UFC 295
Review
5 Knockouts in 5 Kämpfen im Madison Square Garden. UFC 295 für Euch in der CORNER Review.
Poatan phenomenon
Alex Pereira is a double champion in the UFC after only 11 MMA professional fights
Exactly one year ago, Alex Pereira fought for his first UFC title. Back then, President Dana White signed the Brazilian to challenge Israel Adesanya at middleweight. A year later, Pereira is back in Madison Square Garden, this time for the 93 kg light heavyweight title against Jiri Prochazka.
Pereira had previously contested only one light-heavyweight bout, where he defeated former champion Jan Blachowicz by split decision. He faced former titleholder Jiri Prochazka, who had to relinquish his belt due to a shoulder injury and was now making his return. The odds were mixed, with fans like Donald Trump, Jared Leto, and many others eagerly awaiting the showdown at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
At the beginning of the first round, Alex Pereira immediately put his stamp on the fight. With two powerful leg kicks, the Brazilian stunned Prochazka, forcing him to repeatedly adjust his stance. Toward the end of the round, however, the Czech increasingly managed to close the distance between the two opponents and successfully brought his opponent to the ground, where he landed powerful elbow strikes. All three judges awarded the first round to Prochazka, who took some damage early on but gradually found his way into the fight over time.
This was confirmed in round 2. The former Czech champion was now on the rise and was able to land several combinations. However, Pereira took these hits well and remained dangerous. With about a minute left before the end of the round, Prochazka attacked again, but the Brazilian waited carefully for this attack and countered with a right-left combination that brought Prochazka to the ground. A short time later, Pereira clung to Pereira's body but was hit with several elbows in the same breath. Prochazka then fell back, and referee Marc Goddard ended the fight, a little too early for many. As he fell back, Prochazka pulled his opponent to the ground with him, which might have given the Czech a few seconds to regain his composure. However, this should in no way diminish the Brazilian's achievement. After only 11 professional MMA fights, Pereira is only the ninth UFC double champion. That's historic!
Round 1 Heavyweight Knockout
Short trial between Aspinall and Pavlovic
Already in the run-up to the interim clash between Sergei Pavlovic and Tom Aspinall, both fighters had guaranteed a knockout. The bookmakers had a similar view. The odds for "Fight will NOT go the distance" were -1400. That means with a deposit of $1400, you could book a mere $100 in profit. An early fight stoppage was therefore inevitable. And that's exactly what happened.
An almost unusually friendly image was seen shortly before the fight, as both opponents embraced each other during the obligatory refereeing announcements by Dan Miragliotta. However, from the start of the fight, there was no more friendship.
Pavlovic immediately went forward and hit Aspinall with a left, who promptly countered with a leg kick. Pavlovic was able to evade Aspinall's attempts to push him to the cage with powerful feints. Shortly afterward, the action of the fight began. Aspinall landed a powerful right hook to the temple, knocking Pavlovic out instantly. The Brit was able to take the Russian to the ground with a skillful combination and ended the fight with two unanswered strikes. England has his UFC Championship belt. Chapeau!
Knockout Show
Wrecking balls in New York City
The magic of the Mecca of Boxing - Madison Square Garden - was reaffirmed. All main card fights were stopped early. It was an absolute spectacle for the spectators. The victors were Jessica Andrade against MacKenzie Dern, Benoit Saint-Denis against Matt Frevola, and Diego Lopes against Pat Sabatini. All main card winners received the Performance of the Night bonus of $50,000. Fight of the Night went to the slugfest between Sadykhov and Borshchev in the prelims, each of whom also received the bonus.
What happens next?
Three options in the heavyweight division, one in the light-heavyweight division
To keep things simple, let's start with the main event in the light heavyweight division. If Jamal Hill's recovery process goes as expected, he will be the next to challenge for the title. In the post-fight interview, Pereira called out his long-time rival, Adesanya, but Adesanya immediately responded with a negative.
Things are a bit more complicated at heavyweight; in our view, there are only three possible options. One thing is clear: As interim champion, Aspinall will contest the next heavyweight title fight. If Jon Jones returns to the octagon after tearing his chest muscle, he will be his opponent. Other options include heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic, originally booked for UFC 295, and #1 contender Cyril Gane. It's very difficult to assess the likelihood of Jones' return from today's perspective. Aspinall versus Jones would definitely be a treat for any UFC fan.