Sergei Pavlovich releases statement addressing brutal knockout ...

Sergei Pavlovich didn’t fulfill his goal of claiming a piece of the UFC’s heavyweight title, but appears to be taking his loss in stride.

In the UFC 295 co-feature at Madison Square Garden in New York, Pavlovich (18-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) challenged Tom Aspinall (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) for the interim heavyweight title. The matchup between the two powerful heavyweights promised to produce a violent ending. Unfortunately for Pavlovich, he was on the receiving end of a brutal first-round knockout.

Pavlochich did not attend the post-fight news conference Saturday, but released a statement on social media Sunday expressing his thoughts on the fight and assuring his fans that he is doing well physically.

“I didn’t suffer any damage to my health, I’m fine,” Pavlovich wrote on Telegram (translated by Google). “Tom turned out to be faster, I was unlucky to hit him right away, but he turned out to be more accurate. Decided to take one hit.

“I’ll be back in the cage soon, I want to be active and perform so I can have a chance to fight for the belt again. This is my goal and we will get there! I see your support, thank you all!”

Pavlovich also posted to Instagram, continuing to thank his fans while vowing to return stronger.

The result against Aspinall ended a six-fight winning streak for Pavlovich. The 31-year-old Russian heavyweight finished every opponent in the first round during that stretch, leading to an opportunity to fight for the interim title. After what was just the second loss of his pro career, Pavlovich now looks to forge another path to UFC gold.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie