The short notice interim title fight between Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall went down in the co-main event of UFC 295.
The Russian machine Sergei Pavlovich entered the bout on the longest knockout streak in UFC history, with six straight, all in the first round. However Tom Aspinall may be the only man who can match him, as the British heavyweight has finished every UFC fight he has had except for the one he lost by freak injury. When two of the most dangerous men alive stepped into the cage, no one expected the fight to last too long, and it lived up to that.
They felt each other out for a bit early but Sergei still tagged Tom badly in the opening minute. Aspinall returned with leg kicks and then dropped two atom bombs in the form of right hands and that floored Pavlovich. Ground and pound rained down but the fight was over.
Tom Aspinall became the third British UFC champion after signing to fight on two weeks of notice, mirroring the first to do it, Michael Bisping who beat Luke Rockhold with two weeks of notice.
No better feeling for @AspinallMMA 👏 pic.twitter.com/r7sqI3bAqF
— UFC (@ufc) November 12, 2023
Now, Aspinall will have to wait until the situation with Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic resolves itself before either taking the vacant belt or fighting one of them for the undisputed gold.
Official Result: Tom Aspinall def. Sergei Pavlovich by KO (right hands), Round 1, 1:09
