Everyone wants to know what’s happening and if we are going to see UFC in London this year. The fans are eagerly awaiting news about what to expect in 2022. Let’s hope it will be an epic journey, and as exciting as jumping at the chance to play at the PlayCroco online casino.
Over the last twenty years London has proved to be a mainstay for the UFC. No matter what else is going on, London is still one of the most reliable destinations for fights, more so than any other country in Europe. Now we are well into 2022 and the first London event to be officially announced by the UFC is scheduled for 19th March. The excitement can finally begin to build, and fans are now officially able to get excited.
The history of the UFC in London
Starting with the UFC 38 at the Royal Albert Hall in 2002, the UFC has put on 11 different events in London. It did take some time for them to return to London after 2002, some five years, but since returning there has been a London event or some other UK event taking place on an annual basis.
During the months of March and April, between the years 2016 and 2019, the UFC had a steady slot for London. This consistency saw blockbuster sessions, such as with Michael Bisping verses Anderson Sila and Darren Till verses Jorge Masvidal. The events attracted a boisterous and often capacity crowd.
So why haven’t we seen the UFC in London in the last couple of years?
2019 saw the last UFC event which headlined Till verses Masvidal. The next promotion planned was for the following year, another big event headed by Leon Edwards verses Tyron Woodley. And then of course we were all taken unawares by the Covid 19 pandemic which made travelling impossible because of all the restrictions. The London events did not take place. And even in the United States, the UFC did try to make things happen but it just wasn’t possible.
And then in September of 2021, the UFC made an attempt to return once again. Lots of UK based fighters were on the ticket, which included Darren Till and Paddy Pimblett but unfortunately this too wasn’t to be and talks fizzled out because of the many Covid 19 restrictions that were still being enforced.
Dana White put together the UFC London 2022
UFC president, Dana White gave a pre-UFC 268 interview to BT Sport, and spoke about the forthcoming UFC London 2022. He said “When London is up and running and ready to roll again, you know me, I wanna be the first one in there. Since day one here, England has been a big part of this company. We went over there and started putting on fights as soon as we could. I think our first trip was in 2002. We’ve found nothing but fun fighters from there ever since.”
Meanwhile a potential date has been hinted at by Tom Aspinall. Not only did he intimate that the UFC would be returning in Q1 2022 but he is also scheduled to fight against Shamil Abdurakhimov on 19th March. It could well be that those hints were teasers for UFC fans.
Plans for UFC London event and first fight now confirmed by Dana White
So, on January 14, Dana White spoke with Adam Catterall of BT Sport and gave him an update of what to expect and UFC fans can begin to get excited. He said “We will be coming to London. We’re gonna figure London out. We will come to London. We’ve got big things coming to the UK over the next couple of years, so I’m really excited about it.”
The first card seems to be official. Dana White, speaking on the Dave Portnoy show announced that Paddy Pimblett will fight Jared Gordon in London on 19th March.
The main event UFC London – a heavyweight
On 21st January the UFC announced that a heavyweight stint would headline their main London 2022 fight night event. Tom Aspinall, a rising star from Salford will come up against his biggest challenge when he fights against the tough Russian veteran, Alexander Volkov.
Let’s compare: Aspinall verses Volkov
In the UFC, Aspinall has an undefeated 4-0 record. Three of these triumphs, including the one against Sergey Spivac came via TKO. The other victory was by submission against Andrei Arlovski. Aspinall has a background in boxing which makes his striking a valuable tool, and his rapid speed means it is hard for opponents to see a shot coming. However, Volkov is a formidable opponent.
Volkov has won three out of four of his last fights. He only lost to Ciryl Gane, the interim heavyweight champion. Volkov has a slight reach advantage over Aspinall and will try to cause damage to him while at the same time keeping his distance. He also has some technical striking ability which he will try to use to his advantage. He also has experience when it comes to the pressure involved in headlining an event which makes him a tough challenge for Aspinall.
Both fighters will likely prefer to battle it out on their feet. Both have striking ability and this is likely to be the preferred focus of attack. Both fighters have a good number of victories in their careers, so from an entertainment perspective, fans have much to look forward to with this fight.
So, looking ahead…
On March 19, Paddy Pimblett will be fighting. Molly McCann and Jake Hadley, flyweights, may also be on the ticket.
Tickets for the event will go on sale February 4. This is going to be a memorable event for UK fans and likely to be a full capacity event. Tickets will be highly valued and strongly sought after.