UFC Fight Night 147: 10 memorable moments from the UFC's previous shows in the UK
The UFC returns to the UK this weekend for UFC Fight Night 147: Till vs. Masvidal, and with plenty of exciting-sounding fights up and down the card, the fans attending in London will be hoping to see something special. If history is anything to go by, the odds of something big going down seem pretty good, as over the years, the UFC’s UK shows have provided plenty of memorable moments.
From the promotion’s debut at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 2002 to their return to the country in Manchester in 2007, all the way through to their most recent visit to Liverpool in May 2018, UK fans have witnessed emotional, violent and wild incidents inside the Octagon – and here are 10 of the best.
#10: Manuwa sparks out Anderson – UFC Fight Night 107 – 03/18/2017
The UFC’s visit to London in March 2017 for Fight Night 107 didn’t exactly come with a lot of fanfare – a perceived weak card on paper was met with apathy from the fans in the UK as well as worldwide, particularly when the main event was announced – a Light-Heavyweight fight between semi-contenders Jimi Manuwa and Corey Anderson.
Thankfully though, the show was hugely exciting – far better in execution than it sounded on paper – and in the main event, London’s own Manuwa delivered one of the best knockouts of the year to send the fans in attendance home happy. Anderson came in as the prohibitive favourite, largely due to his vaunted wrestling game, but Manuwa shut that down inside a round – and then shut Anderson’s lights off with a vicious left hook.
The knockout remains arguably Manuwa’s best victory in his 11-fight UFC career, and the quality of the show as a whole reaffirmed Dana White’s belief that fans can’t judge a show on paper.