The UFC 295 took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City maintaining a celebrated November tradition. Initially, the event was set to headline Jon Jones versus Stipe Miocic, whose endorsements were showcased during the ESPN segment of the event. However, this fight was canceled. Therefore, co-main event was promoted to the main event and an interim heavyweight title was introduced two weeks prior to the event.
The new main event featured Jiri Prochazka against Alex Pereira fighting for the vacant light heavyweight crown. Earlier, Prochazka held the title having defeated Glover Teixeira in June 2022, a fight remembered as one of the best ever, concluding his triumphant spree in the UFC. Unfortunately, due to a shoulder injury, Prochazka had to renounce his title. In a surprising turn of events, Jamahal Hill, the new light heavyweight champion, also had to vacate his title due to an Achilles tendon injury, allowing Prochazka to seize the opportunity to regain his title. His opponent was Alex Pereira, a former UFC middleweight champion who had moved up to the new weight losing his title to Israel Adesanya. Pereira had only fought once in the new weight class when he defeated Jan Blachowicz in a split decision, but he gave a remarkable performance, leading to his victorious title as the new UFC light heavyweight champion.
The event also showcased Tom Aspinall, a highly talented heavyweight, with fantastic grappling and striking skills. With a height of 6’5”, weighing over 250 pounds, he moves around the cage with surprising agility comparable to a middleweight. Despite losing due to a knee injury in a 15-second match against Curtis Blaydes, Aspinall had maintained a commendable 6-1 record in the UFC, with all his victories ending in stoppage. Against him was the formidable heavyweight knockout artist, Pavlovich, who had won six matches consecutively. Aspinall defied all expectations with two quick 1-2s, leaving Pavlovich crumpled on the canvas, and ultimately becoming the interim heavyweight champion all in just 69 seconds.
A match between female strawweight contenders, Mackenzie Dern and Jessica Andrade, was another notable fight. Dern was favored due to her recent triumph against Angela Hill. Andrade, despite her three-fight losing streak, showed exceptional technical skills in cracking Dern with powerful punches. Simultaneously, Benoit St. Denis impressed the audience with his victory, delivering a stunning head-kick knockout against Matt Frevola. Following the pay-per-view, several significant fights were discussed for 2024, including matchups between Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill, Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones, Jessica Andrade and Carla Esparza, and Benoit St. Denis and Rafael dos Anjos.