei Pavlovich def. Waldo Cortes-Acosta (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) via unanimous decision.