Jon Jones out of UFC 295; Tom Aspinall, Sergei Pavlovich interim title fight booked
A UFC pay-per-view has received a massive shakeup for the second event in a row. The undisputed GOAT, Jon Jones, is out of his UFC 295 title defense against Stipe Miocic, according to UFC CEO Dana White. The event will now feature an interim heavyweight title fight between Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich. That bout will be placed in the co-main event slot while the light heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka is elevated to the main event.
Jones was pulled from the event because of a shoulder injury sustained during training and is expected to be out for approximately eight months.
Aspinall and Pavlovich are two of the brightest young contenders in the light heavyweight division. Pavlovich, 31, is 6-1 in the UFC with six first-round knockout victories. Aspinall, 30, has the same UFC record with all finish wins.
The new UFC 295 co-main event will allow one rising contender to cement himself as one of the best heavyweights on the planet while potentially lining them up to fight Jones.
This news leaves Miocic as the odd man out. The former champion lost his shot at undisputed gold and will not fight for the interim belt.
It does look like Miocic will be kept in the field, however. According to ESPN MMA reporter Marc Raimondi, the UFC is interested in rebooking Jones and Miocic in 2024.
Obviously, it is impossible to forecast the UFC’s plan to approach rebooking Jones. That is still months away. It is incredibly unique that Miocic would be given the fight again. In most cases, interim champions are given the right to a unification bout. That may not be the case in this circumstance.
The UFC schedule does not wait for anyone and will continue to progress throughout Jones’ injury. Let us know how you feel about the new-look UFC 295 in the comments.
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