Anticipation is building for UFC 295 in New York City, and it’s not just because Jon Jones is defending his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic. There’s another exciting match on the card!
The light heavyweight division has faced challenges recently, with both Jiří Procházka and his successor Jamahal Hill having to vacate the title due to injuries. But on November 11, former champ Procházka aims to restore order in the division with a second reign. Standing in his way is Alex Pereira, a former middleweight champion with dreams of holding titles in two weight classes.
Dana White has officially announced this co-headliner for UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden.
🚨 HUGE FIGHT NEWS 🚨
November's #UFC295 co-main event will be @Jiri_BJP vs @AlexPereiraUFC for the vacant light heavyweight title!
AND your #UFC296 headliners will be @Leon_EdwardsMMA vs @ColbyCovMMA, with Alexandre Pantoja vs @BrandonRoyval serving as the co-main! pic.twitter.com/GTD5pnd1BD
— UFC (@ufc) September 21, 2023
Jiří Procházka and Alex Pereira to Battle for LHW Gold at UFC 295
Both fighters see their upcoming clash at MSG as a chance for redemption.
Procházka, a former Rizin champ, earned his shot at UFC gold after impressive victories over Volkan Oezdemir and Dominick Reyes. He clinched the title against Glover Teixeira at UFC 275, making an incredible comeback from being behind on the scorecards to secure a late submission.
After vacating the title due to injury, Procházka is eager to continue his unbeaten streak, taking on his recent opponent’s protege.
Pereira, known for his kickboxing success, transitioned to MMA and secured the middleweight gold with a win against Israel Adesanya. However, a loss in their rematch led him to switch to light heavyweight. In his debut at this weight class, he narrowly defeated former champ Jan Błachowicz at UFC 291, putting him on the path to potentially becoming a ‘champ-champ.’
