Jon Jones suffered a torn tendon in training, forcing him out of his scheduled fight against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295, and Sergei Pavlovich will now face Tom Aspinall for the interim heavyweight championship.
UFC fans were left disappointed as it was announced by CEO Dana White that the highly anticipated match between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 would no longer take place. The news broke late on Tuesday night, with White revealing that Jones had sustained a training injury that would require surgery and an eight-month recovery period. Jones tore the tendon connecting his pec muscle to the bone while wrestling. It was a devastating blow for Jones, who was determined to compete against Miocic in what could potentially be his final bout.
With Jones out of commission, the UFC swiftly made arrangements to crown a new interim heavyweight champion. Sergei Pavlovich, who was already slated as the backup fighter for the main event, was given the opportunity to face Tom Aspinall for the interim title. This fight would now serve as the co-main event for UFC 295. In addition, the vacant light heavyweight title bout between Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira was bumped up to the headliner to replace the Jones vs. Miocic match.
There were no details mentioned about Miocic’s involvement in the interim title fight, leaving fans in the dark as to why he wasn’t part of the new matchup. Miocic had expressed his desire to compete against Jones and was potentially eyeing it as his final fight. It remains unknown whether Miocic was offered the opportunity or chose to wait until Jones is fully recovered to reschedule their much-anticipated showdown.
While fans may be disappointed over Jones’ absence, Pavlovich and Aspinall are both formidable contenders in their own right. Pavlovich will be looking to claim his first UFC championship after an impressive winning streak of six straight victories, all ending in first-round knockouts. Aspinall, on the other hand, is coming off a win over Marcin Tybura and aims to continue his success after recovering from a torn ACL suffered during a fight against Curtis Blaydes.
UFC 295, scheduled for November 11, will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York. The event promises to deliver high-stakes fights and potentially reshape the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions with the crowning of new champions. Fans eagerly await this exciting night of MMA action.