After 3-years away from London, England, the UFC will make its highly anticipated return to Europe.
On Wednesday, the company announced the news via social media and added that an event is slated for Feb. 19, set to take place in the infamous O2 Arena. Tickets for the show go on sale on Feb. 4. This will be the first UFC event in London since having a Fight Night event on March 16, 2019.
The show was a notable one indeed as Jorge Masvidal lit his name on fire after scoring a shuffle step knockout against the hometown favorite Darren Till. Of course, this event also birthed the three-piece and a soda moment with Leon Edwards who intends to challenge the champion, Kamaru Usman, for a second time later this year, according to Dana White.
UFC Back At The O2 Arena In London On Feb. 19
The UFC took to social media to share the news and confirmed that a show will be happening on March 19. While it appears many of the fights on this particular card aren’t finalized, all signs point to that happening very soon.
🚨 #UFCLondon CONFIRMED! 🇬🇧
After three years away the Octagon returns to the O2 Arena on March 19! 🤩
Mark your calendars! pic.twitter.com/kY45vjYCgL
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) January 19, 2022
Dana White recently announced that Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett is set to return in London against fellow lightweight Jared Gordon. Pimblett entered the UFC in 2021, and his first fight with the promotion was a thrilling one.
The Scouser faced Luigi Vendramini and while he faced adversity after getting stunned on the feet, it was Pimblett’s aggression in the end that got the job done. After finishing Vendramini with strikes at the end of the first round, the young prospect became one of the company’s fastest rising stars.
Pimblett became a dual-weight world champion in Cage Warriors, and it’s clear his impact on the sport continues to multiply given his unique ability to promote his own fights.
How it started…how it’s going…@PaddyTheBaddy #scousersdontgetknockedout pic.twitter.com/27jz6bAaAs
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) October 8, 2021
With Paddy Pimblett recently signing a promotional deal with Barstool Sports, it appears the Scouser is headed for big things as we enter the first quarter of 2022. While a fight with Jared Gordon was announced by Dana White himself, “The Baddy” and his team have immediately refuted claims that he is fighting Gordon on Feb. 19. As of this writing, the bout has yet to be finalized.
On March 21, 2020, the UFC had plans to return to London, England. The show was to feature Leon Edwards taking on former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley but the bout never materialized due to the growing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you were Dana White, which UFC fight is a must-see at the London, England UFC event?