Sergei Pavlovich vs. Waldo Cortes

Sergei Pavlovich vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta is the only heavyweight matchup on the fight card of the UFC Shanghai, an event scheduled for August 23 in ChinaImage Source: Shutterstock.com

After three UFC events without a single Heavyweight fight, the heaviest division is back to action with a real banger. The clash in question is Sergei Pavlovich vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta, which is a duel between two incredible strikers, each with an average of 4+ significant strikes per minute.

Sergei Pavlovich vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta Odds

Moneyline	Odds
Sergei Pavlovich	TBA
Waldo Cortes-Acosta	TBA

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When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: Shanghai Indoor Stadium in Shanghai, China
• Date: Saturday, August 23, 2025
• Time: 3:00 a.m. ET
• How to Watch: ESPN+

Sergei Pavlovich Dreaming Title Dreams

Sergei Pavlovich’s super run of six KO/TKO wins in a row was ended by Tom Aspinall in the fight for the interim UFC Heavyweight title. He got KO-ed by the Englishman after only 69 seconds.

He tried to rebound against his fellow Russian Alexander Volkov, but he lost again. This time around, it was by unanimous decision. The good news for Sergei is that he bounced back to the winning track in February 2025 with a unanimous decision win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

That fight is interesting as it saw Pavlovich showcase his newly acquired wrestling skills. He landed two ngakedowns – for the first time since coming to the UFC in 2018 – and kept the fight on the ground or in the clinch throughout the entire 15-minute battle.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta Looking for His 6^thStraight Win

Waldo Cortes-Acosta is 14-1 overall, with his only loss happening in April 2023 against Marcos Rogerio de Lima. He lost that fight by unanimous decision, even though he landed 20+ significant strikes more than his opponent. The reason he lost was that Lima went 2:0 with ngakedowns.

It seems that he’s learned his lesson since. His wrestling skills have improved significantly over the last two years, reaching the pinnacle in the 2024 fight with Robelis Despaigne. He landed three ngakedowns against the 6’7 Cuban, as well as attempted one ngakedown.

Since that fight, we also saw him beat Ryan Spann by KO and Serghei Spivac by decision. If he can add another win to his resume – which would be his 6^thin a row – he’d definitely put himself on the radar in the conversation for the title.

Right now, he’s 6^thin the UFC Heavyweight Rankings, but if he defeated the No. 3 fighter, he’d almost certainly move a few spaces higher, perhaps even ngaking Pavlovich’s place.

Sergei Pavlovich vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta Prediction

Waldo Cortes-Acosta is our pick in this fight. We think he’s a more well-rounded fighter than Sergei Pavlovich. He’s a better wrestler than the Russian, while striking-wise, they’re pretty similar. In fact, “Salsa Boy” might be better in that respect too, especially given that Pavlovich landed just 72 significant strikes in his last three fights.

Pick: Waldo Cortes-Acosta