Sergei Pavlovich believes the stakes of Saturday's showdown against Curtis Blaydes in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes practically guarantee an entertaining battle. Their five-round contest will close the curtain on the main UFC card (7 p.m. ET) from the Apex facility in Las Vegas. The winner of the main event will likely move into the top contender spot at heavyweight and become the favorite for the next title shot. Pavlovich told the media this week that this incentive should make for an action-packed fight. The No. 3-ranked Pavlovich has won five straight, while the No. 4-ranked Blaydes seeks his fourth consecutive victory.
Blaydes is a -165 favorite (risk $165 to win $100), while Pavlovich is a +140 underdog in the latest UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes odds from Caesars Sportsbook. In the co-main event, light heavyweight contenders take the spotlight as Brad Tavares (-175) meets Bruno Silva (+150). Before locking in any picks of your own for UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine UFC expert Daniel Vithlani.
Vithlani is a highly analytical UFC bettor who profited more than $6,200 for $100 bettors in 2022. This includes a documented 24-14 record on his well-respected, two-leg parlays. Every pick was documented on his public Instagram account.
From breaking down film and following fighters and their camps closely, to tracking sharp action and betting market signals, Vithlani covers the breadth of the MMA betting landscape top to bottom. He also trains amateur boxers and speaks regularly with MMA fighters to understand the sport's nuances.
In his SportsLine debut at UFC 283 in January, Vithlani swept the main card and his 5-0 record included telling SportsLine members to back Jamahal Hill (-125) against Glover Teixeira (+105) for the vacant light heavyweight title in the main event. Anyone who has followed him has seen massive returns.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes in sight, Vithlani has scoured the card top to bottom for value and released his top MMA picks. Vithlani's UFC Fight Night picks are only available at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes preview
The winner of Saturday's main event could be headed towards a title shot sooner than later. In March, Jon Jones returned from a three-year layoff to win the heavyweight title with a first-round submission of Ciryl Gane. He was widely expected to make his first defense against former champion Stipe Miocic in July, but that matchup already could be in jeopardy.
UFC president Dana White told the media last week that Jones has faded from communication with the promotion, jeopardizing the potential fight with Miocic. If the fight is somehow made, either Blaydes or Pavlovich would be a logical choice as the next contender. But if Jones vs. Miocic falls through, it's likely the UFC would create an interim title and the winner of Saturday's main event could be a shoo-in as one of the participants.
Blaydes (17-3-1) is a seven-year UFC veteran who has gone 12-3-1 in 15 appearances with the promotion and spent most of his time in or near the top five of the UFC rankings. The 32-year-old Illinois native has never reached a title shot largely because of his struggles against former champion Francis Ngannou, who has since left the promotion. Two of his three UFC losses came to Ngannou and the other came in a title-eliminator against veteran Derrick Lewis.
Blaydes is widely considered one of the best wrestlers to ever compete in the heavyweight division, though he has a competent stand-up game and strong athleticism as well. His last outing ended in a first-round stoppage of Tom Aspinall, who suffered a knee injury in the first round of their main-event showdown.
Pavlovich (17-1) lost his UFC debut by stoppage to former title challenger Alistair Overeem in November 2018, but has defeated all five of his subsequent opponents by first-round knockout. The 30-year-old Russian power puncher started to gain attention when stepped up in competition. His last outing resulted in a 54-second knockout in December of Tai Tuivasa, who was arguably the division's hottest prospect and ranked No. 3 at the time. You can only see who to pick at UFC Fight Night here.
UFC Fight Night predictions
We'll share one of Vithlani's top UFC Fight Night selections here: He is backing Bobby Green (-260) to get the best of Jared Gordon (-210) in a lightweight showdown.
Green (29-14-1) is a 10-year UFC veteran and fan favorite because of his nonstop brawling style, willingness to take on all opponents and brash disposition. The 35-year-old is looking to snap a two-fight skid after he was knocked out by fellow veteran Drew Dober in December.
Gordon (19-6) is a versatile and durable fighter who has gone 7-5 in 12 UFC appearances. The 34-year-old New Yorker is best known to MMA fans because of his last fight in which he seemed to get the better of hyped prospect Paddy Pimblett but came up on the short end of the decision of their fight at UFC 282 in December.
Green looks to have a favorable matchup. Gordon is a well-rounded fighter, but if he doesn't secure takedowns and control in every round, I see him getting out-boxed for 15 minutes," Vithlani told SportsLine. See who else to back here.
How to make UFC Fight Night picks
Vithlani also has strong picks for Pavlovich vs. Blaydes and other bouts on the UFC Fight Night card. He's also backing a fighter who "will use his edge in UFC experience" to emerge with a dominant victory. Vithlani's picks and MMA analysis are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC Fight Night, all from the MMA expert who profited more than $6,200 in 2022, and find out.
UFC Fight Night odds, fight card
See full UFC Fight Night picks, predictions, and best bets here
Curtis Blaydes (-165) vs. Sergei Pavlovich (+140)
Brad Tavares (-175) vs. Bruno Silva (+150)
Bobby Green (-260) vs. Jared Gordon (+210)
Iasmin Lucindo (-305) vs. Brogan Walker (+240)
Jeremiah Wells (-120) vs. Matthew Semelsberger (+100)
Ricky Glenn (-180) vs. Christos Giagos (+155)
Montel Jackson (-600) vs. Rani Yahya (+440)
Norma Dumont (-120) vs. Karol Rosa (+100)
Batgerel Danaa (-150) vs. Brady Hiestand (+120)
Karine Silva (-180) vs. Priscila Cachoeira (+155)
