Tom Aspinall becomes Britain’s third UFC champion with first-round KO of Sergei Pavlovich
Tom Aspinall claimed the interim UFC heavyweight title on Saturday night, knocking out Sergei Pavlovich in the first round in New York City. The main event of UFC 295 was due to see Jon Jones defend the heavyweight title against divisional great Stipe Miocic, but that bout was cancelled on two weeks’ notice after Jones suffered an injury in training. With Jones, 36, set to face eight months on the sidelines, the UFC pitted Aspinall against Pavlovich to crown an interim champion, and it was the Briton who triumphed at Madison Square Garden. Aspinall, who admitted to being “scared” ahead of his fight with the Russian, caught Pavlovich with two clean right hands in the first round, wobbling him with the first and dropping him with the second. The Wigan fighter, 30, followed up with a hammer fist to the downed Pavlovich, sealing the knockout to become the third British champion in UFC history. “I can’t even tell you, it’s been a crazy two-and-a-half weeks. If you ever get the chance to do something, and you’re scared to do it, you should definitely f***ing do it,” Aspinall said, having fought through a bout of tears. “I’ve never been as scared in my life as fighting this guy, but I believe in myself.” In 2016, Michael Bisping knocked out Luke Rockhold to win the middleweight belt on short notice, and in 2022, Leon Edwards won the welterweight title with a knockout of Kamaru Usman. It is as yet unclear whether Aspinall will fight Jones next, or whether the UFC will rebook Jones versus 41-year-old Miocic. In that case, Aspinall would potentially have to defend the interim belt in the meantime. However, there is also a belief that Aspinall could be elevated to regular champion in Jones’s absence. Aspinall vs Pavlovich in fact served as the co-main event of UFC 295, while the original co-main event was elevated and saw Alex Pereira beat Jiri Prochazka for the vacant light-heavyweight title. Pereira, a former middleweight champion, became the ninth two-weight champion in UFC history by securing a TKO in Round 2. The Brazilian dropped his Czech opponent with a left hook before unleashing a series of elbows, before referee Marc Goddard stepped in. Although some viewers suggested that the stoppage had come too early, Prochazka – fighting for the first time since vacating the light-heavyweight title due to injury last year – dismissed the notion. “I think in the end, it was right; I was out,” he said. UFC 295 results in full Main card Alex Pereira def. Jiri Prochazka via second-round TKO (punches and elbows, 4:08) Tom Aspinall def. Sergei Pavlovich via first-round knockout (punches, 1:09) Jessica Andrade def. Mackenzie Dern via second-round TKO (punches, 3:15) Benoit Saint-Denis def. Matt Frevola via first-round knockout (head kick, 1:31) Diego Lopes def. Pat Sabatini via first-round knockout (punches, 1:30) Prelims 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 submission (armbar, 3:08) Nazim Sadykhov and Viacheslav Borshchev fought to majority draw (29-28, 28-28, 28-28) Early prelims Jared Gordon def. Mark Madsen via first-round TKO (4:42) 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) Jamall Emmers def. Dennis Buzukja via first-round TKO (0:49) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Donald Trump greeted by cheers upon arrival at UFC 295 in New York City When will Conor McGregor return to the UFC? UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year Tom Aspinall admits he’s ‘scared’ ahead of UFC title fight Tom Aspinall makes UFC 295 vow ahead of Sergei Pavlovich fight UFC 295 LIVE: Prochazka vs Pereira – fight updates and results tonight
2023-11-12 13:49
UFC 295 LIVE: Aspinall vs Pavlovich and Prochazka vs Pereira – fight updates and results tonight
UFC 295 will culminate in two title fights tonight as Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira clash for the vacant light-heavyweight belt, after Tom Aspinall faces Sergei Pavlovich for interim gold at heavyweight. Prochazka relinquished the light-heavyweight title in 2022 after suffering an injury, and his successor Jamahal Hill succumbed to the same fate earlier this year. As such, the belt is vacant again, and Prochazka will bid to regain it from Pereira, who held the middleweight title from late 2022 until this spring. In the co-main event, Aspinall goes up against Pavlovich in a meeting of quick finishers, as the heavyweights fight on short notice. The original main event of UFC 295 pitted heavyweight champ Jon Jones against divisional great Stipe Miocic, but an injury to Jones opened the door for Aspinall vs Pavlovich. Britain’s Aspinall has sealed all of his UFC wins in the first two rounds, while Pavlovich has earned all of his UFC victories in the opening frame. Follow live updates and results from the UFC 295 main card and prelims, below.
2023-11-12 12:53
Donald Trump greeted by cheers upon arrival at UFC 295 in New York City
Donald Trump was greeted by cheers as he made his way to ringside at UFC 295 on Saturday. The former US president has attended numerous UFC events in recent years, including 2019’s event at Madison Square Garden, which was headlined by Jorge Masvidal’s win against Nate Diaz. FOLLOW LIVE: UFC 295 – latest fight updates and results And Trump, 77, returned to the famous New York City arena on Saturday (11 November), where two title fights topped the card. Trump was cheered by the crowd as he walked to his seat with UFC president Dana White – a longtime friend and supporter of the former Republican president – as well as ex-Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson and rockstar Kid Rock. Trump, who fist-bumped a fan while walking towards the cage, was seen applauding Diego Lopes after the first fight on the main card, in which Lopes knocked out Pat Sabatini in the first round. After stopping Sabatini, Lopes walked over to Trump and motioned at the 77-year-old. Trump has been in New York this week while part of a civil fraud trial involving his businesses. The former president was incumbent from 2016 until 2020 and is eyeing another electoral run in 2024. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More UFC 295 LIVE: Prochazka vs Pereira – fight updates and results tonight What time does UFC 295 start tonight? How to watch UFC 295 online and on TV tonight
2023-11-12 11:56
UFC 295 time: When does Prochazka vs Pereira start in UK and US tonight?
