Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tom Aspinall exciting but not worth interim belt at UFC 295

Henry Cejudo

doesn’t believe that the matchup between

Sergei Pavlovich

and

Tom Aspinall

deserves an interim heavyweight title in the UFC.

Pavlovich (18-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and Aspinall (13-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) have been scheduled for an interim title fight in the co-main event of UFC 295. This matchup comes after a

torn pectoral muscle

sidelined heavyweight champion Jon Jones from his title defense against Stipe Miocic on November 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Cejudo, while acknowledging the excitement surrounding the matchup, believes it should be seen as a No. 1 contender fight rather than an interim title fight.

“These two fighters are up-and-coming, in their prime, and may have the potential to challenge someone like Jones or Stipe, the winner of that,” Cejudo expressed on his

YouTube channel

. “It’s exciting, but is it worth the interim heavyweight championship of the world? No, it isn’t.

“I believe we’re starting to dilute what it truly means to be a UFC champion. I think this fight is more of a No. 1 contender spot, and that’s what it should be called. If the UFC wants to continue this trend, they should create new belts or make the interim belt silver, for that matter.”

Pavlovich has delivered six knockout victories in the first round consecutively, leading Cejudo to favor him over Aspinall based on his power.

“I’m rooting for the Russian,” Cejudo declared. “I believe Sergei is more agile and brings more power. Tom is good, but his footwork could pose some challenges. There’s something about Russians, they come from a great school of technique and combat. That’s why I have to go with Sergei. He’s getting a lot of hype and has knockout power. In the heavyweight division, power is key.”

For more information about the event, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for

UFC 295
.

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie