The co-main event at UFC 295 features two elite heavyweights aiming to claim the interim title. Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich went toe-to-toe.
Russian powerhouse Sergei Pavlovich was preparing to be the backup to the heavyweight title fight previously arranged for the event. However, an injury to Jon Jones has delayed that contest for at least eight months. Now Pavlovich gets his shot at the interim title after Tom Aspinall accepted the bout on 17 days’ notice as he aims to become the third British UFC champion.
Both men are the new evolution of heavyweights, a new special breed looking to dominate the sport for years to come. The pair have identical 6-1 UFC records, each with 100% finish rates. It is the most thrilling match-up the UFC could make. Aspinall has the shortest average fight time in the organization, and Pavlovich the second shortest behind the Briton.
Pavlovich has been steamrolling his opponents, with every victory being a first-round KO for the Russian, and his sole loss came five years ago in his UFC debut to legend Alistair Overeem, so he was brimming with confidence heading into Madison Square Garden. Aspinall came back in July with a mauling of Marcin Tybura after a year on the sideline due to a knee injury. Even on just over two weeks’ notice, he truly believes he has what it takes to get the interim strap.
As expected, tonight’s UFC 295 clash didn’t make it out of the first round. In the opening exchange, Pavlovich landed a clean right hand that caught the Brit’s attention. After his bell was rung, Aspinall didn’t mess around and answered the call with a big punch of his own that sent Pavlovich tumbling to the canvas. Aspinall followed it up with two shots, which shut the lights out, and became the third UFC world champion to hail from the United Kingdom.
Official result: Tom Aspinall def. Sergei Pavlovich via KO at 1:09 of Round 1
Check out how the UFC roster reacted below.
UFC Fighters React to Tom Aspinall Becoming UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion at UFC 295
What did you make of the performance from Tom Aspinall last night at UFC 295? Let us know in the comments!
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
