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The UFC are currently targeting a Fight Night event to be held in London, England, this coming September. The card is set to be headlined by Liverpudlian middleweight Darren Till, who'll take on Derek Brunson.
Several other British fighters have already announced they will be competing on the card, including Nathaniel Wood, Paul Craig and Lerone Murphy. However, the event is still far from complete, and there are undoubtedly many more names that will be announced in the near future.
In the following list we will detail five fighters that fans from the United Kingdom would love to see compete on the planned upcoming UFC London Fight Night card. Honorable mentions go to Joanne Calderwood, who is coming off a tough three-round war with Lauren Murphey, as well as Cory McKenna, who picked up an impressive debut win over Kay Hansen in 2020.
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#5 Mason Jones - UFC lightweight
Mason 'The Dragon' Jones is a top 155-pound prospect hailing from Wales. He has had a somewhat rough entry into the UFC since signing for the promotion at the start of the year. A fight of the night performance against Mike Davis saw the Welshman come out on the wrong side of the judges' scorecards in what was a very close contest.
He made his second appearance in June, facing off against Alan Patrick. Jones looked nothing short of sensational in the fight, coming incredibly close to finishing his opponent. However, an accidental eye poke gave Patrick the chance to bow out of the fight, leaving Jones with a current UFC record of 0-1-1.
A fight in front of home fans would be the perfect chance for Jones to kickstart his UFC career and put him on the path to the top 15. He has already indicated in several interviews that a fight in September would be his ideal timeframe for his UFC return.
#4 Jack Shore - UFC bantamweight
Yet another Welshman features on the list with undefeated UFC bantamweight Jack Shore. Similar to Jones, Shore made his way up through the Cage Warriors regional circuit. Since entering the UFC, 'Tank' has extended his record to 13-0.
He has picked up wins over Nohelin Hernandez, Aaron Phillips and, most recently, Hunter Azure. Shore is now likely nearing the point where another win should mean he has a number next to his name. A fight with a fellow prospect on the cusp of breaking into the top 15 such as Ricky Simon, Said Nurmagomedov or Trevin Jones, would be a great spectacle for fans of the UK to watch.
#3 Arnold Allen - UFC featherweight
Arnold Allen has been quietly moving up the UFC's 145-pound divisional rankings even since joining the organization in 2015. He most recently put on an incredible performance against a fellow top prospect in Sodiq Yusuff. The fight took place in April 2021, and Allen's decision victory saw him move up to sixth in the featherweight rankings.
Allen will likely be ready to compete by September. However, the only issue might be finding an opponent with a similar ranking to him. Yair Rodriguez may be an option considering Max Holloway dropped out of their fight that was initially scheduled for July. Alternatively, Calvin Kattar, Dan Ige and Josh Emmett may all be options depending on their levels of fitness.
#2 Tom Aspinall - UFC heavyweight
Twelth-ranked UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall would appear to be the perfect candidate to place on a UFC London card, especially with it being headlined by Darren Till. Aspinall and Till are teammates and close friends, both training at Team Kaobon.
Aspinall has looked sensational since signing for the UFC. His first two performances both ended by way of first-round KO/TKO wins and were followed up by a submission finish of former champ Andrei Arlovski in February.
He is now looking to break into the heavyweight top ten. A potential matchup with Chris Daukaus would have been ideal, with both men surging up the rankings. However, Daukaus has been matched up with Shamil Abdurakhimov, leaving Aspinall somewhat stranded in limbo.
A fight against Marcin Tybura would be a solid option considering both men are from Europe, although Tyrbura is unlikely to want to face an opponent outside of the top 10. Sergey Spivac, Sergei Pavlovich or Blagoy Ivanov may make more sense.
#1 Paddy Pimblett - UFC featherweight/lightweight
That's right, the number one pick is a fighter yet to even make his first walk to the UFC octagon. We're not even certain which weight class he will compete in. Such is the anticipation that combat sports fans have in regards to Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett's UFC debut.
Pimblett is another fighter to have competed for Cage Warriors. He amassed a 16-3 record for the European promotion, capturing the lightweight belt along the way. Pimblett has a huge following in the UK, in equal parts due to his fighting style, ability on the mic and signature look.
Pimblett has repeatedly hinted that he will make his UFC debut at UFC London, although no official announcement has yet been made. Jared Gordon was Pimblett's initial target, though he has now been scheduled to face a different opponent. However, this at least gives us some notion as to what division Pimblett will compete in, considering Gordon is a featherweight.
Herbert Burns is another name that Pimblett has mentioned and there is no doubt that there are many more fighters who would relish the chance to welcome 'The Baddy' to the octagon.
