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UFC president Dana White has already confirmed that the world’s leading MMA promotion will be returning to the UK in 2022, regardless of the pre-arragned schedule.
This news comes off the back of a massively successful event in London, headlined by British heavyweight Tom Aspinall, who submitted established veteran Alexander Volkov in the first round.
The event was packed from top to bottom with local talent, many of whom put on absolutely outstanding performances. Thus, in the following list, we will take a look at five fights that could potentially headline the next UK card. Honorable mentions go to Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane and Darren Till vs. Jack Hermansson.
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#5. Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett vs. Ilia 'El Matador' Topuria - UFC lightweight bout
Paddy Pimblett may only have two fights in the UFC so far, but 'The Baddy' already has one of the biggest followings in the sport right now. At UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall, Pimblett picked up his second consecutive first-round finish, submitting Rodrigo Vargas via rear-naked choke.
On the same card, Georgia's Ilia Topuria knocked out former Cage Warriors lightweight champion Jai Herbert with a brutal combination in the second round. Both men were handed post-fight bonuses for their highlight-reel finishes.
Typically, this fight would not make the most sense. Topuria is a natural featherweight who was forced to move up to 155 lb after a botched weight cut earlier in the year.
However, there is legitimate bad blood between Pimblett and Topuria. The two men have been going back and forth on social media for some time now, and it finally came to a head when they ran into each other in the fighter hotel before UFC London. In a clip that has since gone viral, Topuria can be seen throwing a punch, while Pimblett hurls a bottle of hand sanitzer at the Georgian.
Watch the altercation between Topuria and Pimblett below:
#4. Paul 'Bearjew' Craig vs. Anthony 'Lionheart' Smith - UFC light heavyweight bout
Immediately after submitting Nikita Krylov, Scotland's Paul Craig called for a main event fight against Anthony Smith to be held in Glasgow. The UFC has not held an event in Scotland since 2017. Now would be an ideal time to hold one, with Craig the closest thing to a Scottish title contender since Joanne Wood missed out on her chance to fight Valentina Shevchenko.
Should Anthony Smith not be available, with rumors of a fight between him and Magomed Ankalaev abundant, then Craig has also stated that he would be just as happy with a bout against former title challenger Thiago Santos.
An event in Scotland would also be an ideal chance to give rising prospect Casey O'Neill a main card fight as she continues her ascent up the flyweight rankings, maybe even against fellow Scotswoman, Joanne Wood.
#3. Arnold 'Almighty' Allen vs. Calvin Kattar - UFC featherweight bout
Another victor from the recent London event, Arnold Allen now holds a nine-fight win streak in the UFC. Allen defeated Dan Hooker via standing knockout, much to the delight of the home crowd.
He then jumped on the mic and called out No. 5-ranked featherweight Calvin Kattar. The American's team has already responded, stating that it is a fight they would be interested in taking.
Calvin Kattar has headlined the past three cards in which he has featured, and there is no reason why a fight with Allen should not be enough to serve as the main event for the the promotion's next venture to the UK.
#2. Darren 'The Gorilla' Till vs. Uriah 'Primetime' Hall - UFC middleweight bout
Darren Till vs. Uriah Hall was initially rumored to be the main event of the UFC's return to London. Ultimately, Till's teammate Tom Aspinall took the headline slot as Till continues to train with Khamzat Chimaev.
However, the Liverpudlian did make it over to London to corner his teammate and took part in a pre-fight fan Q&A alongside John Gooden. During the Q&A, Till took the time to ask the crowd to shout "F*** Uriah Hall", to which they happily obliged.
Hall is admittedly already booked to fight Andre Muniz in April. Depending on how this contest plays out, an opponent like Jack Hermansson or Sean Strickland might make more sense for 'The Gorilla'.
#1. Tom Aspinall vs. Tai 'Bam Bam' Tuivasa - UFC heavyweight bout
After Tom Aspinall submitted Alexander Volkov in front of the home crowd at the O2 Arena, Tai Tuivasa was the first name on his lips. Both Aspinall and Tuivasa are fan favorites and will no doubt put on an epic display in a main event fight in front of UK fans.
Tuivasa has been hoping for an interim title fight against Stipe Miocic, but the former heavyweight champion does not seem interested in bouts outside of a trilogy matchup with Francis Ngannou.
A clash between Aspinall and Tuivasa may well act as a No. 1-contender's fight, setting up the winner to either fight Francis Ngannou for the title or, should 'The Predator' run out his contract, a matchup for the vacant title.
