After almost two years away, the UFC lastly returns to London.
On Saturday, the UFC returns to the O2 Area for UFC London, and the world’s main promotion isn’t the one factor that’s again. In the principle occasion, former welterweight champion Leon Edwards makes his first return to the octagon since dropping the title to Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 in a pivotal matchup with rising contender Sean Brady.
What’s at stake on this marquee most important occasion matchup and what are a few of the different highlights for the UFC’s journey throughout the pond? MMA Combating’s Alexander Ok. Lee, Mike Heck, and Jed Meshew put their heads collectively break down the largest issues occurring this Saturday in London.
Photograph by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC through Getty Photographs
1. What are Leon Edwards and Sean Brady preventing for on Saturday?
Heck: Their welterweight championship lives, in all probability.
Leon Edwards will get the hometown headliner in his first combat since shedding the title to Belal Muhammad. All the things is on the road for Edwards. A loss is really catastrophic for my part. Why? The UFC didn’t need to give him a championship alternative to start with, however they’d no selection. “Rocky” gained the title in some of the iconic endings to a championship combat in UFC historical past earlier than successful a pair of workman-like choices towards Kamaru Usman within the rematch, and Colby Covington. They gave Muhammad, who the UFC tried to maintain from a title combat so long as potential, and he received it accomplished towards Edwards.
Edwards will get one other combat in his residence nation — not at 6 a.m. native time this time round — nevertheless it’s towards an excellent fighter that doesn’t have an enormous identify. Edwards will most likely not combat for welterweight gold once more with a loss.
For Brady, due to not having that vast identify, he’s basically in the identical place his predecessors are in: He’s going to should win, and win rather a lot earlier than he will get his likelihood. The opposite problem, Muhammad already dominated and completed him. A win over Edwards shortens the trail barely, however a loss knocks him again down the hill, solely to should push the boulder again up. However like all of us say, there’s nothing mistaken being one of many 5 or 10 finest folks on the earth at something.
Meshew: A title eliminator bout.
Other than being a former champion, Edwards can be the No. 1-ranked welterweight within the UFC rankings proper now. Brady, in the meantime, is No. 5 and solely has one loss in his profession, the Muhammad beatdown he suffered. In 95 % of instances, this combat can be an no-doubt-about-it title eliminator matchup. However in fact, this isn’t most instances.
The UFC in 2025 is way from a meritocracy and there are a variety of things at play within the welterweight division. The most important blocker is that it doesn’t matter what occurs on Saturday or at UFC 315 when Muhammad defends his belt towards Jack Della Maddalena, no physique is leaping Shavkat Rakhmonov in line. Shavkat 1000% has dibs on the following title combat, so both Edwards or Brady is caught ready.
On high of the Shavkat drawback, there’s additionally the looming query of Islam Makhachev. The light-weight champion desperately needs to combat for a second title and if Muhammad loses his belt, even cash says the UFC makes it occur instantly, provided that he’s one of many firm’s greatest stars.
So with these type of blockers in entrance of them, it’s extraordinarily probably that whoever wins on Saturday goes to want yet one more win to get a title shot. Luckily for them, there are a few good choices for simply that. Ian Machado Garry and Joaquin Buckley are on the cusp of incomes their very own title fights and so my wager is that the winner of Edwards vs. Brady fights a type of two in an indeniable title eliminator matchup, perhaps at the same time as a assist combat for the inevitable Rakhmonov title shot later this eyar.
Lee: The love and affection of the folks, and ain’t that sufficient?
In truth, Edwards ought to get one other shot at Muhammad if he convincingly beats Brady, which is totally within the realm of chance. The vast majority of followers gained’t be heartbroken if the UFC strikes on from the Muhammad-Edwards rivalry (Conor-Nate, this ain’t), however Edwards was on a prolonged unbeaten streak earlier than shedding the title and coming off of back-to-back wins over Usman. Is it truthful to ask him to climb again to the highest the exhausting method?
Truthful ain’t truthful on this enterprise, as we all know, so I’m solely half kidding once I say one of the best Edwards can hope for is a vigorous response from the London crowd that makes him appear to be a top-tier star on March 22. It nonetheless feels to me like he’s yet one more win away it doesn’t matter what (as Jed mentioned, Shavkat Rakhmonov has dibs), so elevating his Q score with a dominant win over Brady wouldn’t be the worst factor on the earth.
As for Brady, he can actually endear himself to all of us by breaking apart the monotony on the high of the welterweight division. It’s a protracted shot, however the door is open for Brady to make an unlikely breakthrough into the highest 5 of the division.
Photograph by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC through Getty Photographs
2. Are Jan Blachowicz and Carlos Ulberg preventing for a title shot?
Meshew: Oddly sufficient, I believe they’re. Possibly not instantly, however I believe the winner’s subsequent combat is for the belt.
The lighy heavyweight division received shook up in a giant method this previous weekend when Magomed Ankalaev dethroned Alex Pereira. Earlier than that, it was Pereira’s world and the query was whether or not or not he’d transfer to heavyweight. Now? It seems to be like a right away rematch is coming and all talks of heavyweight are out the window.
