UFC London returns after a successful UFC 286 event back in March it is stacked full of top level British talent. The card will undoubtedly throw out some viral moments and superb performances. We take a look at some fighters that could have a truly special night in the O2 Arena.
UFC London: Tom Aspinall
Atherton’s own heavyweight sensation returns to the octagon in the very spot he suffered his first UFC defeat last July. A knee injury only 15 seconds into the fight stopped the contest in devastating fashion. Since then Aspinall has recovered and looks rejuvenated after having surgery and is ready to put in his best performance to date. Marcin Tybura stands in the opposing corner, a name that does not necessarily excite fans but as a fighter is one of the toughest tests in the heavyweight rankings. With more than double Aspinall’s fights the Polish heavyweight has a vast experience across a long career with 17 UFC fights to his name. However, Tom Aspinall looks to be the new breed of heavyweight in the UFC.
The brit has incredibly fast hands and footwork added to an elite ground game and now eager to rebound from that loss, the heavyweight division has a new threat that is hunting the belt and champion Jon Jones. Expect a masterclass performance from Aspinall whom has been exuding confidence during fight week so far. Tybura will provide a stern test, he has not been finished since 2019 and has only lost once in his last eight.
Paul Craig
Scottish grappling wizard Paul Craig has had mixed results in the UFC so far in his career in the light heavyweight division. With an 8-6-1 record and recently suffering back to back losses Craig has decided to make the move down to middleweight to try and reignite his career and run towards UFC gold. Significant victories for Craig at light heavyweight against former champion Jamahal Hill and top contender Magomed Ankalaev show he is able to compete at that weight and has mentioned that he may return to that division in future. The move comes as Craig does not see many middleweights in the rankings with a grappling style and this could be an area he could exploit.
Andre Muniz is a brilliant grappler himself and will test the Scotsman on the ground. Craig is looking for a knockout at UFC London to really announce himself in the division to show he carries power alongside that vicious submission threat. When two elite grapplers face off we tend to get a real back and forth on the feet for however long it lasts.
Nathaniel Wood and Lerone Murphy
Featherweight prospects Nathaniel Wood and Lerone Murphy seemed to be on a collision course to face each other at UFC London this weekend. The pair have a heated rivalry that stemmed from when they were matched earlier this year before Wood got injured. Both are gunning for a top 15 ranking this weekend in tough matchups against Andre Fili and Josh Culibao. Wood has looked phenomenal since moving up from 135lbs with brilliant performances back to back in 2022 the injury took him out of the March card but a stand out victory in the O2 would surely see Wood break into the rankings. Fili is a UFC veteran with 19 fights in the organisation he comes into London on the back of a split decision win and he will want to build on that with an upset this weekend.
Murphy is undefeated and has faced more hurdles outside the octagon rather than inside. An incredibly tough individual that had his toughest UFC fight in March with a close split decision victory against a replacement opponent. Fans can expect a ferocious fight as Culibao comes in on red hot form on a 3 fight win streak with his only loss coming at lightweight against Jalin Turner who is massive for that division.
Debutants on Display
Mick Parkin and Shauna Bannon make their UFC debuts in London and could make a splash kickstarting their careers in the top MMA promotion. Parkin is an undefeated heavyweight with a 100% finish rate he trains with Tom Aspinall up in the North West in a gym full of killers. He gets his shot on the prelims this weekend against Jamal Pogues who debuted back in February for the UFC with a decision victory.
Shauna Bannon is the sole Irish fighter on the card and is bringing a storm. The strawweight is also undefeated at 5-0 and looks to propel her career to the successes of many of her compatriots that came before her. Across the octagon stands Bruna Brasil who lost her UFC debut in April to Denise Gomes who has really impressed at the start of her UFC career. A certain Irishman skyrocketed to stardom with a victory over a Brazillian in sensational fashion, Bannon will be looking to do the same thing here.
Which British stars are you looking out for in London?
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