Fight fans who will have been looking forward to UFC 295 because of the headline bout between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic will have been left disappointed to learn of the news that it will no longer go ahead. The fight between the pair was billed as the headline contest for this card, but Dana White had recently announced that the defending UFC heavyweight champion would not be able to compete.
Jones suffered a torn pectoral tendon injury that had ripped off the bone in his preparations for the November 11 showdown in New York. He is now expected to miss around eight months due to the time expected to take for it to heal and for him to rehabilitate.
Ji?í Procházka & Alex Pereira now headline UFC 295
Keen to keep the buzz surrounding the upcoming PPV, the UFC has decided to bump up the fight between Ji?í Procházka and Alex Pereira. The duo will headline the card as they will go up against each other as they look to claim the vacant light heavyweight belt after Jamahal Hill had vacated it because of an Achilles injury he sustained.
The contest is one that many would have already been looking forward to as a potentially exciting co-main event for UFC 295, so it should not be one that many look too disapprovingly off with the news about Jones’ injury.
Both men have had solid careers in MMA, with each of them having been champion at their respective weights. Procházka was a light heavyweight champion in the past, while Pereira is a former middleweight champ.
The Czech may come into this contest as the World No. 1 ranked fighter at this weight class, but it seems many are favoring the Brazilian to get the win as he continues his progress in the UFC. The South American is currently 8-2-0 in his career, while the European is 29-3-1, with five wins in his last five fights. With such a strong pedigree across different combat sports, it’s easy to see why the bookies favour Alex to secure his second belt within the promotion. But if you’re uneasy about backing Pereira against such an unorthodox fighter like Procházka, then we suggest looking for safer bets instead like these real money online casino sites for arab players.
Pereira might have suffered a defeat six months ago to Israel Adesanya in a rematch the pair had, but he bounced back and managed to beat Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291 via a split decision. His impressive rise and the impact that he is having on the promotion is among the reasons why many believe he will become the new light heavyweight champion when the pair step inside the Octagon.
New fight added to the UFC 295 card
Amid the news that Jones vs Miocic is now off, the UFC has acted swiftly to make sure that there is enough quality MMA action to take place to try and limit the damage that may have been caused by the news of the injury.
A fight between Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich has been added to the card, which will see both compete for the interim heavyweight title. It will become an additional co-main event contest, with both among the very best in the heavyweight division currently.