Tom Aspinall will get his second consecutive UK headliner, this time facing top-5 heavyweight Curtis Blaydes.
On March 19, the MMA leader took over The O2 in England’s capital. On the show were some of the best fighters the UK has to offer, and boy did they deliver.
From Muhammad Mokaev’s memorable debut and Tom Aspinall’s main event submission to a showcase of Liverpudlian talent courtesy of Molly McCann and Paddy Pimblett, UFC London will certainly be in the discussion for ‘Event of the Year’ come the end of 2022.
Now, the city will have the chance to add a second blockbuster event to the discussion in a few months’ time.
On Thursday, the promotion officially confirmed that the second iteration of UFC London in 2022 is indeed set for July 23, with tickets slated to go on sale late next month.
It was SOOOO good we're doing it again!
We're back at #UFCLondon on Sat 23 July! Don't miss out! Register now for early access to tickets
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) April 28, 2022
Saturday, multiple sources confirmed Ariel Helwani’s report that Aspinall will be facing Curtis Blaydes to headline the event.
Aspinall is ranked #6 after his submission victory over Alexander Volkov at UFC London. His upcoming opponent, #4-ranked Curtis Blaydes has won two straight fights, including a very impressive TKO victory over Chris Daukaus last month to take home Performance of the Night.
This announcement comes shortly after news broke of Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa meeting this fall. Jon Jones has also hinted at a fight against Stipe Miocic in September. With this pairing between Aspinall and Blaydes now locked in, there is now a clear direction for the heavyweight contenders as champion Francis Ngannou recovers from knee surgery.
Elsewhere on this card, Mokaev and McCann, who both had their hand raised on the memorable March 19 card, both look set to feature again. The Dagestani-Brit’s sophomore outing is already confirmed for July 23 and will see him go up against promotional newcomer Charles Johnson.
Meanwhile, “Meatball” Molly teased her own return on Instagram earlier this week. After revealing she’d “got the call, signed the contract,” the Liverpool native told fans she’d see them at the end of July.
Also, English bantamweight prospect Nathaniel Wood, who was pulled from the previous UFC London card after both Liudivik Sholinian and replacement opponent Vince Morales withdrew, looks set to finally make his walk in front of his home crowd. The 28-year-old recently posted training footage on social media, with a caption that simply said, “July.”
Are you excited for the UFC’s second trip to London this year on July 23?
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