Jon Jones. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Jon Jones out of UFC 295, Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich to fight for interim heavyweight championship

By Daniel Kekes-Szabo | Last updated 10/25/23

UFC president Dana White has confirmed through a recent announcement that the headline fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic is now off for UFC 295, due to an injury Jones suffered while sparring.

The previous co-main event, a light heavyweight bout between Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira, has been moved up to the main event. The co-main is now a heavyweight clash between Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich for the interim heavyweight championship.

Along with the announcement, White posted a video of Jones' injury, which appeared to be a pectoral tear that could take as long as eight months to heal, according to the UFC president.

BREAKING NEWS…………… Sergei Pavlovich vs Tom Aspinall for the Interim Heavyweight Championship. Main Event is Jiri Prochazka vs Alex Pereira. #UFC295 is LIVE at MSG on ESPN+ PPV pic.twitter.com/SaPAwpyHi2
— danawhite (@danawhite) October 25, 2023

Jones would have been hoping to cement his status as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time with a win over Miocic, but the fight will likely now take place in 2024.

Aspinall and Pavlovich have never met in the octagon and both heavyweights are on a tear in the UFC, they have been climbing through the rankings with ease and appear to be the new blood of the heavyweight division. Aspinall is coming off an impressive TKO victory against Marcin Tybura, and Pavlovich is on a streak of six first-round knockout finishes in a row.

The two will look to claim their place as interim champions, with eyes on the heavyweight belt following the postponed fight between Jones and Miocic.

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