UFC 295 LIVE results: Aspinall knocks out Pavlovich before Pereira stops Prochazka
Re-live updates after the vacant light-heavyweight title and interim heavyweight belt were contested at Madison Square Garden
Tom Aspinall claimed the interim UFC heavyweight title on Saturday night, knocking out Sergei Pavlovich in the first round in New York City.
The main event of UFC 295 was due to see Jon Jones defend the heavyweight title against divisional great Stipe Miocic, but that bout was cancelled on two weeks’ notice after Jones suffered an injury in training. With Jones, 36, set to face eight months on the sidelines, the UFC pitted Aspinall against Pavlovich to crown an interim champion, and it was the Briton who triumphed at Madison Square Garden.
Aspinall, who admitted to being “scared” ahead of his fight with the Russian, caught Pavlovich with two clean right hands in the first round, wobbling him with the first and dropping him with the second. The Wigan fighter, 30, followed up with a trio of hammer fists to the downed Pavlovich, sealing the knockout to become the third British champion in UFC history.
Aspinall vs Pavlovich in fact served as the co-main event of UFC 295, while the original co-main event was elevated and saw Alex Pereira beat Jiri Prochazka for the vacant light-heavyweight title.
Pereira, a former middleweight champion, became the ninth two-weight champion in UFC history by securing a TKO in Round 2. The Brazilian dropped his Czech opponent with a left hook before unleashing a series of elbows, before referee Marc Goddard stepped in.
Re-live updates and results from the UFC 295 main card and prelims, below.
UFC 295 LIVE: Steve Erceg vs Alessandro Costa
Round 2
Erceg lands a couple of straight punches then displays good head movement to avoid counter shots, but Costa starts landing heavy punches!
He’s winding up but catching Erceg, who does well to stay composed... He sprawls well as Costa tries a single-leg.
But Costa eventually secures the takedown after getting the Australian to the fence, and he’s in half-guard.
Costa takes the back but is too high, and Erceg slips out from under him. Now it’s Erceg who has the back! Costa stands and the pair grapple against the cage wall.
Costa tries an ambitious flying armbar, but to no avail.
OH! Brutal hook on point for Costa, and the Brazilian drops Erceg! He follows him to the mat, but Erceg uses Costa’s momentum against him and ends up on top at the end of the round, landing a nice elbow.
UFC 295 LIVE: Steve Erceg vs Alessandro Costa
Round 1
Both men stand orthodox. Costa with a winging left hand then a right, both of which land to some degree.
Harsh low kicks from Costa now, before he tags Erceg with a counter left hook. A follow-up right just misses.
The next effort lands, though! Erceg comes back with a stinging jab. Now he catches Costa on the end of a right cross. And another.
Right and left hooks land for Costa again, though. Erceg with a knee to the body in a brief clinch, then a right hook upstairs, off the break.
OH! Erceg feints a jab and hides a cross behind it, dropping Costa! Erceg quickly takes mount and then the back, and he almost has a rear naked choke...
It’s so close but not quite on, and he eventually gives up. Costa scrambles and stands late in the round.
UFC 295 LIVE: Steve Erceg vs Alessandro Costa
We round out the prelims with a men’s flyweight bout: Steve Erceg faces Alessandro Costa, who steps in for Matt Schnell.
UFC 295 LIVE: Tabatha Ricci vs Loopy Godinez
Loopy Godinez def. Tabatha Ricci via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28).
Godinez becomes the first woman to win four UFC fights in one calendar year!
Not many people will agree with that first scorecard, although that may be in part because the commentary team didn’t give Ricci enough credit – in my opinion.
UFC 295 LIVE: Tabatha Ricci vs Loopy Godinez
Round 3
Godinez gets after Ricci with urgency. It seems like there’s a clash of heads, and Godinez feels her forehead...
Ricci again rolls under a punch and secures a body lock. She has Godinez against the fence and is kneeing her in the thigh.
Godinez manages to create space and circle away. Her nose is bloodied up now. Ricci shoots for a single-leg from range, but Godinez sprawls well. That’s six successful takedown defences out of six.
Clean right cross from Ricci; Godinez responds in kind. Ricci switches stances back and forth. Nice front kick to the body from her.
Godinez grabs a single-leg but can’t complete the takedown. The fight ends with the strawweights trading straight punches.
We’ll go to the scorecards.
UFC 295 LIVE: Tabatha Ricci vs Loopy Godinez
Round 2
Nice knee to the body by Godinez in a brief clinch. Ricci then walks onto a jab.
Ricci’s range is off; she’s throwing a lot, but she’s too far away for the most part. She kicks low well, though.
Good step-in left hook by Godinez, then a right! Ricci kicks high but only finds the guard of Godinez.
Stern jab by Godinez, who kicks low now. Godinez backs up to defend a double-leg takedown, then tags Ricci with a right hook upstairs!
Decent head kick by Ricci, however! It’s partially blocked but still gets Godinez’s attention.
Clean left hook for Godinez, who follows up with straight punches but steps onto an elbow! She hits the mat for the second time in this fight – and at the end of the round, just like last time!
UFC 295 LIVE: Tabatha Ricci vs Loopy Godinez
Round 1
Both fighters stand orthodox. Lots of twitchy movements from Ricci.
Godinez seems happy to just get a read in the first minute, but now she opens up with a couple of low kicks and punches up top.
Ricci catches her with a nice straight punch, but Godinez fires back in kind. Ricci rolls under a punch and gets a body lock; she forces Godinez to the fence but is unable to get a takedown before Godinez breaks free.
The strawweights move into space. Two good left hooks from Godinez, the latter of which drops Ricci!
Ricci stays composed and stands, and she’s able to hold Godinez against the fence, recovering all the while.
Again the fighters move into space. There’s a period of inaccuracy from both women, until Ricci drops Godinez to a knee with the final punch of the round!!
UFC 295 LIVE: Tabatha Ricci vs Loopy Godinez
Next up, Tabatha Ricci vs Loopy Godinez in a women’s strawweight bout.
A bit of a wait for this one to get under way.
Aaaaaaaand finally, we’ll get going.
UFC 295 LIVE: Mateusz Rebecki vs Roosevelt Roberts
Mateusz Rebecki def. Roosevelt Roberts via first-round submission (armbar, 3:08).
UFC 295 LIVE: Mateusz Rebecki vs Roosevelt Roberts
Round 1
Roberts is stepping in on short notice for Nurullo Aliev, who suffered an injury this week.
Aliev gets off to a fast start, taking down Roberts and controlling him on the canvas. Roberts eventually stands, but Rebecki slips behind and takes the back, dragging Roberts to the mat again.
The lightweights are positioned by the fence, and Rebecki has both hooks in. He’s working on an armbar... and he gets it!
A clinical performance for Rebecki!
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