The UFC returns to London for a rare appearance on British shores, with Tom Aspinall taking on heavyweight Alexander Volkov in the main event. You’d have to go back three years to find the last time we saw the leading Mixed Martial Arts franchise set foot in London — Jorge Masvidal forcing a second-round stoppage against Darren Till. And as the capital welcomes Dana White and co, there are plenty of talking points from the Octagon ahead of the event.
The card is littered with a plethora of British talent, fighting at a variety of weight classes, and the betting on sports UK will find it hard to call a winner due to the sports unpredictability. Read on, as we look at some of the biggest discussions ahead of UFC London.
Paddy Pimblett sure to entertain
One of the freshest faces in the company’s new look roster is Liverpool’s Paddy Pimblett. Having impressed as part of Cage Warriors, he signed with the UFC, debuting in September where he preserved his unbeaten streak. ‘The Baddy’ takes on Mexican Kazula Vargas in London, with the 36-year-old looking to cause an upset in the lightweight division. Pimblett may have plenty of jokes and be slick on the mic, which has drawn comparisons to Conor McGregor, but thus far he’s backed up everything he’s said he’ll do, and it won’t be long before we see him crop up in discussions for Charles Oliveira’s title.
Tom Aspinall has plenty to prove
At 28, things have fallen perfectly into place for Tom Aspinall in the UFC so far, but having easily dispatched of Sergey Spivak, he faces more formidable opposition in his first main event against Alexander Volkov. The Russian was beaten by Ciryl Gane in June before a win against Marcin Tybura set up a bout with Aspinall. The Salford-born heavyweight has certainly been confident in the build up to this one, and is relishing the chance to fight in front of the London crowd.
“How many chances do you get like this in this life? You have no idea,” he said: “You’ve got to take these opportunities when they present themselves, and it’s going to be an epic night, I’m sure. [The location] is a big part of why I couldn’t say no to it.”
With Aspinall’s aggressive fight style, he’ll want to keep his unbeaten record intact and get things done as quickly as possible, whilst still savouring the ravenous atmosphere from the home crowd.
Luana Carolina will be a worthy opponent for Molly McCann
The women’s flyweight division is more competitive than ever in the UFC, with Molly McCann set to fight in London against Luana Carolina. She earnt Fight of the Night back in September after beating Ji Yeon Kim via unanimous decision, but two losses before that mean she is certainly inconsistent. If the right version of McCann turns up, and she avoids rashly diving into strikes and takedowns, she should come out on top, but will certainly face a challenge from her Brazilian opponent.
Carolina is as methodical as she is deadly, although she has struggled to put fights to bed, going to distance in her last two wins. Expect this one to be dragged out and gruelling, something McCann’s explosive style will really struggle with towards the later rounds.
