The UFC light heavyweight title will be on the line at UFC 295, with the championship bout serving as the co-main event.
With the belt vacated recently by Jamahal Hill, another former champion who vacated the title, Jiri Porchazka (29-3-1), will returning looking to reclaim gold against ex-middleweight champion Alex Pereira (8-2).
UFC President and CEO Dana White announced the news on Wednesday on social media.
Prochazka has not fought since an incident in training which White on Wednesday called “the worst shoulder injury in UFC history,” adding “but now he’s fully recovered, and he wants his belt back.” The former RIZIN standout has been undefeated since 2016, and won his first three fights under the UFC banner, claiming gold against Glover Teixeira in June 2022 at UFC 275.
A rematch between the two had been planned, but was scuttled due to Prochazka’s injury. The vacant title was then left vacant following a draw between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev; in January of this year, Teixeira lost a decision against Hill which saw the latter claim gold, until he too was forced to vacate due to injury.
The new blood in the division, meanwhile, is Alex Pereira. Like Prochazka, he took the fast track to UFC gold, defeating kickboxing rival Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight championship last November in just his fourth fight for the company. He found himself knocked out in the rematch this past April, but made a quick turnaround in July, defeating Jan Blachowicz in the Brazilian’s light heavyweight debut.
UFC 295 is headlined by a heavyweight title fight as Jon Jones finally throws down with Stipe Miocic. The card takes place on November 11, 2023 at the famed Madison Square Garden in New York City, with the following bouts reported thus far:
- Jon Jones (c) vs. Stipe Miocic — for the UFC heavyweight championship
- Jiri Prochazka vs. Alex Pereira — for the vacant UFC light heavyweight championship
- Mackenzie Dern vs. Jéssica Andrade
- Matt Schnell vs. Steve Erceg
- Joshua Van vs. Kevin Borjas
- Jared Gordon vs. Mark Madsen
- Pat Sabatini vs. Diego Lopes
- Mateusz Rębecki vs. Nurullo Aliev
- Jamall Emmers vs. Dennis Buzukja
