Tag: UFC 295

UFC 295’s Loopy Godinez ‘living the dream’ with active schedule

UFC 295 will mark another quick turnaround for Loopy Godinez.

NEW YORK – UFC 295 will mark another quick turnaround for [autotag]Loopy Godinez[/autotag].

Godinez (11-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) meets Tabatha Ricci (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) in Saturday’s featured prelim at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

Godinez is coming off a Performance of the Night submission of Elise Reed this past September. She will be making a less than a two-month turnaround against Ricci, her fourth fight of the year.

“I just don’t see other fighters – it’s not easy to do what I do,” Godinez told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a news conference Wednesday. “For me to just come back here – ‘OK, see you tomorrow’ – it’s really easy for me to do those type of things.

“I don’t know what it is. I just do it and I just go with the flow and it’s easy. I don’t feel overwhelmed at all. I enjoy the process. I love all this. I love to talk to you guys. I’m living the dream, pretty much.”

Ricci is also riding plenty of momentum having won four straight. Godinez is expecting their fight to deliver.

“She has great judo and great jiu-jitsu,” Godinez said. “But I have great wrestling. I have great hands. I have a lot of power. I feel it’s a great match-up for Saturday night.”

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

UFC 295 breakdown: Can Alex Pereira stop Jiri Prochazka to become two-division champ?

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the UFC 295 vacant light heavyweight title fight between Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira.

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the 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+.

Video: Michael Bisping previews UFC 295 with USA TODAY Sports

Michael Bisping offers his thoughts on Tom Aspinall vs. Sergei Pavlovich and Jon Jones’ injury withdrawal before UFC 295 on Saturday.

UFC 295 takes place Saturday at famed Madison Square Garden in New York where two titles will be up for grabs.

In the main event, former champion [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] square off for the vacant light heavyweight belt. And in the co-main event, [autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag] and [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] will battle for the interim heavyweight title after champ Jon Jones was forced to withdraw late from his showdown with Stipe Miocic because of a pectoral injury.

Before fight night arrives, USA TODAY Sports host Mackenzie Salmon caught up with UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping on “Sports Seriously” to discuss the top matchups.

“Both of these guys are on incredible runs,” Bisping said of Pavlovich and Aspinall. “Sergei is knocking everybody out in the first round with the first punch. He hits so hard, it’s ridiculous. … Tom is absolutely phenomenal. And he’s gonna go out there, and he’s gonna smoke Sergei Pavlovich in the first round. There it is. There’s the prediction.”

You can hear more from Bisping on “Sports Seriously” in the video above.

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

UFC free fight: Jiri Prochazka melts Dominick Reyes with hellish spinning elbow

Ahead of UFC 295, watch Jiri Prochazka score one of the nastiest KOs in UFC history, putting away Dominick Reyes with a spinning elbow.

[autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] has given UFC fans some nasty finishes, but perhaps none nastier than his knockout win over Dominick Reyes.

Back in May 2021, Prochazka viciously knocked out Reyes with a spinning elbow in the main event of UFC on ESPN 23 in Las Vegas. It was a brutal finish to a brutal war, and it’s arguably among the best knockouts in UFC history. Obviously, Prochazka won a Performance of the Night and a Fight of the Night bonus for his efforts, taking home an extra $100,000.

You can watch Prochazka’s nasty KO of Reyes in the video above.

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Prochazka (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 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+.

Prochazka takes on Alex Pereira (8-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) for the vacant light heavyweight title. It’s his first fight back since vacating the undisputed UFC light heavyweight title last November due to a shoulder injury.

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

Alessandro Costa sees ‘many flaws’ in Stephen Erceg, hopes to get ranked with win at UFC 295

Alessandro Costa is eying top 15 status with a win over Stephen Erceg at UFC 295.

[autotag]Alessandro Costa[/autotag] believes there’s a chance he can be a ranked fighter come next week.

Fighting Stephen Erceg this Saturday at UFC 295 in New York, Costa (13-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) believes a win could get him on the UFC’s official flyweight rankings. Costa is coming off a TKO win over Jimmy Flick this past June, and he thinks if he could pair that with a good win over Erceg (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who’s ranked, he could enter the top 15.

