Jiri Prochazka vs. Alex Pereira: Fight card, date, odds, rumors, location, complete guide

cbssports.com
 
Jiri Prochazka vs. Alex Pereira: Fight card, date, odds, rumors, location, complete guide

UFC's 30th anniversary celebration will continue without Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic

UFC celebrates its 30-year anniversary in one of sport's most hallowed halls. UFC 295 takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday, Nov. 11 with  Jiri Prochazka vs. Alex Pereira atop the marquee and Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tom Aspinall in the co-main event.

UFC 295 suffered a major blow in the weeks leading to the event. Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic -- arguably the greatest light heavyweight and heavyweight champions, respectively -- was the original main event with the heavyweight championship on the line. But Jones suffered an injury in training, forcing him off the card and delaying the dream fight to next year. Prochazka vs. Pereira was elevated from co-headliner to the marquee with the vacant light heavyweight title on the line.

Former UFC middleweight champion Pereira punched his ticket to the light heavyweight title after a successful 205-pound debut against former champ Jan Blachowicz. He will meet Prochazka, who never lost the championship but was forced to vacate it last year due to injury. Pereira is more motivated than usual as he looks to avenge his mentor Glover Teixeira, who lost the title to Prochazka in CBS Sports' 2022 Fight of the Year. Prochazka and Pereira have had remarkably fast rises in the UFC. They look to win their second UFC title in four and seven Octagon appearances, respectively.

A heavyweight tilt was added to the main card lineup in the absence of Jones vs. Miocic. Sergei Pavlovich was always the intended backup for the original main event, but he won't fight Miocic either. UFC president Dana White announced Pavlovich vs. Aspinall for the interim heavyweight title instead. It may not be as star-studded, but Pavlovich vs. Aspinall is arguably the better fight between two future pillars of the heavyweight division.

Below is the complete fight card for UFC 295 along with the latest odds. Check back all week long for the latest news, features and other content around this massive event.

  • Alex Pereira -145 vs. Jiri Prochazka +122, vacant light heavyweight title
  • Tom Aspinall -125 vs. Sergei Pavlovich +105, interim heavyweight title
  • Pat Sabatini -130 vs. Diego Lopes +110, featherweights
  • Mackenzie Dern -190 vs. Jessica Andrade +160, women's strawweights
  • Benoit Saint-Denis -210 vs. Matt Frevola +175, lightweights
  • Steve Erceg -250 vs. Matt Schnell +205, flyweights
  • Loopy Godinez -190 vs. Tabatha Ricci +160, women's strawweights
  • Nazim Sadykhov -150 vs. Viacheslav Borschev +125, lightweights
  • Mateusz Rebecki -165 vs. Nurullo Aliev +140, lightweights
  • Jamal Emmers -340 vs. Dennis Buzukja +265, featherweights
  • Jared Gordon -180 vs. Mark Madsen +155, lightweights
  • John Castaneda vs. Kyung Ho Kang, bantamweights
  • Joshua Van -250 vs. Kevin Borjas +205, flyweights
  • Date: Nov. 11
  • Location: Madison Square Garden -- New York City
  • Start time: 10 p.m. ET (Main card) 
  • How to watch: ESPN+ PPV