The UFC returns to the APEX in Las Vegas tonight for another action-packed Fight Night card featuring some of the best fighters in the world. A must-see main event will cap off a card that is loaded with some very interesting matchups.
A heavyweight main event is always exciting but it reaches a new level when the two fighters are both ranked inside the top four and have a tendency to end their fights quickly. Plus, two exciting lightweight contenders will look to crack the top 15 and two middleweight veterans will put on a show.
Lightweight bout: Bobby Green vs Jared Gordon
Few fighters have endeared themselves to UFC fans as much as Bobby Green has in recent years. The 44-fight veteran has been in some wild wars recently and he is always entertaining. With a 29-14-1 record and 10 knockouts and eight submissions, he’s also a very talented fighter who can get the job done in a lot of ways. He is coming off of back-to-back knockout losses though, which means he is going to be desperately looking to pick up this win. Few fighters in the division have hands as good as Green’s so expect him to look to keep the fight standing.
And that will be no problem for Gordon who also has a tendency to stand and bang. Despite coming off of a close loss to Paddy Pimblett in December, Gordon still boasts a 19-6 record with six knockouts. He has showcased his talent in the octagon again and again but he just hasn’t been able to get that signature win that really gets him over the hump. A win over Green would be a huge step in the right direction. I would expect this one to be a very entertaining standup battle.
Middleweight bout: Brad Tavares vs. Bruno Silva
Tavares was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter season 11, all the way back in 2010. Since then, he has posted a 14-7 record in the octagon and has proven that he belongs in there with the best of the best. However, like Gordon, he really hasn’t been able to get over the hump and crack into that top tier of the UFC. Coming off of a loss to Dricus Du Plessis last year, Tavares really needs to pick up a win to build some momentum as he looks to climb back up into the middleweight rankings. With five knockouts and two submissions in his career, Tavares doesn’t end a lot of fights. And yet, he always seems to be in some wild wars.
That figures to be the case again here as Bruno Silva comes into this bout with a 22-8 record and an astounding 19 wins by knockout. Simply put, the guy knows how to put people away, as he proved by knocking out his first three UFC opponents. Since then though, Silva has lost two in a row, including a decision loss to former middleweight champ Alex Pereira. This figures to be a slugfest as both of these guys can really stand in the pocket and take a punch.
Heavyweight bout: Sergei Pavlovich vs. Curtis Blaydes
While those previous two fights figure to be back-and-forth standup battles that might go the distance, this main event doesn’t exactly fit that bill. Oh, it’s going to be a standup battle, but there is little to no chance this fight goes five rounds. This is one of those “blink and you’ll miss it” type of fights.
Sergei Pavlovich hasn’t seen a second round since June of 2017. Let me say that again. Sergei Pavlovich has not seen a second round since the month of June in the year 2017. That means he has gone almost a full six years without a single one of his fights making it out of the first round. In that time, he sports a 6-1 record. Each of those six wins has come by, you guessed it, knockout in the very first round. And his one loss, yep, a first round knockout against one of the greatest fighters of all time: Allistair Overeem. In his six UFC fights, his average fight time is two minutes and 15 seconds. He’s also riding a five-fight winning streak that has seen him climb to the number three spot in the heavyweight rankings. Another win in this main event essentially makes him a lock for a title shot.
Standing in his way though is a man who has been here before. Blaydes sports a 17-3 record with 12 knockouts of his own. The difference maker her though is that Blaydes has faced off against former heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos, former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou (twice) and even former heavyweight champion Allistair Overeem. Blaydes is no stranger to the big stage just below the biggest stage. He’s been in main events, he’s just never been able to cap off that impressive win streak to earn himself a shot at the heavyweight crown. A win here might do exactly that.
UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes will be held Saturday, April 22 at 7:00 PM ET. Fight fans can watch live on ESPN+.