Tag: UFC 295

Cejudo: Pereira’s ‘super, super suspect’ takedown defense should be tested by Prochazka at UFC 295

Henry Cejudo sees a path to victory for Jiri Prochazka against Alex Pereira, but doubts he’ll use it.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] sees a path to victory for [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] against [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag], but doubts he’ll use it.

Prochazka (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) faces Pereira (8-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) for the vacant light heavyweight title in Saturday’s UFC 295 main event in New York.

Cejudo thinks there’s a hole in Pereira’s grappling that Prochazka can expose. Pereira has been taken down eight times in six UFC fights, but having worked with Prochazka in the past, Cejudo doesn’t see him employing that strategy.

“Alex Pereira’s weaknesses, (takedown defense) is where I would be looking to expose,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “They’ve done a good job of finding the right opponents for him, where he’s been able to kind of cheat sheet or cut the line on everybody. But his takedown defense is super suspect. It’s not a little suspect – it’s super, super suspect.

“I do believe that this is where Jiri’s key of winning is. But knowing Jiri, he’s not just going to wrestle him. Jiri wants to have fun. Jiri wants to throw his elbows, his punches, his kicks. Jiri wants to do all of that, including bringing in the actual takedowns.

“The other thing with Alex Pereira, unfortunately, he’s not complete. He has been given these matchups that have really favored him.”

UFC 295 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.

UFC 295 official weigh-in video highlights and photo gallery

Check out the weigh-in highlights and photo gallery from Friday’s UFC 295 official weigh-ins.

NEW YORK – The UFC 295 fight card is now official following Friday’s official weigh-in session where 24 of the 26 fighters successfully hit their marks on the scale.

Saturday’s event, which takes place at Madison Square Garden with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+, is headlined by a pair of title fights.

Jiri Prochazka (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and Alex Pereira (8-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who meet for the vacant light heavyweight title fight in the main event, as well as Sergei Pavlovich (17-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and Tom Aspinall (13-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC), who clash for interim heavyweight gold in the co-main event, all made their duty by making weight.

Check out the weigh-in highlights in the video above and a link to the photo gallery from all of Friday’s happenings below.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.

UFC 295 ‘Embedded,’ No. 5: Alex Pereira gives his regards to Broadway, but stays seriously stoic

Alex Pereira made a trip to Times Square to take in some sights, but only seemed to mildly care about his face on the big screen.

The UFC is back for its regular fall trip to “The Big Apple,” and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 295 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

In the main event, former light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and ex-middleweight champ [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) meet for the vacant 205-pound title. Pereira will attempt to become the UFC’s newest two-division titleholder.

In the co-feature, the interim heavyweight title is on the line between [autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC), who are fighting for that belt after champ Jon Jones suffered an injury training for his fight with Stipe Miocic, which was the card’s original headliner.

The fifth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Alex Pereira braves Times Square. Jessica Andrade perfects her craft. Mackenzie Dern, Jiri Prochazka and Sergei Pavlovich open up at media day. All four belt contenders – Pereira, Prochazka, Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall – attend the official press conference.

Also see:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.

UFC 295 predictions: We’re sincerely split on the two title fights in New York

Check out our staff members’ picks and analysis for UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The UFC is back in New York at the mecca of combat sports this week with a pair of title fights at the top of the card.

UFC 295 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

Get pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.

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UFC 295 breakdown: With six straight first-round KOs, can Pavlovich stop Aspinall for heavyweight gold?

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the UFC 295 interim heavyweight title fight between Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall.

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the co-main event for UFC 295.

UFC 295 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

UFC 295 weigh-in results: Two fighters miss weight in New York

Check out results from the UFC 295 weigh-ins in New York, where the vacant light heavyweight and interim heavyweight titles are on the line.

NEW YORK – MMA Junkie was at Friday’s official UFC 295 fighter weigh-ins, which took place at the UFC host hotel in New York and preceded the ceremonial weigh-ins for the fans at 5 p.m. ET at The Theater at MSG in New York.

The attached Madison Square Garden hosts Saturday’s event, which has a main card on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

Among those who weighed in were former light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and ex-middleweight champ [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who meet for the vacant 205-pound title. Pereira will attempt to become the UFC’s newest two-division titleholder. In the co-feature, the interim heavyweight title is on the line between [autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC).

The four title fight combatants made weight in the first 90 minutes, but two undercard fighters closed the two-hour window with misses.