Jiri Prochazka will bid to regain the UFC light-heavyweight title tonight, taking on ex-middleweight champion Alex Pereira for the vacant belt. Prochazka, the UFC’s first-ever Czech champion, was forced to vacate the title due to injury in 2022, and he will challenge for the gold again at UFC 295, headlining against Brazilian Pereira. The pair were due to clash in the co-main event at Madison Square Garden, but Jon Jones’s heavyweight title defence against Stipe Miocic was cancelled when Jones suffered an injury in October. As a result, the original co-main event was elevated, while the new co-main event sees Britain’s Tom Aspinall fight Russia’s Sergei Pavlovich for the interim heavyweight belt. The winner of that bout should be in line to challenge Jones in 2024 – possibly leaving former champ Miocic out in the cold. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is UFC 295? The event is set to take place on Saturday 11 November at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The early prelims are due to begin at 11pm GMT (4pm PT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am GMT on Sunday 12 November (6pm PT, 8pm CT, 9pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then scheduled for 3am GMT on Sunday (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on TNT Sports in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider. Odds Prochazka – 11/10; Pereira – 13/20 Pavlovich – 10/11; Aspinall – 10/11 Via Betway. Get all the latest UFC betting sites’ offers Full card (subject to change) Main card Jiri Prochazka vs Alex Pereira (vacant light-heavyweight title) Sergei Pavlovich vs Tom Aspinall (interim heavyweight title) Jessica Andrade vs Mackenzie Dern (women’s strawweight) Matt Frevola vs Benoit Saint-Denis (lightweight) Diego Lopes vs Pat Sabatini (featherweight) Prelims Steve Erceg vs Alessandro Costa (flyweight) Tabatha Ricci vs Loopy Godinez (women’s strawweight) Mateusz Rebecki vs Nurullo Aliev (lightweight) Nadim Sadykhov vs Viacheslav Borschchev (lightweight) Early prelims Jared Gordon vs Mark Madsen (lightweight) John Castaneda vs Kyung Ho Kang (bantamweight) Joshua Van vs Kevin Borjas (flyweight) Dennis Buzukja vs Jamall Emmers (featherweight) Read More How to watch UFC 295 online and on TV tonight UFC 295 card in full with two titles on the line Tom Aspinall admits he’s ‘scared’ ahead of UFC title fight Tom Aspinall makes UFC 295 vow ahead of Sergei Pavlovich fight Dana White responds to Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey UFC 300 rumours UFC announces three major title fights will kick off 2024
2023-11-12 06:26
UFC 295 live stream: How to watch Prochazka vs Pereira online and on TV tonight
Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira will meet in a tantalising UFC main event tonight, as they clash for the vacant light-heavyweight title. The original headline bout at Madison Square Garden pitted heavyweight champion Jon Jones against Stipe Miocic, but an injury to Jones has led the initial co-main event to be elevated. The bout will see former champion Prochazka, who vacated the light-heavyweight belt due to injury last year, face ex-middleweight champ Pereira in an intriguing match-up of striking specialists. In the new co-main event of UFC 295, Britain’s Tom Aspinall and Russia’s Sergei Pavlovich will fight for the interim heavyweight title, with the winner in line to challenge Jones in 2024 – possibly leaving former champion Miocic out in the cold. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is UFC 295? The event is set to take place on Saturday 11 November at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The early prelims are due to begin at 11pm GMT (4pm PT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am GMT on Sunday 12 November (6pm PT, 8pm CT, 9pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then scheduled for 3am GMT on Sunday (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on TNT Sports in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider. Odds Prochazka – 11/10; Pereira – 13/20 Pavlovich – 10/11; Aspinall – 10/11 Via Betway. Get all the latest UFC betting sites’ offers Full card (subject to change) Jiri Prochazka vs Alex Pereira (vacant light-heavyweight title) Sergei Pavlovich vs Tom Aspinall (interim heavyweight title) Jessica Andrade vs Mackenzie Dern (women’s strawweight) Matt Frevola vs Benoit Saint-Denis (lightweight) Diego Lopes vs Pat Sabatini (featherweight) Prelims Steve Erceg vs Alessandro Costa (flyweight) Tabatha Ricci vs Loopy Godinez (women’s strawweight) Mateusz Rebecki vs Nurullo Aliev (lightweight) Nadim Sadykhov vs Viacheslav Borschchev (lightweight) Early prelims Jared Gordon vs Mark Madsen (lightweight) John Castaneda vs Kyung Ho Kang (bantamweight) Joshua Van vs Kevin Borjas (flyweight) Dennis Buzukja vs Jamall Emmers (featherweight) Read More What time does UFC 295 start tonight? UFC 295 card in full with two titles on the line Tom Aspinall admits he’s ‘scared’ ahead of UFC title fight Tom Aspinall makes UFC 295 vow ahead of Sergei Pavlovich fight Dana White responds to Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey UFC 300 rumours UFC announces three major title fights will kick off 2024
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