Sergei Pavlovich relies too much on his hands, Tom Aspinall needs to slow him down with leg kicks

Henry Cejudo offers guidance to Tom Aspinall on handling the power of Sergei Pavlovich.

Aspinall (13-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) is set to confront Sergei Pavlovich (18-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) for the interim heavyweight title in UFC 295’s co-main event at New York’s Madison Square Garden this Saturday. The event will be available on pay-per-view after airing prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

With six consecutive first-round knockouts, Pavlovich has dominated the heavyweight division. Cejudo suggests that Aspinall should aim to mitigate his offensive onslaught.

“He (Pavlovich) has an 84-inch reach advantage over Tom Aspinall. That’s nearly double my reach. The man wields an extensive reach combined with power and technical skill, making him the quintessential Sergei Pavlovich,” Cejudo stated on his YouTube channel.

“He’s an aggressive finisher… 15 KOs out of 19. But, we have to talk about Sergei’s weaknesses. He relies on his hands too much. I’m intrigued to see if Tom can incorporate leg kicks to slow him down and reduce the impact of his punching power.”

Elaborating on Aspinall’s weaknesses, Cejudo explained how his versatility could be detrimental.

“He doesn’t possess that one dominant attribute that makes him consistently dangerous,” Cejudo remarked. “At times, having broad skills in all areas can be a disadvantage. Someone excelling in just one area, such as Alex Pereira, might defeat a well-rounded fighter like Aspinall.

“I’d like to see him develop one dominant strength, creating a sense of fear when he’s coming. Also, at times, he’s too predictable. He tends to move in straight lines, allowing opponents with potent power like Sergei Pavlovich to exploit his positioning.”

For more information about the event, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie