Updated November 9, 2023By Chris Boline
What: The main event contests at UFC 295
Who: UFC Men’s Light Heavyweight Championship fight (vacant title): Jiří Procházka vs. Alex Pereira & UFC Men’s interim Heavyweight Championship fight: Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tom Aspinall
When: Saturday, November 11, 2023
Where: Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York
With some shake-ups at the top of the card, UFC 295 is ready for action this week in New York City at Madison Square Garden. A UFC Heavyweight Championship bout between current champion Jon Jones and former two-time champion Stipe Miocic was expected to take place at the event. However, Jones had to withdraw due to injury, so the UFC opted for an interim title bout between the originally scheduled backup fighter Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall, per sources. A UFC Light Heavyweight Championship fight for the vacant title between former champion Jiří Procházka and former UFC Middleweight Champion Alex Pereira was initially expected to serve as the co-headliner. However, due to the previous fight between Jones and Miocic being canceled, it will serve as the main event and a critical part of UFC 295 betting slips.
For this report, SBS will be going over what to look for from each fighter, a predicted winner, along with more notes about UFC 295 betting.
UFC 295 Main Event BoutsThe Pick
Jiří Procházka vs. Alex PereiraProcházka-105-105-105Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tom AspinallPavlovich-108-108-108
UFC Men’s Light Heavyweight Championship overview: Jiří Procházka vs. Alex Pereira
Fighter Spotlight: Jiří Procházka
Kicking off the UFC 295 breakdown, Procházka is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and also the inaugural Rizin Fighting Federation Light Heavyweight Champion. With a record of 29-3-1, the Czech fighter is a force in the division and one of the most dominating competitors when he is clicking on all cylinders. After falling to Muhammed Lawal on New Year’s Eve 2015, he has strung together 13 consecutive wins and is undefeated since joining the UFC in 2020. In his three UFC bouts, he has scored either Performance of the Night or Fight of the Night honors and notched two knockouts and one submission win. This will be his first fight since returning from injury and vacating his UFC Light Heavyweight title.
Fighter Spotlight: Alex Pereira
Recognized as the No. 3 overall fighter in the UFC light heavyweight rankings and a top ten fighter in the promotion’s pound-for-pound annals, Pereira is one of the toughest fighters in the promotion. The Brazilian is a former UFC Middleweight Champion and is an extremely accomplished kickboxer. In that sport, he is a former Glory middleweight and light heavyweight champion, the first and only fighter to have held Glory titles in two weight classes simultaneously. Pereira is coming off an emphatic split-decision win over Jan Błachowicz at UFC 291 and is in prime position to make some more light heavyweight history this weekend.
Prediction: This fight is as close as they come to a toss-up in the UFC. While Procházka is coming off a year-long absence, he does have the advantage of youth here and has been training for a long time for this bout.
Jiří ProcházkaTo win vs. Alex Pereira
-105
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UFC Men’s interim Heavyweight Championship contest breakdown: Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tom Aspinall
Fighter Spotlight: Sergei Pavlovich
Pavlovich enters this fight as the No. 2 ranked fighter in the UFC heavyweight rankings and is currently riding a six-fight winning streak heading into this bout with Aspinall. During that stretch, he racked up four different Performance of the Night outings, including his last two victories, a TKO win against Curtis Blaydes and a KO on Tai Tuivasa. Moreover, he has fought some of the toughest fighters in the promotion, ending most of these bouts in a first-round knockout, like Derrick Lewis at UFC 277. A former one-time champion of Russia in Combat Kung Fu, he is certainly a sensational combatant.
Fighter Spotlight: Tom Aspinall
Aspinall is a fighter who also features a sensational power knockout in the heavyweight division (10 wins via knockout) in what is going to be the biggest fight of his career to date. In his last outing, he was able to notch a TKO win (elbow and punches) over Marcin Tybura in London in a Performance of the Night contest. Similar to Pavlovich, he has won the Performance of the Night honor multiple times (five). At just 30 years of age, he still has a lot of fighting ahead of him and has only won one UFC loss to date, a knee injury withdrawal last year. The English fighter also has three submission wins in his career, so that could be another route to victory to look for.
Prediction: Another close bout, take Pavlovich to win here given his more consistent body of work to date.
Sergei PavlovichTo win vs. Tom Aspinall
-108
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Even more notes and info about your UFC 295 bets
After you are all dialed in regarding your UFC 295 bets, make sure to also tap into the wide variety of resources available to you at SBS. For even more information just beyond these UFC 295 picks, check out our UFC betting sites guide which covers all of the latest betting markets on the sport. Moreover, to have the best UFC 295 bets possible, beyond just picks, the best bonus betting sites rundown is a must-read. On this page, you can find a catalog of the latest and greatest welcome bonus offers available to you. Finally, for those on the go, the best betting apps breakdown is a fantastic page to read so you can never skip a beat on your UFC 295 betting and beyond via mobile wagering.
About the Author
Chris Boline
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football in the Mountain West Conference, and basketball.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones.
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