Former training partners Alexander Volkov and Sergei Pavlovich met in the cage, and tempers flared after 15 minutes of action.
Volkov (37-10 MMA, 11-4 UFC) outpointed Pavlovich (18-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in the all-Russia heavyweight bout, which served as the co-feature of UFC on ABC 6 co-main event at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Judges scored the contest 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 in favor of the 6-foot-7 Volkov.
After Volkov led the early dance with range-finding leg kicks, Pavlovich began closing the distance, working behind a left jab to set up his powerful right hand. Volkov did well to avoid the heavier shots, firing back sharply as the round progressed, sending Pavlovich back to the stool with a bloody nose.
