Sergei Pavlovich controversially stopped for Derrick Lewis

Derrick Lewis and Sergei Pavlovich clashed at UFC 277.

Texas welcomes back one of her sons for UFC277 in Derrick Lewis, who got some of the loudest reactions of the night. His opponent is Russian knockout artist Sergei Pavlovich, a fighter with whom Lewis can very well measure might after might. Both men are known for their punchiness and strength, with the fight starting with a certain kind of electricity that few fights have.

The fight would not last long as Pavolovich overwhelmed Lewis with a barrage of punches, dropping Lewis to the ground. Pavlovich easily landed more than a dozen punches to the head before making Lewis stand on the mat with plants. However, controversy was inevitable tonight as Dan Miragliotta stopped the fight just before Lewis got back on his feet.

It might have been a quick stop, but there was no doubt that Pavlovich had the fight well in hand.

Put Sergei Pavlovich on a more well-rounded fighter

While many want to see a rematch, this is Lewis’ third loss by KO/TKO in his last four bouts. Lewis, who is 37, is clearly not the fighter he once was and even if we go along with the notion that Lewis’ fight ended prematurely, it could easily be argued that in seconds it was over big knock down.

Pavlovich was beating Lewis and dominating him, running it back isn’t the smart game for Lewis who should get into the Anthony Smith part of the map more and not as a true title contender, while Pavlovich should get a chance at another top heavyweight in the division.

UFC 277: Julianna Peña vs. Amanda Nunes takes place live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Follow FanSided MMA for all your news and highlights.