5 fights that could headline the UFC's next trip to the UK
UFC president Dana White has already confirmed that the world’s leading MMA promotion will be returning to the UK in 2022, regardless of the pre-arragned schedule.
This news comes off the back of a massively successful event in London, headlined by British heavyweight Tom Aspinall, who submitted established veteran Alexander Volkov in the first round.
The event was packed from top to bottom with local talent, many of whom put on absolutely outstanding performances. Thus, in the following list, we will take a look at five fights that could potentially headline the next UK card. Honorable mentions go to Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane and Darren Till vs. Jack Hermansson.
#5. Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett vs. Ilia 'El Matador' Topuria - UFC lightweight bout
Paddy Pimblett may only have two fights in the UFC so far, but 'The Baddy' already has one of the biggest followings in the sport right now. At UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall, Pimblett picked up his second consecutive first-round finish, submitting Rodrigo Vargas via rear-naked choke.
On the same card, Georgia's Ilia Topuria knocked out former Cage Warriors lightweight champion Jai Herbert with a brutal combination in the second round. Both men were handed post-fight bonuses for their highlight-reel finishes.
Typically, this fight would not make the most sense. Topuria is a natural featherweight who was forced to move up to 155 lb after a botched weight cut earlier in the year.
However, there is legitimate bad blood between Pimblett and Topuria. The two men have been going back and forth on social media for some time now, and it finally came to a head when they ran into each other in the fighter hotel before UFC London. In a clip that has since gone viral, Topuria can be seen throwing a punch, while Pimblett hurls a bottle of hand sanitzer at the Georgian.
Watch the altercation between Topuria and Pimblett below:
Ilia Topuria & Paddy Pimblett have a heated altercation ahead of UFC London
https://t.co/05f4igYbAC