UFC 295 featured a number of surprising victories, including Alex Pereira becoming the ninth two-division champion in UFC history, Tom Aspinall asserting himself as the best heavyweight in the world, and Jessica Andrade‘s dominant performance, with Pereira’s unusual success in the promotion raising questions about the level of competition he’s faced, Tom Aspinall’s next potential opponent, and Diego Lopes‘ readiness for a top fifteen opponent, and Mackenzie Dern‘s striking ability being called into question.
UFC 295 was a wild event filled with unexpected occurrences. Crowd favorite Alex Pereira has made history as the fastest person to become a two-division champion in UFC history. Tom Aspinall also made a name for himself at UFC 295 and might just be the best heavyweight in the world. Jessica Andrade also had a comeback showing and a new lightweight contender emerged.
Pereira’s UFC career has been unprecedented. Winning a second title just three fights after winning the first one is entirely unique ground. However, some question his true fighting abilities as his opponents seem to mostly be match-ups he can have success with. Despite his success, Pereira might not be in contention for Fighter of the Year honors as his seven fight UFC career has had less tough stylistic match-ups.
Pereira may not have won Fighter of the Year honors, but he secured his future Hall of Fame induction by becoming a multi-division champion. Hall of Fame McIntyre hasn’t secured a legacy quite like Adesanya and Khabib Nurmagomedov who had resumés of their own.
Aspinall had a great showing, beating Pavlovich and solidifying his spot as the No. 1 heavyweight. It’s uncertain if Aspinall will wait for the Jones vs. Miocic fight to happen as Jones might retire after the fight. Jones vs. Aspinall is the fight to make and the entire MMA media and fan base need to come together to get this narrative rolling.
The event was a sign of respect between participants and Aspinall’s reign is expected to last for quite some time with the only foreseeable current threats being Curtis Blaydes or Ciryl Gane. Diego Lopes has also impressed, but has not had enough wins to warrant a top fifteen opponent and Mackenzie Dern’s striking has been questioned by fans and analysts alike.