5 fighters from the UK who could emulate Michael Bisping and win UFC gold

Could Leon Edwards follow in Michael Bisping's footsteps and claim gold in the octagon?

The UFC is truly a worldwide phenomenon. With that said, it shouldn’t be a surprise that numerous different countries have produced champions in the octagon.

However, only one has come from the UK, Michael Bisping.

Jun4.2016

3 years ago today,

Michael Bisping def. Luke Rockhold to become the first British Champion in UFC history. https://t.co/2tuOh5HX3H

Right now, the UFC has a number of excellent British fighters on its roster, but could one of them emulate Michael Bisping by winning gold inside the octagon?

Naturally, winning a title in the world’s biggest MMA promotion is never likely to be easy, so it could be years before we see another champion from the UK. However, some fighters have more of a shot than others.

Here are five fighters from the UK who could emulate Michael Bisping by becoming a UFC champion.

#5. Tom Aspinall – UFC heavyweight

Tom Aspinall could establish himself as a genuine heavyweight title contender this weekend

This weekend’s UFC Fight Night event is set to take place in London. In the main event, Liverpudlian prospect Tom Aspinall is set to take on Alexander Volkov in a major heavyweight bout.

If Aspinall can overcome his Russian foe this weekend, then he’d extend his record inside the octagon to 5-0. If that happens, it’d be hard not to consider him a genuine contender for the promotion’s heavyweight title.

Right now, it’s probably fair to say that Aspinall hasn’t really been pushed by any of his four foes inside the octagon. In fact, his four wins have all come via stoppage, with just one, his victory over Andrei Arlovski in February 2021, leaving the first round.

Making a name for himself! 🗣

Tom Aspinall submits Arlovski early in RD 2. #UFCVegas19 https://t.co/3Qy5KYSNEr

However, he appears to have genuinely immense talent in all areas. He’s displayed slick striking, particularly with his boxing, and also has a well-renowned ground game, despite only showing flashes of it in the octagon.

So could Aspinall really win the UFC heavyweight title? It certainly won’t be an easy feat for him, given the talent of reigning champion Francis Ngannou.

However, ‘The Predator’ may not actually be with the promotion for much longer, meaning that a large number of fighters will be hoping to stake their claim for the title. A win over Volkov would definitely put Aspinall into that conversation and, given his skills, he’d have every chance of becoming the new titleholder.