If you asked a UFC fan on March 4, 2023 after Jon Jones won the vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship from Ciryl Gane, if he would retire, the average fan would have shot that suggestion down as he looked to have gained a second wind.
The rumors of Jones retiring have swirled around the event after he suggested he would retire in an interview in May 2023 after his fight with Stipe Miocic with Fox Sports Australia.
There is a high possibility Jones could see retirement in the future. Before then, he must overcome a fight with Stipe Miocic, who many praise as the greatest heavyweight fighter in the industry. Miocic is coming off an inactive period of two years after being knocked out in the 2nd round, losing his heavyweight championship title to Francis Ngannou.
Jones is the odds-on favorite on DraftKings as a -395 favorite compared to his challenger Miocic, who is the +310 underdog at UFC 295. The odds expect Jones to handle Miocic easily, and most MMA fans expect him to retire and vacate the belt, leaving hungry contenders like Sergei Pavlovich, Ciryll Gane or Tom Aspinall to claim the belt.
However, Jones’ fight and potential retirement are the icing on top of this card, which also features two of the most devastating strikers in the light heavyweight division. Former champion Jiri Prochazka takes on former middleweight champion Alex Pereira, which will surely be fireworks.
The light heavyweight championship has seemingly been cursed as the last two title holders, Prochazka and Jamahal Hill, had to vacate the title, leading to the current situation. There will surely be a striking war between Prochazka and Pereira, two heavy-hitting kickboxers who view wrestling as a foreign concept.
Another interesting fight on the card is between the 14th ranked lightweight in the UFC Matt “SteamRolla” Frevola a fighter hailing out of Long Island, New York who faces off against surging contender Benoit Saint-Denis who looks to find a place in the rankings and extend his fourth fight win streak. Frevola is coming off a knockout win against Drew Dober at UFC 288 which secured Frevola’s rank.
However, Benoit Saint-Denis is a demanding customer in his own right, with his last four fights ending with a TKO or submission finish. He is a tough fight for Frevola, and Saint-Denis is the favorite at betonline.ag at -200, while Frevola is the underdog at +170.
UFC 295 is shaping up to be the card of the year with incredible fights and exciting storylines and a venue like Madison Square Garden has the perfect aura to host this event.