[autotag]Jamall Emmers[/autotag] registered at 147, one pound over the featherweight limit, for his fight vs. [autotag]Dennis Buzukja[/autotag]. He was followed by [autotag]Roosevelt Roberts[/autotag], who took a lightweight fight vs. [autotag]Mateusz Rebecki[/autotag] on less than one week’s notice and weighed 158 pounds, two pounds over the divisional limit.

According to the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) protocols, only title fight combatants receive an additional hour to hit their marks so Emmers and Roberts were one-and-done on the scale.

At the time of publication, statuses of the fights and fines are unknown. This story will be updated when confirmation is received.

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The full UFC 295 weigh-in results include:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Jiri Prochazka (204.2) vs. Alex Pereira (204) – for vacant light heavyweight title
  • Sergei Pavlovich (259.8) vs. Tom Aspinall (261.6) – for interim heavyweight title
  • Jessica Andrade (116) vs. Mackenzie Dern (115.6)
  • Matt Frevola (155.6) vs. Benoit Saint-Denis (156)
  • Diego Lopes (145.4) vs. Pat Sabatini (145.8)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Alessandro Costa (125.4) vs. Stephen Erceg (125.6)
  • Loopy Godinez (115) vs. Tabatha Ricci (115.4)
  • Mateusz Rebecki (155.8) vs. Roosevelt Roberts (158)**
  • Viacheslav Borshchev (154.8) vs. Nazim Sadykhov (155.6)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Jared Gordon (155.6) vs. Mark Madsen (155.6)
  • John Castaneda (137.6) vs. Kyung Ho Kang (138)
  • Kevin Borjas (125.8) vs. Joshua Van (125.8)
  • Dennis Buzukja (145.6) vs. Jamall Emmers (147)*

* = misses featherweight limit by one pound

** = misses lightweight limit by two pounds

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.

UFC 295 video: Sergei Pavlovich, Tom Aspinall unsurprisingly have no issue on scale

The formality of Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall making weight for their UFC 295 interim title fight went through without issue.

NEW YORK – The formality of [autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag] and [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] making weight for their UFC 295 interim title fight went through without issue.

Heavyweight contenders Pavlovich (17-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and Aspinall (13-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) will fill a gap left atop the division courtesy of Jon Jones’ injury when they meet for the interim belt in Saturday’s co-main event at Madison Square Garden.

Both men took the fight on short notice after Jones withdrew from his title defense against Stipe Miocic, but because they’re heavyweights, they came in comfortably under the divisional limit. Aspinall registered at 261.6 pounds during Friday’s session at the UFC host hotel. Minutes later, Pavlovich weighed slightly less at 259.8 pounds.

Check out the video above to see Pavlovich and Aspinall weigh in for their UFC 295 interim heavyweight title fight.

The UFC 295 main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.

UFC 295 video: Jiri Prochazka, Alex Pereira under weight limit for vacant title fight

We’re one step closer to crowning a new light heavyweight champion after Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira made weight ahead of UFC 295.

NEW YORK – The UFC is one step closer to crowning a new light heavyweight champion after [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] made weight ahead of UFC 295.

Prochazka (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and Pereira (8-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) are set to clash for the vacant belt in Saturday’s headliner at Madison Square Garden, and the matchup is now official after both men hit their contracted marks at weigh-ins.

Former middleweight king Pereira, who looks to join the exclusive club of two-division champs, registered at 204 pounds on the scale at the host hotel during Friday’s official weigh-in session. Former divisional titleholder Prochazka, who returns from an injury that forced him to vacate the strap, weighed in shortly after at 204.2 pounds.

Check out the video above to see Prochazka and Pereira make weight for the UFC 295 main event.

The UFC 295 main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.

UFC free fight: Alex Pereira outpoints Jan Blachowicz in light heavyweight debut

Watch Alex Pereira’s successful light heavyweight debut against Jan Blachowicz ahead of his return this Saturday at UFC 295.

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] didn’t have it easy in his first fight at 205 pounds.

Pereira met former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz in his divisional debut at UFC 291 in July. After getting dominated in the first round, Pereira came back to win the second and third round with his strikes and improved takedown defense. It was a gritty performance that earned Pereira a title shot.

You can watch Pereira’s light heavyweight debut win in the video above.

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Pereira (8-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) returns in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 295, which takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

Pereira takes on Jiri Prochazka (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) for the vacant light heavyweight title. This bout marks Pereira’s second fight since moving up to the light heavyweight division.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.