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A number of English UFC fighters will step into the spotlight this Saturday when the promotion comes to London. The country has produced some popular stars in the sport but there has only ever been one champion from England. That came in 2016 when Michael Bisping defeated Luke Rockhold.
Since then, however, no Englishman has been able to replicate the feat, despite a number of prospects trying to step up to the plate. Several of them will be in action this Saturday, including the likes of Tom Aspinall, Arnold Allen and Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett.
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There are also other successful English fighters that will not be competing this Saturday. With that in mind, here are the five best English UFC fighters on the roster today:
#5. Paddy Pimblett - UFC lightweight
Paddy Pimblett may have only had one fight in the promotion thus far but he has certainly made quite the name for himself already. He burst onto the scene with an impressive first-round finish of Luigi Vendramini in September. His vibrant personality outside the cage has also earned him a huge fanbase already.
Pimblett might appear to be a flash-in-the-pan success given his octagon debut, but, in truth, he has been paying his dues in Cage Warriors for some time. In that promotion, 'The Baddy' won the featherweight title before moving up to 155 lbs where he currently competes.
Pimblett has an impressive skillset, possessing both dangerous striking whilst also carrying a surprising submission threat. He will have the chance to take center stage once again this Saturday when he faces Rodrigo Vargas. A win in front of his home fans could see his stardom rise significantly once again.
#4. Tom Aspinall - UFC heavyweight contender
Tom Aspinall will compete in his first UFC main event this Saturday against the no. 6 ranked Alexander Volkov. A win for Aspinall over the Russian would be huge and could even earn him a spot in the title conversation. The English heavyweight is a perfect 4-0 inside the octagon and has finished each of his opponents.
Aspinall is a powerful striker, but is more well-rounded than the average heavyweight on the roster. He showcased this when he submitted former champion Andrei Arlovski back in early 2021. With that being said, Volkov will comfortably be his biggest challenge to date.
It's a little tough to tell just how good Aspinall is at the moment, given just how one-sided each of his octagon bouts have been thus far. If he is able to beat Volkov this weekend, however, he will cement his status as one of the best heavyweights on the planet.
#3. Darren Till - UFC middleweight
He may not be at the top of this list, but Darren Till is likely the most loved English fighter on the roster. The popular middleweight has previously challenged for the welterweight title but is currently competing at 185 lbs. While he has been largely successful in his career, Till is currently experiencing a dip in form.
Till has lost four of his last five bouts inside the octagon, although admittedly each of these fights were against world-class opponents. With that being said, if he is to realize his goal of claiming championship gold, he will have to turn things around in a hurry.
While things may not currently be going his way, Till has proven his class with wins over the likes of Stephen Thompson and Kelvin Gastelum. His next fight will be very important to the trajectory of his career as he cannot afford to lose three straight fights. Should he win, however, he'll be right back among the world's best.
#2. Arnold Allen - UFC featherweight contender
Arnold Allen may fly somewhat under the radar in the UFC, but he just might be England's best bet at winning gold. Allen is undefeated inside the octagon, having gone 8-0 since joining the promotion. He will have the chance to add to his resume when he welcomes Dan Hooker back to the featherweight division this Saturday.
Allen is different to a number of his English peers on the roster in that he employs a grappling-heavy approach in his fights. While this may have caused him to have less entertaining bouts at times, it has served him very well in terms of picking up wins.
If Allen can add another win to his current streak on Saturday, he will suddenly become a big-time player at 145 lbs. With plenty of exciting match-ups awaiting him in the division's top five, it will be interesting to see just how far he can go.
#1. Leon Edwards - UFC welterweight contender
You only need to look at Leon Edwards' current undefeated streak to see just how good he is. Edwards has not lost in his last 10 fights and now appears set to challenge Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title. Interestingly, his most recent loss also came at the hands of the current champion.
Edwards most recently added Nate Diaz to his list of impressive wins. The most impressive of which was likely his one-sided decision win over Rafael dos Anjos in 2019. He is also ready to take on all-comers and has previously agreed to bouts with Khamzat Chimaev and Jorge Masvidal which ultimately fell through.
With that being said, it will obviously be incredibly difficult for Edwards to defeat the number one pound-for-pound fighter in Kamaru Usman. A win would be a significant upset not dissimilar to the one we witnessed from Michael Bisping the last time an Englishman won UFC gold.
