The UFC heads to New York City this weekend and Madison Square Garden will play host to two title fights.
Jon Jones was originally set to defend his Heavyweight crown for the first time but was forced to withdraw due to a nasty injury and therefor so did his opponent Stipe Miocic.
An interim Heavyweight title will now be on the line in a fight between Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall as he co-main event.
The main event will be for the undisputed Light Heavyweight title and will see the return of Jiri Prochazka who takes on Alex Pereira.
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Two former champions in other promotions and two former UFC champions take center stage at the mecca of combat sports in New York in one of the most anticipated fights of 2023.
Jiri Prochazka is a former Rizin Light Heavyweight champion who quickly rose through the ranks in the UFC having made his debut in July 2020.
He beat Glover Teixeira to win the UFC Light Heavyweight title in just his third fight in the promotion in what will go down as one of the greatest fights in the history of the UFC.
The rematch was set straight away but Jiri suffered what Dana White described as “one of the worst shoulder injuries he’s ever heard of” sidelining him for over a year.
Alex Pereira’s story is eerily similar having had ultimate success in another promotion, as a kickboxer in Glory, becoming a two division champion before starting mixed martial arts.
The Brazilian put together a win streak before earning his chance in the UFC and there is no doubt he was fast tracked to the top because of his two wins over the then Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
He won UFC gold with a fifth round KO of Adesanya but lost the rematch all but forcing him to go up a division.
Light Heavyweight is more his natural weight and he won a tight decision against former champion Jan Blachowicz in his debut at the weight class.
Both of these men are extremely talented, and at times awkward, strikers and I envision this fight being somewhat of a chess match.
He blue print of forcing Pereira to the canvas to test his defensive BJJ skills was somewhat dispelled in his fight against Blachowicz who struggled with this game plan.
Regardless, Jiri will have the advantage should this circumstance eventuate but he is very much a chance of finishes the fight with his striking.
2 Units Jiri Prochazka by KO/TKO or Submission @ $2.35
For just the fourth time in UFC history a title fight between two European fighters will take place inside the octagon.
Jedrzejczyk vs Kowalkiewicz – Nurmagomedov vs McGregor – Blachowicz vs Ankalaev.
Both of these heavyweights deserve a shot at UFC gold having put together impressive resumes and both have devastating finishing abilities.
Nine of Aspinall’s last 10 fights have ended in the first round and his only loss came after a freak knee injury against Curtis Blaydes in July 2022.
He returned with a first round knockout win over Marcin Tybura in London in July and he takes this fight off short notice.
Pavlovich’s recent record is just as impressive and he enters this interim title fight having won his last six straight fights inside the first round.
In fact, his only loss during his 19 fight pro MMA career was in his UFC debut against Alistair Overeem in 2018.
Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa and Curtis Blaydes have been his last three victims and he possesses an incredible amount of one-punch power.
There will be fireworks early in this fight considering both men have not had a full training camps but I give the edge to the Englishman when it comes to cardio as well as speed.
Aspinall is also more than capable with his grappling and may look to take this fight to the canvas if the opportunity presents.
3 Units Tom Aspinall at $1.83
Former UFC Women’s Strawweight champion Jessica Andrade is looking to get her career back on track having lost her last three fights in a row.
After moving up a division and losing to Valentina Shevchenko at Flyweight, she won her next three in a row before her most recent run of losses.
Her opponent, and compatriot, Mackenize Dern has had an up and down run of form in recent years which has included her share of injury concerns and personal issues.
There is no denying her grappling credentials and seven of her 13 pro MMA wins have been by submission including being the first woman in UFC history to win via any form of leg lock with a knee bar win over against Hannah Cifers in 2020.
While Dern has a clear advantage in the grappling, Andrade is no slouch on the canvas should the fight end up there as she has eight submission wins herself.
But she does possess an incredible amount of power in her hands and that is why I’m giving her the edge.
2 Units Jessica Andrade @ $2.50
Matt Frivola could not have been much more impressive since the start of 2022 and he comes into this fight on the back of three wins, all of which have been via first round knockouts.
Frenchman Benoit Saint-Denis entered the UFC with a loss in his first fight at Welterweight before making the decision to drop down to the Lightweight division.
Since then he has won his last four in a row, all of which did not require the judges.
This is going to be a cracking fight between two fighters with plenty of finishing abilities and I’m confident it will not go the distance.
2 Units Fight Does Not Go The Distance
The main card kicks off with a Lightweight fight between two exciting fighters.
Pat Sabatini’s six fight winning streak came to end when he was knocked out by Damon Jackson in the first round late last year.
He bounced back with a submission win over the ever-dangerous Lucas Almeida in June.
His opponent Diego Lopes has a pro MMA record of 22-6 and lost a decision when making his UFC debut mid-year at UFC 288.
The Brazilian then secured the 12th submission win of his career in August against Gavin Tucker via a triangle armbar in the first round.
If he can get Sabatini to the canvas, this is his pathway to victory.
1 Unit Diego Lopes By Submission