The UFC’s second London trip of 2022 has all the makings of a proper sequel.
For English stars Tom Aspinall, Paddy Pimblett, and Molly McCann, the stakes are higher, the challenges greater, and the spotlight is shining brighter on them than ever before. Aspinall headlines Saturday’s show in heavyweight tilt against Curtis Blaydes that could have major title implications with champion Francis Ngannou still out of the picture, Pimblett could see his hype train derailed by the quirky Jordan Leavitt, and McCann has to deliver a worthy follow-up to one of the greatest knockouts in the history of women’s MMA.
For any one of these three, a stumble will certainly cast a shadow over the proceedings. For UFC fans in Britain, a loss by all three could result in the UFC experiencing its lowest point just four months following a Fight Night which was widely celebrated as the best card of the year due to the talent of local talent.
On the other hand, should one or all of those three put on another memorable performance, don’t be surprised if the next time you see them it’s in a big spot on pay-per-view.
In main card action, Chris Curtis, a short-notice replacement, looks to replace Jack Hermansson in the middleweight rankings. Nikita Krylov will welcome Alexander Gustafsson, a three-time UFC champion, back into the light heavyweight division. Paul Craig, meanwhile, puts his six-fight streak unbeaten against Volkan Oezdemir, one-time light-heavyweight title opponent.
What: UFC London
Where: The O2 in London
When: Saturday, July 23. The eight-fight preliminary card begins on ESPN+ at 12 p.m. ET, followed by a six-fight main card on ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET.
(Numbers in parentheses indicate standing in MMA Fighting Global Rankings)
Curtis Blaydes (5) vs. Tom Aspinall (7)
Tom Aspinall, for all that we know could become Francis Ngannou’s next disciple.
Aspinall has been booked perfectly so far. Five finishers in five UFC fights against increasing competition. A mix of equally experienced peers and name veterans. And the veterans he’s finished are as sturdy as they come. Alexander Volkov had not been submitted for over 10 years before he was contacted by Aspinall. Even Andrei Arlovski, who is a shopworn man, has proved to be very sturdy in the last five years. Since being finished by Ngannou in 2017, Arlovski has only failed to go the distance twice in 16 fights: one of those times was against Aspinall. What does this mean for his chances of toppling Curtis Blaydes from his perch in the top 5?
It’s clear that Blaydes would be willing to risk his life to take on one of the fastest rising fighters in the division. Aspinall may be a top-ranked grappler but it’s yet to be seen if he is capable of coping with the elite pressure Blaydes applies to every fight. That’s not to mention Blaydes’ always improving striking. Aspinall has the edge if this one stands, but I’m not giving it away by too much.
The biggest factor in my eyes is that I need to see how Aspinall fares on the defensive. Can he rebound from bad rounds if he doesn’t start fast? On the other side, Blaydes has to avoid slipping on the proverbial banana peel that felled him in pivotal matchups against Ngannou and Derrick Lewis.
I’m going Blaydes by decision, only because I don’t see Aspinall finishing him and Blaydes has an unblemished record when going to the scorecards. Blaydes will do some serious damage using ground-and-pound and Aspinall can show his heart later in rounds.
Pick: Blaydes
Chris Curtis vs. Jack Hermansson (12)
Chris Curtis will soon break into the MMA Fighting Global Rankings.
“The Action Man has been one of MMA’s most memorable stories. The 35-year-old veteran finally got his shot in the UFC after 12 years in the business and he hasn’t looked back since, rattling off three straight wins inside the octagon against a varied set of opponents. Curtis won eight consecutive fights, and now looks more like a contender rather than a fairy tale. The good times will continue to roll on Saturday.
With respect to Jack Hermansson, a stalwart of the 185-pound division, he just lost a decision to Sean Strickland and I consider Curtis to be a superior version of Strickland, who he happens to train with. He has a more diverse arsenal on the feet, better finishing instincts, and his takedown defense is just as stout. This last fact is going to be a problem for Hermansson’s fight, as his best chance to win is to get to the floor. Curtis’s submission defense is excellent, and this makes it seem like the end of “The Joker .”
“.
Hermansson is tough and he’ll keep Curtis on his toes for 15 minutes, but this will be the fight where Curtis erases any doubt that he is a legitimate UFC middleweight contender.