“I think it can happen because he beat someone that’s ranked and is now at No. 14 (in the UFC’s official rankings),” Costa told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I’m right there, and I’m confident that if I get a good win, which is what I’m searching for, the UFC could notice me, and maybe I get in the rankings.”

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Costa thinks there are things he can exploit in Erceg’s game in order to not only get his hand raised, but also impress.

“He’s someone that’s long, so he’ll likely want to maintain the distance,” Costa said. “We’ve been working on cutting the distance and fighting him up close. But more than anything, I’ve been studying his holes, and he has many flaws. I’ve also been fixing my own errors from previous fights, so that’s how we’ve been preparing.”

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

Matt Frevola warns Benoit Saint-Denis ‘not in our house’ ahead of UFC 295 home game

New York’s Matt Frevola knows what he’s up against in the always violent Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 295.

NEW YORK – [autotag]Matt Frevola[/autotag] got what he wanted, a fight at Madison Square Garden.

A savage opponent was offered and accepted. Frevola (11-3-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) fights Saturday vs. Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 295, a card that also features two of his LAW MMA teammates, Nazim Sadykhov and Dennis Buzukja.

“The energy at the gym has been unreal,” Frevola told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a news conference Wednesday. “We all feed off each other. The slogan all camp has been, ‘Not in our house.’ Madison Square Garden is our house. We’re all New Yorkers and we’re ready to protect our homeland.”

Saint-Denis (12-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) does not have an official UFC lightweight ranking, but that didn’t deter the ranked Frevola from risking his divisional position. The fight on paper has fans buzzing, and Frevola shares in that.

“It excited me,” Frevola said. “I was ready to fight anybody at MSG. But when they came to me with Benoit, I just got excited. That’s what I want. I want to fight The Boogeyman. I want to fight the guys that people don’t want to fight. His nickname is the ‘God of War,’ but I’m going to show the world he’s just a man.”

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

Diego Lopes out to get statement win over Pat Sabatini at UFC 295: ‘I’m made for big things’

Diego Lopes confident big things are in the horizon if he beats Pat Sabatini at UFC 295.

NEW YORK – [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag] knows all eyes are going to be on him on Saturday night, and he plans to make the most of it.

The UFC rookie competes in his third fight in the octagon against Pat Sabatini. The two standout grapplers are scheduled to meet in a featherweight bout to open the UFC 295 pay-per-view main card in Madison Square Garden.

Lopes (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is aware he’s in a highly coveted spot on the card and plans to make a statement against Sabatini (18-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC), so he can show he’s ready for bigger opportunities.

“I think this is a great opportunity and just being on the main card it’s something that’s very meaningful,” Lopes said through an interpreter at the UFC 295 media day on Wednesday. “I also want to show that my first fight just wasn’t a matter of luck being there. I’m made for big things, and I’ll have to show that on Saturday.”

Lopes debuted in May on the main card of UFC 288 against top contender Movsar Evloev. He lost the fight by unanimous decision and gave Evloev a tough run despite taking the fight the week of the event.

Since then, Lopes picked up a quick submission over Gavin Tucker in August and has gathered a lot of attention from the fan base on social media. Despite wanting more, the Brazilian fighter is grateful for what he’s experienced so far.

“It’s been incredible everything that I have gone through in my career,” Lopes said. “I enjoy very much everything I’ve been through before getting to the UFC. I was knocking on the door for a long time, and for whatever reason things didn’t work out. I have many fans in Mexico and now that the world knows me the doors are open for it all. Getting the love and support from the fans is something good and something I appreciate.”

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

Jessica Andrade finds motivation in three-fight skid ahead of return at UFC 295

Jessica Andrade isn’t letting her three-fight skid get her down ahead of Saturday’s UFC 295.

NEW YORK – [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] is facing her worst career stretch, but she’s not letting that get her.

The former UFC strawweight champion is on a three-fight losing streak entering Saturday’s matchup against Mackenzie Dern on the main card of UFC 295, which goes down at Madison Square Garden.

