UFC is back in the Big Apple on Saturday night with a loaded fight card set to mark a milestone occasion. UFC 295 lands inside Madison Square Garden with a pair of title fights atop the marquee in the sport’s heaviest divisions.
Jiri Prochazka vs. Alex Pereira tops the marquee for the vacant light heavyweight title while Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tom Aspinall square off for the interim heavyweight crown to mark UFC’s 30th anniversary.
Prochazka vs. Pereira was originally set to be the co-main event with heavyweight champion Jon Jones expected to defend his crown against Stipe Miocic. However, Jones suffered a torn pectoral muscle just weeks out from the event and was forced to withdraw.
Former UFC middleweight champion Pereira punched his ticket to the light heavyweight title after a successful 205-pound debut against former champ Jan Blachowicz. He will meet Prochazka, who never lost the championship but was forced to vacate it last year due to injury. Pereira is more motivated than usual as he looks to avenge his mentor Glover Teixeira, who lost the title to Prochazka in CBS Sports’ 2022 Fight of the Year.
“I’m not going into this fight with mixed emotions about vengeance. I don’t want to play that game,” Pereira told CBS Sports this week. “I want to go with a very positive mindset. I’m going to fight with the mindset that they haven’t even fought before. But looking into the other side of being able to bring Glover his belt back and put it back in the gym, that means a lot to me.”
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Pavlovich and Aspinall could be a better look at the future of the heavyweight division as opposed to a pair of legends going for one last ride. Both men have devastating punching power as Pavlovich has scored six straight first-round TKOs while Aspinall has only seen the second round once in his seven appearances. Pavlovich was serving as the backup for Jones and Miocic should anything disastrous take place during fight week, but now he gets the chance to fight for gold and possibly set up a date with Jones in 2024.
The undercard features what could be some fun action matchups. Brazilians Mackenzie Dern and Jessica Andrade link up in a strawweight contest. Andrade, the former champion in the division, has fallen on hard times with three straight losses in 2023 all by stoppage. Lightweight strikers Benoit Saint-Denis and Matt Frevola should produce fireworks. And Pat Sabatini and Diego Lopes kick off the PPV when they clash in the featherweight division.
CBS Sports will also have live coverage of the fight with round-by-round scoring and blow-by-blow updates to keep you up to date throughout the night.
Below is the complete fight card for UFC 295 along with the latest odds. Check back all week long for the latest news, features and other content around this massive event.
UFC 295 fight card, results
- Alex Pereira (c) def. Jiri Prochazka via second-round knockout (elbows)
- Tom Aspinall (ic) def. Sergei Pavlovich via first-round TKO (punches)
- Jessica Andrade def. Mackenzie Dern via second-round TKO (punch)
- Benoit Saint-Denis def. Matt Frevola via first-round knockout (head kick)
- Diego Lopes def. Pat Sabatini via first-round TKO (punches)
- Steve Erceg def. Alessandro Costa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Loopy Godinez def. Tabatha Ricci via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
- Mateusz Rebecki def. Roosevelt Roberts via first-round verbal submission (armbar)
- Nazim Sadykhov vs. Viacheslav Borschev ends in majority draw (29-28, 28-28, 28-28)
- Jared Gordon def. Mark Madsen via first-round TKO (punches)
- John Castaneda def. Kyung Ho Kang via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Joshua Van def. Kevin Borjas via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Jamal Emmers def. Dennis Buzukja via first-round TKO (punches)
UFC 295 info
- Date: Nov. 11
- Location: Madison Square Garden — New York City
- Start time: 10 p.m. ET (Main card)
- How to watch: ESPN+ PPV
UFC 295 countdown
- Staff predictions and expert picks for the main card
- Campbell: UFC prioritizing money over fans in recent matchmaking
- Brookhouse: Best bets to consider from the main card
- Brookhouse: Winner of Prochazka-Pereira could bring stability to division
- Mahjouri: Undercard fights to watch this weekend
- Mahjouri: Prochazka, Pereira explain why experience trumps all
- Campbell: Top storylines, things to know ahead of return to New York
- Jon Jones forced out of main event, interim title fight added
Who wins UFC 295: Prochazka vs. Pereira, and how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC 295, all from the MMA expert who profited more than $6,200 in 2022, and find out.