Pick: Curtis
Paddy Pimblett vs. Jordan Leavitt
This one is going to be close and that means either Jordan Leavitt or the majority of the fans at the O2 are leaving bewildered and upset. They are both skilled and well-matched, but I don’t expect them to be dominant.
Leavitt’s whole deal is so unorthodox. He’s difficult to handle in the cage, even with his out-of-control personality and celebrations after fights. Leavitt is a skilled hitter, using his reach to pick his opponent apart. He also has an excellent ground game which he uses when it comes down for close-quarters fighting. Paddy Pimblett enjoys grappling, but it’s not fun to roll with Leavitt. On the other hand, fans could be treated to some entertaining scrambles if they spend the majority of their time on the mat.
I see Pimblett as having the heavier hands in the standup, but Leavitt rarely gets caught with anything clean. Pimblett might catch Leavitt using some powerful winging punches but I don’t think he can land enough consistently to win the fight. The activity and accuracy of Leavitt is going to take him a long way in this fight.
Again, it’s going to be close, but Leavitt spoils the party with a decision win.
Pick: Leavitt
Alexander Gustafsson vs. Nikita Krylov
It’s been a long time (five years!) since Alexander Gustafsson has had his hand raised, but (hear me out) he’s just a better fighter than Nikita Krylov, isn’t he?
Full disclosure: I clearly haven’t let go of the memory of prime Gus. Gustafsson was at his most, pushing Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier until the limits and beating Glover Teixeira & Jan Blachowicz. That’s four guys who held UFC gold at some point. Again, I understand, the Teixeira fight was a long time ago, but it’s easy to rationalize Gustafsson’s slump:
Fabricio Werdum? Terrible opponent for his first heavyweight fight.
Anthony Smith? Anthony Smith is really good!
Jon Jones? Come on, it’s Jon Jones.
The three-fight losing streak now doesn’t seem so terrible, right?
Okay, you aren’t convinced. Krylov has a track record of winning fights, however, that is not the case against light heavyweight champions. I believe that there are still some remnants of Gustafsson. It’s possible that I am wrong, and it is likely.
Gustafsson by knockout.
Pick: Gustafsson
Molly McCann and Hannah Goldy
See what I wrote about Gustafsson. I feel the same way about Molly McCann in regards to Hannah Goldy.
There’s no questioning Goldy’s fitness and physical gifts. She’s about as plus an athlete as you’ll find in MMA and she showed real determination in picking up her first UFC win against Emily Whitmire. It’s a great potential, but it’s not going to be enough against “Meatball .”
“.
McCann’s confidence is through the roof right now, but it’s not just her mental game that’s worthy of praise. Both striking and grappling have improved, and she’s been more aggressive on her feet. She has also sharpened her ground game. McCann will win this match unless Goldy shows a significant improvement from her previous performance.
Pick: McCann
Paul Craig (12) vs. Volkan Oezdemir (15)
Paul Craig is the master of recovering from a bad start. Volkan Oezdemir is a huge threat when he can execute his offense early. There has to be something.
It has been a long time since I gave Craig the benefit the doubt. While I expect Oezdemir to give Craig a beating, I have faith that Oezdemir will be able to deliver one of his signature come-from-behind performances. It might take longer than usual though. Oezdemir has great technique and has only lost to the best in the division. I think Craig belongs among those names and he’ll prove it Saturday.
Watch out for Oezdemir’s hard hits on Craig’s feet, forcing Craig to fight or flight mode. Craig excels at this. The Scotsman simply has no quit in him and he’ll eventually find an opening to bring Oezdemir into his world. From there, it becomes a jiu-jitsu contest and that’s a fight Oezdemir can’t win.
Craig by submission.
Pick: Craig
Preliminaries
Mason Jones def. Ludovit Klein
Marc Diakiese def. Damir Hadzovic
Nathaniel Wood def. Charles Rosa
Makwan Amirkhani def. Jonathan Pearce
Muhammad Mokaev def. Charles Johnson
Kyle Nelson def. Jai Herbert
Mandy Bohm def. Victoria Leonardo
Nicolas Dalby def. Claudio Silva
