Heavyweights Sergei Pavlovich and Waldo Cortes-Acosta are expected to meet at the upcoming UFC Shanghai card scheduled on Aug. 23 in China.
Multple people with knowledge of the promotions plans confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Wednesday with agreements in place from both fighters. The fight was first reported by MMA Latino America.
Following a tough two-fight skid including a loss in an interim heavyweight title fight, Pavlovich got back on track with a decision win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik back in February. Prior to his two losses, Pavlovich had rattled off six straight wins all by knockout including victories over Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis.
Now Pavlovich looks to build a new win streak when he returns to action in August while facing a rising contender in the division with Cortes-Acosta seeking his sixth consecutive victory in a row.
The 33-year-old heavyweight currently sports a 7-1 record overall in the UFC, which includes his most recent win over Serghei Spivac at UFC 316. Cortes-Acosta attempts to build on that momentum when faces the heavy-hitting Pavlovich in August.
The UFC Shanghai card was previously announced with light heavyweights Zhang Mingyang and Johnny Walker currently rumored as the main event.
Mike Heck contributed to this report
