5 underrated fights to watch on UFC London
The UFC is back in London for its first international event in 2022. Another fight night, another incredibly stacked card. Headlined by seasoned striker Alexander Volkov and a promising contender in Tom Aspinall, the O₂ arena has a lot in store for March 19.
Dan Hooker explains why his #UFCLondon fight with Arnold Allen is a "win-win situation" for the UFC.
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As always, some great fights will be flying under that radar in this well-put-together event. Heavyweight prospects put a capstone on the night right after Dan Hooker returns to featherweight against the dark horse of the division, Arnold Allen -- it's easy to skim the rest of the card with such exciting fights to look forward to.
Equally exciting as the titular fight is the sophomore outing for England's own Paddy Pimblett. Between the English fighters and the superb matchmaking, fans in attendance will have a lot to cheer for from the first introduction to the final interview of the night.
Although there is so much to look forward to on this card, there's so much more depth in terms of scraps to keep an eye out for. Here are five underrated fights to watch on UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall:
#5. Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Sergei Pavlovich - UFC London prelim bout
A combined 20 wins by KO/TKO between Abdurakhimov and Pavlovich makes for a bout that'll place fans on the edge of their seats. Pavlovich is making his fourth appearance in the UFC.
Going 2-1 in the UFC, his only professional loss was when he took on a very difficult task in Alistair Overeem for his UFC debut. Since this first and only set back, he tied together two wins via first-round finish.
BOOM!!! Sergei Pavlovich damas y caballeros!!! #UFCStPetersburg 🇷🇺 https://t.co/FCe2r1WKeV
'Abrek' is a different story, however. He's looking to turn himself around from the two-fight skid that he's found himself in. While the back-to-back losses don't look great, the quality of opponents that he's succumbed to should abolish any uncertainty in Abdurakhimov's place in the organization -- he has quality wins and has only lost to top contenders.
With Pavolovich looking to continue his winning ways and Abdurakhimov with his back in a corner, this is a going to be a battle. It's also worth noting that 'Abrek' is 11 years his opponent's elder. Along with this bout being a potential slugfest, this could easily allude to a breath of fresh air at heavyweight, a division that could always use some new contenders. Whether fans are looking for the next wave of talent or are simply searching for violence, this fight should cover either of those bases.