Andrade (24-12 MMA, 15-10 UFC) was finished by her last three opponents, as she got submitted by both Erin Blanchfield and Tatiana Suarez, and knocked out by Yan Xiaonan.

Although the landscape might look grim for Andrade, she’s using the three-fight skid as motivation.

“I think there is a lot of pressure,” Andrade said through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC 295 media day. “Actually, more pressure on myself to turn things around and to have a different outcome. You obviously feel the pressure to have a different outcome going forward.

“I think for me, I’ve seen so many things throughout my career in the UFC that to me, it’s more motivation to get back in the win column, motivation to have a comeback, motivation to keep my place in there. So for me, it’s more motivation than pressure.”

In terms of the fight itself, Andrade is happy to have been matched up against Dern (13-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC). She believes their skills promise an action fight.

“I think it’s a great fight as far as matchmaking goes,” Andrade said. “I think it’s a fight that should’ve happened in the past, but it’s finally happening. As far as style, she’s definitely got an edge in the jiu-jitsu and her ground game, but as far as stand up game, she’s gotten better in striking, but I don’t think she’s at my level. I’m at a very high level of striking. I got that style against her, so I think stylistically this is a really good matchup.”

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

Unranked Benoit Saint-Denis respects Matt Frevola for accepting UFC 295 fight

Benoit Saint-Denis realizes that ranked Matt Frevola could’ve easily said no to the matchup but appreciates that he said yes.

NEW YORK – [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag] is thankful for the opportunity he’s getting this weekend.

Getting a fight with a ranked opponent in the UFC is not an easy thing, and Saint-Denis will finally face someone in the UFC’s official lightweight rankings as he takes on [autotag]Matt Frevola[/autotag] this Saturday on the pay-per-view main card of UFC 295.

Saint-Denis (12-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) respects Frevola (11-3-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) for accepting the fight considering he’s currently unranked.

“I like the guy because he took the challenge right away,” Saint-Denis said at UFC 295 media day. “He is taking a risk because he’s ranked, and I’m not. I believe he likes challenges, and he’s not afraid to brawl or go against me, so it will be a great fight.

“I’m expecting a tough guy. He’s well rounded, he has good cardio, and he believes in himself like I do. It’s a fight between two tough guys.”

Saint-Denis, a native of France, will be fighting in enemy territory as Frevola is from New York. The Frenchman has no issue with fighting Frevola on his home soil because he’s used to it by now in his career.

“In France, it got legalized very late, so I only fought twice in France for the UFC,” Saint-Denis said. “Before that, I was traveling all around the world to get fights because in France I couldn’t, so I’ve always been booed, and I’ve only been cheered in Paris. It’s not a problem for me. I like that.”

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

Daniel Cormier wonders if Tom Aspinall is prepared to fight Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 on short notice

Daniel Cormier is concerned with Tom Aspinall’s preparation ahead of UFC 295.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] is concerned with [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag]’s preparation ahead of UFC 295.

After heavyweight champion Jon Jones withdrew from his title fight against Stipe Miocic, Aspinall (13-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) got the short-notice call to face Sergei Pavlovich in Saturday’s co-main event at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.

Pavlovich (18-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) was already in training camp for UFC 295, preparing to serve as the official backup for Jones vs. Miocic. But with Aspinall getting the call less than three weeks before the fight, Cormier isn’t sure if he’ll be ready for a championship fight.

“He has to move. He has to stay out of the danger zone of Pavlovich,” Cormier said on his ESPN show “DC & RC.” “But he’s taking the fight on short notice. Is he prepared to fight like that over 25 minutes?”

Based on statistics, Aspinall vs. Pavlovich isn’t expected to go the distance. Both men have an array of first-round finishes on their resume and currently average the shortest fight time in the UFC with at least five bouts.

“There are certain guys that you don’t want really to fight,” Cormier said. “That’s why everybody didn’t want to fight ‘Rumble’ (Johnson). Nobody was like, ‘Hey, I want to fight Rumble.’ Nobody just wants to step in there and fight Derrick Lewis because of the power.

“Power is dangerous. This dude (Pavlovich) has won six by first-round knockout in a row. That’s nuts, man. You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to have quick nights every night. That’s how dangerous this dude is.”

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