BREAKING: Jon Jones withdraws from UFC 295 fight against Stipe Miocic, stage set for interim title clash featuring Sergei Pavlovich

It appears that Jon Jones' plan for his second heavyweight triumph has been put on hold. The reigning UFC heavyweight champion was originally scheduled to take on all-time great 265-pounder Stipe Miocic in the headline bout of UFC 295. Unfortunately, Jones has now withdrawn from the matchup.

During a wrestling sequence in a sparring session that took place last night, Jon Jones suffered a severe injury. He completely tore the tendon that connects his pectoral muscle to the bone. According to UFC CEO Dana White, the injury will sideline him for eight months and will require surgery.

This has led to a reshuffle of the UFC 295 card. Instead of the initial Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic matchup, the heavyweight division will now feature streaking knockout artist Sergei Pavlovich taking on Tom Aspinall in an interim title bout. However, the fight will not be the main event.

Instead, Alex Pereira and Jiří Procházka's fight for the vacant light heavyweight title, which was once the co-main event, has now been promoted to headline the card. While fans will be disappointed that Jones is no longer a fixture on the card, some will have cause for celebration.

Few were excited by the prospect of Jones facing a declining Miocic. Instead, fans were eager to see him tested against the new flock of heavyweights, Sergei Pavlovich and Tom Aspinall.

Now, the winner of the UFC 295 main event will likely head towards a unification bout with Jones sometime in 2024.