That’s excellent news for Ulberg and Blachowicz. Sure, they’re caught in line behind Pereira for the following title combat, however after that, there’s not a lot different visitors in the best way. The case is best for Ulberg who, if he wins, can be on an eight-fight win streak and is a few desperately wanted recent blood atop the division. For Blachowicz, it’s maybe much less probably however he’s nonetheless a former champion who gave each Ankalaev and Pereira a few of their hardest fights. If Blachowicz wins and wins impressively on Saturday, I believe the UFC may try to squeeze one final title combat out of the Legendary Polish Energy.
Lee: Yup.
That title rematch is Pereira’s at any time when he needs it, however ought to he determine to take a well-deserved break from motion, that leaves the door huge open for Blachowicz to step via. Blachowicz’s historical past with Ankalaev provides that rematch some juice (the primary combat was good, Dana!), and Ulberg is a simple promote ought to he over come Blachowicz at UFC London. Good-looking man, thrilling preventing type, recent challenger, what extra might the UFC ask for?
Neither man is assured something and I’d lean in the direction of Ulberg benefiting extra from a win than Blachowicz, due to the aforementioned causes, however how the combat performs out will certainly issue into the matchmakers’ determination. If Blachowicz mixes the martial arts to grind out a win or if Ulberg ekes out a slim determination, you possibly can wager they (and Ankalaev) can be simply advantageous ready for that Pereira runback.
Heck: In all probability not with how UFC 313 shook out.
There was loads of discuss in regards to the greatest losers following Magomed Ankalaev’s title win over Alex Pereira, however whereas they might not be the largest, Blachowicz and Ulberg misplaced somewhat bit with the consequence. Had Pereira gained, there was an actual likelihood the winner of this combat received subsequent, however with Ankalaev turning into the primary new champ of 2025, a rematch with Pereira is a close to certainty. And if I needed to guess, that combat most likely doesn’t occur till October in Abu Dhabi. That’s A LOT of time between every now and then to sit down on the sidelines — particularly with large fights like Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree on the books.
Blachowicz misplaced much more than Ulberg did, nonetheless. Dana White hated his first combat with Ankalaev, and I’ve a tough time believing the UFC determination makers will see a lot enchantment for Massive Ank Time vs. Legendary Polish Energy 2. The winner of this combat is in nice place, however they’ll probably should combat once more.
Photograph by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC through Getty Photographs
3. Exterior of the top-2 fights, who’s the fighter to look at?
Lee: Trivia query: Which heavyweight has the longest energetic win streak within the UFC proper now?
I’ll wait.
Sure, you guessed it, it’s “Marvelous” Mick Parkin! Not Tom Aspinall, not Jon Jones, however the large Brit that’s now 4-0 within the UFC and 10-0 as a professional. The hottest fighter at 265 kilos and up (technically he’s tied with “Salsa Boy” Waldo Cortes-Acosta, which simply exhibits you the way scorching the heavyweight division is true now), Parkin can additional separate himself from the pack if he beats veteran contender Marcin Tybura.
Facetious tone apart, there’s a practical likelihood that Parkin challenges for the UFC heavyweight title in 2025. Learn that once more.
Jones is nowhere to be seen, Aspinall will most likely defend towards somebody within the subsequent 4 months, and if Parkin could make it a spectacular six straight wins by summer time, you higher imagine he might meet his countryman in a championship bout within the close to future.
That’s proper, there could also be no UFC London combat with larger stakes than Parkin vs. Tybura.
Heck: I’ll go along with the low hanging fruit with regards to these U.Ok. playing cards and roll with Molly McCann.
“Meatball” is tremendous over on each one in every of these playing cards, and can be one in every of, if not the largest favourite on the slate. Right here’s the unlucky factor for McCann: She was initially booked to face a fighter that’s 0-4 within the UFC, together with three stoppage losses. McCann received a matchup, outdoors of one thing insane, she would most likely win decisively with a bonus-earning end. Now, she will get a more durable combat towards a debutante coming off of a really sturdy win on Dana White’s Contender Sequence.
I doubt McCann’s job is in jeopardy after shedding three of 4, however the lion’s share of perception a bit of the fan base nonetheless has in her will dwindle much more if she drops to 1-4 on this stretch. This can be a large one for McCann, and I, for one, am intrigued by this storyline.
Meshew: Whereas I can’t fault both of my colleagues for his or her decisions, I need to thank them for leaving the fighter I actually wished to speak about to me: Lone’er Kavanagh.
Kavanagh is making his sophomore UFC look following his debut win over Jose Ochoa in November, and we should always all be excited. Kavanagh is a Cage Warriors product from the latest season of Contender Sequence where he was my top-graded prospect. And I’m removed from the one one that is excessive on Kavanagh. The British High Staff product has all of the makings of one thing particular within the flyweight division.
Kavanagh is a bundle of explosive power nevertheless it’s channeled in all the fitting methods. He’s received good mechanics, nice protection, unbelievable kicks, and he by no means will get too far out over his skis. Mainly he has all of the hallmarks of a future title challenger and he’s simply 25 years previous.
And on Saturday he takes on Felipe dos Santos, a good sufficient prospect in his personal proper, and one who has already been thrown to the wolves within the octagon. Dos Santos gave future flyweight title challenger Manel Kape a rattling good run for his cash in his UFC debut and so I count on him to be stiff opposition for among the finest prospects within the sport.
I can’t need for this one.
