When Jon Jones suffered a torn pectoral muscle, forcing him to withdraw from the Stipe Miocic fight, the UFC shook up the heavyweight division by announcing an interim title fight between Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich.
Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich Fight for Gold on Just 17 Days’ Notice
Aspinall was tearing through the heavyweight division until he suffered a knee injury a mere sixteen seconds into his fight with Curtis Blaydes. In a remarkable comeback, the Manchester native returned to the same arena nearly a year later and finished Marcin Tybura in under two minutes. This performance established him as the number four ranked heavyweight contender, with talks of a number one contender fight on the horizon. It seemed as if the UFC was biding its time to assess the outcomes of the Jones vs Stipe fight before giving the British fighter another opportunity. However, reminiscent of Michael Bisping’s title win, Aspinall now finds himself with just seventeen days’ notice to capture championship gold.
Since his UFC debut, where he faced a TKO loss against Alistair Overeem, Pavlovich has achieved an astounding string of six consecutive first-round victories. The Russian heavyweight, originally the backup fighter for the vacant title clash between Jones and Ciryl Gane, found himself in the same role once more for the Jones and Miocic showdown. Furthermore, while Aspinall has had no firm commitments on his agenda, Pavlovich has been aware since August that he might be stepping into the octagon at UFC 295. So it comes as a surprise when you look at the betting odds, which currently favour the Brit.
Henry Cejudo Speaks on Aspinall vs Pavlovich Clash
While the vast majority of fight fans are excited for the bout between two of the fastest finishers in the heavyweight division, some have questioned the integrity of them fighting for the belt. Notably, former double champ Henry Cejudo has shared his perspective on the impending heavyweight clash.
“Sergei and Aspinall… These are two up-and-coming guys, that are in their prime, that can potentially challenge a guy like Jones or Stipe,” Cejudo said. “It is exciting, but is it worth an interim heavyweight championship of the world? No, it isn’t. I think the UFC — I think we’re starting to dilute a little bit of what it is to actually be a UFC champion.”
“I think this is more of a number one contender spot, and I think that’s what you call it, I think maybe the UFC, if they’re gonna do that, then start creating new belts or make the interim belt silver… That’s my two cents,” Cejudo added.
Quotes via MMA News
Following a 2021 fight cancellation, we now have the long-awaited showdown between two of the most exciting heavyweight contenders. Who do you predict will emerge with gold?
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images and Embed from Getty Images
