UFC 295 Fight Card: Three Former Champions in the Main Card

What a card we have this week! Two title bouts, three former champions, and several of the highest-ranked contenders in the promotion. Here is everything you need to know about the UFC 295 fight card.

UFC 295 Fight Card: All You Need to Know

This event was supposed to have a match for the ages – Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic. Two of the greatest champions in UFC history were supposed to clash for the heavyweight belt until Jon Jones picked up an injury just two weeks ago.

He will be out for at least half a year and matchmakers had to find a replacement. If you ask us, they once again outdid themselves and saved this event or even made it better. Let's take a look at the UFC 295 fight card and all the bouts you shouldn't miss.

UFC 295 Co-Main and Main Events

• Light Heavyweight Title: Jiri Prochazka vs Alex Pereira
• Heavyweight Interim Title: Sergei Pavlovich vs Tom Aspinall

Jiri Prochazka will finally return to the octagon after his injury last year, which forced him to vacant his light-heavyweight belt. Without a doubt, this will be one of his toughest matches, if not the toughest. Alex Pereira is the former middleweight champion, who rose to light-heavyweight after he lost the belt to Adesanya in April 2023.

His debut in the division was against the former champion, Jan Blachowicz, and Pereira won via split decision. We do not know what to expect from this main event – we simply want to see a real war in the octagon. We have two brutal finishers with completely different characteristics and skill sets.

In the co-main event of the UFC fight card this weekend, we have the replacement bout for Jones vs Stipe. After the champion got injured, the UFC had to keep the division active and what better fight than a bout for the interim title? Two of the arguably most talented fighters on the roster – Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall. Both deserve this title shot and for us, this match has the potential to be even better than the main event.

If you want to learn more about Pavlovich and Aspinall – their early fighting days, their struggles to get a UFC contract, and their achievements since then, follow this link.

UFC 295 Main Card

• Light Heavyweight Title: Jiri Prochazka vs Alex Pereira
• Heavyweight Interim Title: Sergei Pavlovich vs Tom Aspinall
• Women's Strawweight: Jessica Andrade vs Mackenzie Dern
• Lightweight: Matt Frevola vs Benoit Saint-Denis
• Featherweight: Diego Lopes vs Pat Sabatini

Prochazka and Pereira are not the only champions on the UFC 295 fight card. We will also see the return of Jessica Andrade, the former Strawweight Champion. No fighter has been more active than Andrade in 2023 as this will be her 5th bout since January. Unfortunately, the former champ is on a 3-match losing streak and her future is uncertain.

She will face one of the toughest prospects in the division – 30-year-old Mackenzie Dern. The American has not had much success against top-ranked opponents since joining the UFC but we can say that she is still at the start of her professional career. She has been training and improving.

In another main card bout, we have a wild bout between two of the most dangerous lightweights in the UFC. Matt Frevola entered the Top 15 rankings after scoring three consecutive first-round wins. His opponent, however, is on a 4-win streak with four early finishes since dropping to this weight class. We expect to see a Performance of the Night bonus for one of the fighters here.

Last but not least, Diego Lopes vs Pat Sabatini. Diego has been one of the coolest dudes on the roster, acting as both a fighter and a coach to Alexa Grasso, the current UFC Women's Flyweight Champion. His opponent, however, is on a 5-1 record in the UFC and is a true submission specialist.

UFC 295 Prelims & Early Prelims

Prelims:

• Flyweight: Stever Erceg vs Alessandro Costa
• Women's Strawweight: Tabatha Ricci vs Loopy Godinez
• Lightweight: Mateusz Rebecki vs Roosevelt Roberts
• Lightweight: Nazim Sadykhov vs Viacheslav Borshchev

Steve Erceg debuted at UFC 289 on short notice and made a huge impression with his win over David Dvorak. This time, his opponent will be the short-notice contestant and this promises to be a wild bout at the lightest weight class.

Tabatha Ricci was unsuccessful on her debut but has been a monster since returning to her usual weight class. She is now on a 4-win streak but her opponent will not be an easy target. Loopy Godinez is also back to her natural weight and won four of her last five bouts.

The next match from the UFC 295 fight card is a curious one. Mateusz Rebecki has stormed the UFC and is on a 2-win streak since his debut. Overall, however, he has 15 wins in a row. His opponent performed in the promotion a few years ago and scored 4-3 before moving across different promotions. Roosevelt steps in on short notice for his return to the UFC.

Early Prelims:

• Lightweight: Jared Gordon vs Mark Madsen
• Catchweight: John Castaneda vs Kyung Ho Kang
• Flyweight: Joshua Van vs Kevin Borjas
• Featherweight: Dennis Buzukja vs Jamall Emmers

It is sad to see Jared Gordon all the way down in the early prelims of the UFC 295 fight card. The fighter has been incredibly unlucky over the past year. He went through a questionable loss to Paddy Pimblett and then an NC against Bobby Green in his only bout this year. He needs to return to the win column and this opponent is a suitable one. Mark Madsen has not fought in over a year and since he suffered his first career loss.