5 best active UFC fighters from the UK

#2. Arnold Allen – UFC featherweight contender

Arnold Allen appears to have a good chance of capturing gold inside the octagon

While he’s certainly not the most vocal fighter on the UFC’s roster, there’s no denying that featherweight contender Arnold Allen is one of the most effective. With an MMA record of 18-1 and nine wins in the octagon, ‘Almighty’ is definitely one of the best active fighters to hail from the UK.

For a long time, it looked like Allen was destined to fly under the radar as, despite picking up big wins over the likes of Gilbert Melendez and Nik Lentz, he remained largely on the undercard of the events he was competing on.

However, 2021 saw him given some of the spotlight when he fought Sodiq Yusuff in the co-headliner of the UFC’s second show on the ABC network. When he outpointed ‘Super Sodiq’, it was suddenly hard to ignore him.

Since then, Allen has picked up the biggest win of his career by knocking out Dan Hooker. Given that he’s ranked No.6 in the 145lbs division, it’s easy to imagine him claiming a shot at the UFC featherweight title at some point in the near future.

So could ‘Almighty’ emulate Michael Bisping by winning gold in the octagon? It definitely won’t be easy for him, but he’s got as good a chance as anyone.

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#1. Leon Edwards – UFC welterweight contender

Leon Edwards is currently the best active fighter from the UK

Despite the talents of fighters like Arnold Allen and Tom Aspinall, it’s probably safe to say that the most accomplished active fighter from the UK right now is Leon Edwards. ‘Rocky’ is battle-tested, has beaten plenty of elite fighters, and is likely to compete for the UFC welterweight title in the near future.

It’s not exactly been an easy journey to the top for Edwards, either. When he debuted in the octagon back in 2014, he looked largely like a one-dimensional striker, but his loss in 2015 to current welterweight champ Kamaru Usman seemed to inspire a huge improvement.

Since that loss, ‘Rocky’ has not fallen to defeat again. He’s reeled off nine victories, including huge wins over Nate Diaz, Donald Cerrone and Rafael dos Anjos. The only black mark on his ledger came in a 2021 No Contest with Belal Muhammad following an accidental eye poke.

Overall, Edwards is still an excellent striker, but he’s now capable of punishing opponents from inside the clinch and on the mat too, meaning he’s essentially a fighter with no weaknesses. Can he really beat Usman? That remains to be seen, but right now, he’s definitely the best active fighter from the UK.