5 fighters who could headline the UFC's July event in London
According to recent reports, which cite Michael Bisping as the main source, the UFC is set to return to London, England for an event this July.
If the UFC does indeed return to London this summer, then who could headline the show? There are a number of fighters who could step into this role, depending on the type of event.
Whether the event will be a major pay-per-view or a Fight Night card remains to be seen, but given that the promotion made two trips to the capital of the UK in 2022, it definitely seems likely to go ahead.
With that considered, here are five fighters who could headline the UFC’s next trip to London.
#5. Leon Edwards – UFC welterweight champion
If the UFC’s return to London in July turns out to be another major pay-per-view event, as their most recent visit was, then only one fighter would make sense as the headliner – current welterweight champ Leon Edwards.
‘Rocky’ defended his title successfully against Kamaru Usman in his first UK-based fight since 2019 earlier this month, cementing himself as the world’s top 170lber. The win also confirmed his spot as probably the best fighter to ever hail from the UK.
If you go by what Dana White says, then Edwards’ next date will come against former interim champion Colby Covington. More importantly, ‘Chaos’ appears to want the fight as soon as possible.
Dana White has every intention of making Leon Edwards against Colby Covington next because Covington "deserves this fight."
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A four-month turnaround for ‘Rocky’ definitely wouldn’t be impossible, and if the promotion throws enough money at him, he’ll almost certainly agree to the fight with Covington – a fight he’s suggested he isn’t all that interested in.
Therefore, Edwards vs. Covington would definitely make sense as the headliner for the next London event, but only if it’s a pay-per-view.
Given that the promotion’s visit to London in July 2022 was a Fight Night event, though, it feels more likely that this upcoming one will be too – and so that may well rule Edwards, as well as the welterweight title, out of the main event slot.
#4. Muhammad Mokaev – UFC flyweight contender
If the UFC’s July event in London does turn out to be a Fight Night event, then the promotion could easily look to create a new UK-based star by picking someone different to headline.
If they do that, then one fighter they could turn to is flyweight prospect Muhammad Mokaev.
‘The Punisher’ was born in Dagestan, Russia, but he’s called the UK his home since the age of 12, making him close to a home country favorite in London.
Mokaev has already fought there thrice, including wins over Cody Durden and Charles Johnson in back-to-back fights in 2022. Since then he’s taken his octagon record to 4-0 with another two wins, finishing both opponents via submission.
‘The Punisher’ is now ranked in the top 15 of the flyweight division, coming in at No.12 after his most recent win over Jafel Filho inside The O2.
@MuhammadMokaev grits it out and gets the finish! WOW! #UFC286HOW ABOUT THE TOUGHNESS OF THE YOUNG PUNISHER!
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That means that the promotion could easily push him into a headline fight that could break him into the top 10, as they’ve done in the UK before with the likes of Tom Aspinall and Darren Till.
Sure, a headline bout between Mokaev and someone like the No.8 Matt Schnell might not be capable of headlining a show. However, if they could put ‘The Punisher’ in there with a name like Alexandre Pantoja, it could definitely work.
A fight like that would be remarkably tricky ones for Mokaev, but if he could win, then a star would definitely be born.
#3. Arnold Allen – UFC featherweight contender
The best featherweight in the UK right now is undoubtedly Arnold Allen. ‘Almighty’ is still unbeaten in the octagon at 10-0, and right now, he’s ranked at No.4 in the division.
Were things slightly different, it might be the native of Ipswich rather than Yair Rodriguez preparing to face Alexander Volkanovski for the undisputed featherweight title right now.
Unfortunately, though, the UFC overlooked him in their recent interim title bout.
Instead, Allen is set to face off against Max Holloway next month in what should be his most challenging fight yet.
Arnold Allen... we CANNOT wait 
Well this bangs 😮💨
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Max Holloway 🆚 Arnold Allen... we CANNOT wait 😍 https://t.co/ClD4cmTKlD
Whether he wins or loses, though, he could definitely wind up in the main event of the UFC’s event in London this July.
Allen is certainly a big enough star at this point, as he’s headlined Fight Night events before, is hugely admired in the UK, and is more than capable of beating anyone in his weight class.
The only issue with regards to him headlining in July could be if he takes serious damage against Holloway, something that isn’t truly out of the realm of possibility.
If he loses a tight call and is ready to go three months later, though – or if he wins and wants to fight again prior to a title shot – then he’d definitely be a potential headliner.
#2. Paddy Pimblett – UFC lightweight contender
While he isn’t as highly ranked as Arnold Allen, Tom Aspinall or even Muhammad Mokaev, it’s probably fair to suggest that lightweight Paddy Pimblett would definitely be a viable headliner for July’s UFC event in London.
‘The Baddy’, who debuted in the octagon back in late 2021, has quickly become a sensation of sorts, particularly with UK-based fans. It’s arguable, in fact, that he might be more popular than even Leon Edwards with casual fans.
At one point, Pimblett appeared to be on a straight road up into the rankings at 155 pounds. Last summer saw him pick up his biggest win to date, whitewashing Jordan Leavitt in London in front of his home fans and taking his octagon record to 3-0.
However, his win over Jared Gordon in December was highly controversial, with many fans believing that he didn’t really deserve the nod. Since then, he hasn’t fought, largely thanks to an ankle injury that recently resulted in surgery.
Paddy Pimblett has undergone surgery on his damaged ankle
talksport.com/sport/mma/1354…
Dana White has suggested that ‘The Baddy’ will not be ready to return until October, but nobody is really certain how long his injury will take to recover from.
Therefore, if the carrot of a headline slot in front of his home fans in London was offered, there's definitely a chance that Pimblett could work towards an earlier return.
Whether the UFC would want him to rematch Gordon or whether they’d pair him with someone else would be a fair and intriguing question to ask.
Either way, though, Pimblett would be a more than viable headliner for this show, and his presence in the main event would make it a must-see affair.
#1. Tom Aspinall – UFC heavyweight contender
Last year’s UFC events in London were both headlined by the same fighter – heavyweight prospect Tom Aspinall. It’s safe to say that his two bouts couldn’t have gone much differently.
Aspinall’s first headliner in London saw him submit perennial contender Alexander Volkov in what was his most impressive showing to date.
When he returned in July, though, he blew out his knee just 15 seconds into his bout with Curtis Blaydes, resulting in a TKO defeat.
Gutting scenes, and we're all wishing Tom Aspinall a speedy recovery. 👏
@RazorBlaydes265 gets the win, but not how anyone would've wanted it. #UFCLondon https://t.co/4bL56mtw6H
The native of Liverpool has not fought since, but he remains ranked at No.5 in the division, meaning he’s still both a viable title contender and a viable headliner for Fight Night events.
Bouts with the likes of Ciryl Gane, Tai Tuivasa and Sergei Spivak could all make sense for Aspinall and they could all work as a potential headliner for July’s London show, too.
The only question, really, is whether Aspinall will be ready for that date after such a bad knee injury. However, the most recent report on the prospect suggested he’s aiming for a summer comeback – meaning that a fight in July could be perfect.