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The UFC returns to London this weekend for a big Fight Night event. In the headliner, a former champion returns home in a huge bout.
UFC Fight Night: Leon Edwards vs. Sean Brady is definitely one of 2025's more intriguing Fight Night events thus far, with a number of intriguing fights.
So with a number of big names and hot contenders in action, this should be an event well worth watching.
Here are five questions that could be answered at UFC Fight Night: Leon Edwards vs. Sean Brady.
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#5. Have the UFC just doomed Molly McCann with their matchmaking?
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A week ago, on paper at least, this weekend's most one-sided fight looked to be the strawweight bout between Molly McCann and Istela Nunes.
McCann is both a favorite of the promotion and the fans, particularly in the UK. However, she lost her last fight and is 1-3 in her last four bouts.
Therefore, matching her with Nunes, who had lost all four of her UFC appearances, felt like Dana White and company were throwing her a bone.
However, last week saw Nunes withdraw due to injury. The Brazilian has been replaced by newcomer Alexia Thainara, and while 'Burguesinha' is largely unknown, it's safe to say she might be a tougher out for 'Meatball'.
Sporting a record of 11-1, Thainara has not lost a fight since 2019, and looked strong, if not outstanding, in her appearance on Dana White's Contender Series.
Whether McCann's experience in the octagon can pull her through is a fair question. However, suddenly going from fighting an opponent on a bad slide to one on a big winning streak would be tough for any fighter.
Only time will tell whether this switch in matchmaking will be a bad thing for 'Meatball'.
#4. Does Gunnar Nelson have anything left to offer to the welterweight division?
Perhaps the most curious fight on this weekend's event is the welterweight tilt between Kevin Holland and Gunnar Nelson.
Holland is currently on a real slide, winning just once in his last five bouts, and so he'll be desperate to get his hand raised. However, 'The Trailblazer' may not be the real focus in this bout.
Nelson is riding a two-fight win streak, but he hasn't actually fought since his win over Bryan Barberena almost two years ago.
So does 'Gunni' have anything left to offer at all? In all honesty, it's impossible to say. The Icelandic fighter was once considered one of the hottest prospects in the entire UFC, with a sniper-like striking game and tremendous ground credentials.
However, injuries and untimely losses have meant that he's now become the forgotten man at 170 pounds, and at the age of 36, time is running out.
Nelson at his best might've been favored to beat Holland purely based on the stylistic match. At this stage, though, whether he's able to even be competitive is a fair question, and it's one that will hopefully be answered this weekend.
#3. Can Carlos Ulberg establish himself as the top contender at 205 pounds?
While most of the spotlight this weekend will be on the headline bout between Leon Edwards and Sean Brady, it's arguable that the fighter closest to a UFC title shot is Carlos Ulberg.
'Black Jag' will face former 205-pound champ Jan Blachowicz in this weekend's co-headliner. If he can win, he'll extend his winning streak to eight fights, and should steal Blachowicz's No.3 ranking.
Sure, he may need to wait for Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira to rematch for the title, but realistically, nobody would be ahead of Ulberg in the queue after that.
So can he do it? The native of New Zealand has really developed in the past couple of years, going from a one-dimensional kickboxer to a very dangerous striker with better-rounded skills.
Blachowicz, though, should be his toughest test to date. Ulberg did beat a similar fighter in the form of Volkan Oezdemir last time out, but Blachowicz is bigger, stronger and has a better clinch and grappling game than 'No Time'.
However, Ulberg is confident, younger, and should be fresher, as Blachowicz has not fought in the UFC since losing to Pereira in July 2023, and is also 42 years old.
This is a chance for 'Black Jag' to really break out as a star, and whether he can do it is one of this weekend's most burning questions.
#2. Can Sean Brady follow in the footsteps of Belal Muhammad in the main event?
This weekend's headliner will see former welterweight champ Leon Edwards look to get back into the saddle. Across the octagon from him, though, will be a very dangerous opponent in the form of Sean Brady.
The No.5-ranked welterweight in the UFC, Brady is riding a two-fight win streak and boasts a 7-1 record in the octagon.
Most notably, though, Brady fights a lot like the man who took the welterweight title from Edwards, Belal Muhammad.
Like 'Remember the Name', Brady prefers a stifling grappling game to control his opponents. While he's a willing and much-improved striker, he'll no doubt look to follow Muhammad's blueprint by dragging Edwards down and keeping him there.
Can he do it, though? Brady is almost certainly a better submission artist than Muhammad, but whether he can push the pace in the same way that the current champ does is a fair question.
He did it against Gilbert Burns in a showing that was probably his best to date, but to be frank, Burns is not 'Rocky', who, at his best, is a lethal striker with a highly underrated defensive wrestling game.
If he can pull it off, though, a title shot could well lie in the future for this high-level contender.
#1. Will Leon Edwards put on a better showing at a more familiar time?
The last time Leon Edwards headlined a UFC event in the UK, he was hoping to produce a career-best performance. He'd already defended his welterweight title successfully twice, and had turned back the challenge of former champ Kamaru Usman in London, too.
Against Belal Muhammad, though, 'Rocky' was uncharacteristically flat. Outside of a strong third round, Edwards was stifled and controlled by Muhammad, and ended up losing his title via decision.
So what went wrong for 'Rocky'? It feels odd to suggest he simply came up against a better fighter, as he fended off a better pressure-wrestler than 'Remember the Name' in Usman twice.
One theory was that the timing of the fight caused Edwards to be tired, something that 'Rocky' himself suggested in a post-event interview.
Initially, UFC 304 had been pegged to take place in Salt Lake City, and so when it was switched to London, it meant that the headliner started at around 5am local time, something not ideal for a home fighter like 'Rocky'.
However, it's worth noting that Edwards' win over Usman in London also took place at a similar time, bringing this theory into question.
Either way, we should find out whether this reasoning has some truth this weekend, as Edwards' bout with Brady is due to begin at around 10pm local time.
If 'Rocky' looks back to his best, then maybe he had a point. If he loses in similar fashion, though, he may need to take a long look in the mirror - and go back to the drawing board, too.
