Brazil’s Alex Pereira celebrates after a light-weight heavyweight title bout towards Czech Republic’s Jirí Procházka on the UFC 295 combined martial arts occasion, early Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023, in New York. (AP Photograph/Frank Franklin II)
NEW YORK — Tom Aspinall sat within the locker room within the hours earlier than a UFC title combat that got here collectively in a matter of weeks and actually solely had one thought:
“What am I doing,” Aspinall requested himself.
Aspinall might say it now, he pulled a muscle in his again and didn’t have a lot of a coaching camp. The Englishman in New York — he walked out to the Sting hit music — had visa points. Aspinall even needed to cancel a deliberate trip together with his household.
So what was Aspinall doing? Strive successful a championship in solely his eighth UFC combat.
Alex Pereira used a sequence of elbows to Jirí Procházka’s head to win the vacant UFC gentle heavyweight championship and Aspinall turned the primary British heavyweight to win gold within the UFC 295 title fights Saturday evening at Madison Sq. Backyard.
The belt goes again to Brazil! 🏆@AlexPereiraUFC is bringing LHW gold again house with him😤 #UFC295 pic.twitter.com/NJdM7uCR6Y
— UFC (@ufc) November 12, 2023
“The UK man is the world champion,” Aspinall mentioned. “I’m the very best on the earth now.”
Nicely, Jon Jones might need a beef with that decree.
Aspinall knocked out Sergei Pavlovich within the first spherical for the interim heavyweight championship in entrance of a packed crowd that included former President Donald Trump. Aspinall then campaigned for a championship combat in England towards Jones.
“Give me my dream combat,” Aspinall mentioned. “Let me combat for my legacy, please.”
The interim title combat was a late addition to the cardboard after Jones tore a pectoral tendon off the bone throughout coaching late final month. He wanted surgical procedure and his heavyweight title protection towards Stipe Miocic on the Backyard was known as off.
Whereas UFC waits for Jones to return, it’s Aspinall who now holds the gold.
“It’s been a loopy 2 1/2 weeks,” Aspinall mentioned.
TOM ASPINALL GETS IT DONE!!! 🤯@AspinallMMA will get the TKO in spherical one! #UFC295 pic.twitter.com/rduokFIDRS
— UFC (@ufc) November 12, 2023
Jones congratulated Aspinall on social media, writing, “that was an superior efficiency!”
His teary celebration lasted longer than the combat. Aspinall wanted solely 69 seconds to earn his eleventh profession knockout win — he has made it to the second spherical simply as soon as in his eight UFC fights — after which collapsed in tears on the canvas. Aspinall landed consecutive rights to Pavlovich’s temple that despatched the Russian crashing to the canvas.
“He’s a giant, scary man,” Aspinall mentioned. “I’ve by no means been as scared in my life as preventing this man. However I’ve obtained plenty of energy, too, and I imagine in myself.”
England’s Tom Aspinall, left, exchanges punches with Russia’s Sergei Pavlovich through the first spherical of a heavyweight title bout on the UFC 295 combined martial arts occasion Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in New York. Aspinall received the bout. (AP Photograph/Frank Franklin II)
Aspinall draped himself towards the cage as followers roared for the brand new champ.
Not a lot later in the principle occasion, Pereira received his second UFC championship in simply his seventh combat for the promotion. Pereira, who received the middleweight championship final November at MSG, badly harm Procházka and the combat was stopped at 4:08 of the second spherical. Procházka had received 13 straight MMA fights, together with his first three in UFC.
Pereira turned the ninth fighter in UFC historical past to win championships in two weight courses.
The sunshine heavyweight division had been and not using a champion since Jamahal Hill relinquished the title in July after he was injured in a pickup basketball sport. Hill was on the Backyard to look at the fights.
He wasn’t the one identify in the home.
Trump and musician Child Rock had been greeted by cheers and “USA! USA!” chants as they walked to their cageside seats forward of the beginning of the principle card. UFC President Dana White accompanied Trump and Child Rock and watched the fights with them. Trump slapped arms with followers and mingled with guests.
The fighters couldn’t assist however discover the celebrities within the crowd.
“It was some fairly trippy scenes over there,” Aspinall mentioned, laughing.
Former UFC 115-pound champion Jéssica Andrade snapped a three-fight dropping streak with a TKO win over MacKenzie Dern at 3:15 of the second spherical. Andrade turned the primary girl in UFC historical past to earn 4 knockdowns in a single combat and tied Amanda Nunes for many wins in UFC girls’s historical past with 16.
UFC has run a serious card in November at Madison Sq. Backyard yearly (aside from 2020) since New York legalized MMA in time for a 2016 debut. Conor McGregor, Georges St-Pierre and Daniel Cormier all headlined pay-per-views at MSG and this one promised to maybe be the most important most important occasion but — Jones defending his heavyweight crown towards Miocic.
Jones, on the brief listing of nice MMA fighters, tore a tendon throughout coaching final month and was pressured to withdraw. White then deemed an interim championship combat was beneath a fighter of Miocic’s stature. The 2-time heavyweight champ, Miocic has not fought since March 2021.
The bout might be rescheduled for as early as subsequent summer season, relying on Jones’ well being.
“That’s the combat they need, that’s the combat that is smart, that’s the combat that ought to occur,” White mentioned.
Even with out the anticipated combat, there was motive for the corporate to have fun with 19,039 followers and a $12.4 million gate at MSG. UFC now holds the top-three spots for highest gate on the Backyard. Additionally, Sunday marks 30 years for the reason that firm’s debut present, UFC 1.
UFC Corridor of Famer Royce Gracie received three fights that evening in Denver in a no-rules event that was simply the beginning for the billion-dollar firm owned by Endeavor that now stands as the worldwide chief in MMA.
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UFC was constructed on personalities as a lot as nice fights and New York native and recovering drug addict Jared Gordon gave followers on the Backyard a motive to cheer.
Gordon scored his first KO since 2017 when he beat 2016 Olympic silver medal wrestler Mark Madsen in a prelims bout. Gordon has been open about his drug points, overdoses and problem staying clear whereas pursing a brutal MMA profession. He had a brand new motive to understand preventing in New York.
”I used to shoot heroin in Penn Station beneath this constructing,” he mentioned. “Now I’m preventing in it and knocking guys out.”
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