New York City, NY – UFC 295 takes place on Saturday at the iconic Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City.
In the main event, former UFC light heavyweight champion and the No. 1 ranked contender, Jiri Prochazka, is set to collide with the No. 3 contender, Alex Pereira, for the vacant light heavyweight championship. This showdown promises to be a battle for the ages, with both fighters boasting impressive credentials.Prochazka, known for his explosive style and incredible knockout power, holds an astonishing record of 25 wins by knockout, with 23 of those in the first round. He aims to recapture the title and add another highlight-reel finish to his already impressive resume that includes wins over fighters like Glover Teixeira, Dominick Reyes, and Volkan Oezdemir.Alex Pereira, a former UFC middleweight champion, looks to become a two-division UFC champion by defeating Prochazka. He is no stranger to finishing fights quickly, with six wins by knockout and three first-round finishes. Pereira holds victories over top-tier fighters like Jan Blachowicz, Israel Adesanya, and Sean Strickland.In the co-main event, it’s a battle of heavyweight titans as the No. 2 contender, Sergei Pavlovich, faces off against the No. 4 contender, Tom Aspinall, for the interim heavyweight championship. Both fighters are determined to make their mark and stake their claim in the heavyweight division.Pavlovich is riding a six-fight win streak and holds a record for the longest streak of first-round knockout wins in the modern era of the UFC. With 15 wins by knockout, he is known for his devastating power and intends to deliver a memorable performance.Aspinall, on the other hand, is equally dangerous with 10 wins by knockout and an impressive 12 first-round finishes, showcasing his ability to end fights early. He seeks to prove himself as a top contender by taking down Pavlovich and capturing the interim title.The main card begins in the featherweight division as Diego Lopes takes on Pat Sabatini. New York favorite Matt Frevola looks to turn back a streaking lightweight Benoit Saint Denis. Mackenzie Dern looks to test her skills against former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade.
The prelims feature fast paced flyweights Steve Erceg taking on Alessandro Costa. Ranked strawweights collide as No. 13 Loopy Godinez looks to continue to climb the rankings when she faces No. 10 Tabitha Ricci. The prelims kick off with a pair of lightweight scraps starting with Nazim Sadykhov squaring off with Viacheslav Borshchev followed by Roosevelt Roberts returning on short notice to take on rising prospect Mateusz Rebecki.
On the early preliminary card featherweights Dennis Buzukja and Jamall Emmers throwdown to kick off the evening. Joshua Van welcomes Kevin Borjas to the UFC flyweight division. John Casteneda faces Kyung Ho Kang in a 138lb. catchweight tilt. The early prelim feature bout sees New York native Jared Gordon taking on Olympic wrestler Mark O. Madsen in a lightweight fight.
Early prelims start at 5:00PM CDT on UFC Fight Pass. Action then shifts to ESPNEWS and ESPN+ at 7:00PM followed by the pay-per-view main card at 9:00PM on ESPN+ PPV.
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