5 European fighters who have a legitimate chance to become UFC champion

#2 Leon Edwards - UFC welterweight

Of all the fighters featured on this list, Leon Edwards is arguably the most deserving of a title shot. In his last ten fights, Edwards has nine wins and one no contest, all against UFC opponents.

Edwards was admittedly born in Jamaica but has been raised in Birmingham, England since the age of nine and thus represents both countries. He is currently the UK's next hope of having a fighter wearing UFC gold.

Edwards holds wins over some of the UFC's top athletes, including Rafael dos Anjos, Gunnar Nelson and Donald Cerrone. In his most recent fight, Edwards competed against Nate Diaz in a five-round brawl. Edwards dominated the fight and picked up a unanimous decision victory.

This win arguably should have led to Edwards being given the next shot at the 170lb champion, Kamaru Usman. However, Dana White has stated that it will be Colby Covington who next fights for gold. Edwards may have to compete once more in order to solidify his status as the number one contender in the welterweight division.

#1 Ciryl Gane - UFC heavyweight

Ciryl Gane has looked nothing short of dominant since joining the UFC in 2019. The Frenchman holds an undefeated record of 9-0 with six wins coming inside the UFC. He is not a one-dimensional fighter either, with his wins coming by way of all manner of stoppages. Finishes by way of heel hook, elbow and arm triangle are all on Gane's record.

However, Gane has also shown that he is more than capable of taking a fight into deep waters. His last two fights, against Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alexander Volkov, ended in the form of unanimous decision victories, both in Gane's favor.

After the Volkov win, Gane called for a title shot against his former training partner Francis Ngannou. With France recently legalizing MMA, the UFC are looking to hold their first event in Paris. Gane vs. Ngannou would be the perfect debut for the UFC on French soil.