The UFC will be returning to Manchester before the year is over, providing the UK with its at-least-once-a-year trip. The card is headlined by middleweight contenders Michael Bisping and Mark Munoz in a bout that could push one man into title talks.
The UK has long been an important fanbase for the UFC. The British are among the most passionate fans in the world and some of the better, more exciting cards have been on their soil.
Here is the announced card so far.
- Middleweight: Michael Bisping (UK) vs. Mark Munoz (USA)
- Lightweight: Ross Pearson (UK) vs. Melvin Guillard (USA)
- Flyweight: Phil Harris (UK) vs. John Lineker (BRA)
- Lightweight: Paul Taylor (UK) vs. Anthony Njokuani (NIG)
- Light Heavyweight: Jimi Manuwa (UK) vs. Ryan Jimmo (CAN)
- Featherweight: Mike Wilkinson (UK) vs. Jimy Hettes (USA)
So far, five bout have been planned for the card. Here are eight fights that could complete the card and provide home-country fighters with complimentary opponents.
Welterweight: John Hathaway (UK) vs. Mike Pierce (USA)
John Hathaway is by far the most underrated talent in the UK. His time in the UFC has seen him win most of his fights using sharp technical skills and a great ground game (especially his wrestling, which is rare for British fighters).
He is arguably in the top 20 in the UFC welterweight division. He should be treated that way if given a fight on this card in Manchester.
Mike Pierce has suffered on the Facebook prelims and has been way underpromoted. The man is a wrecking machine with good wrestling and deceptive power. Matching him up with Hathaway would provide an interesting chess match that could push a new contender into the limelight.
Welterweight: Gunnar Nelson (ICE) vs. Sean Pierson (CAN)
Gunnar Nelson is a top-flight prospect in the sport and should be built up carefully. He has good striking and top-notch jiu-jitsu, as seen in his two UFC bouts. He shouldn’t be pushed into huge fights too quickly, though, as it could derail his rise to the top too early.
Sean Pierson has quietly put together a three-fight win streak against some mid-level UFC talents. He has sharp boxing skills with good takedown defense. That is the type of skill set that would really challenge a guy like Nelson.
Should Nelson get by a tough veteran of the sport like Pierson, maybe he can grab himself a top-20 opponent. Again, you don’t want to see him end up becoming a victim of too much, too soon.
Women’s Bantamweight: Rosi Sexton (UK) vs. Julie Kedzie (USA)
Rosi Sexton is the only woman in the UFC to hail from the United Kingdom. That being said, she should have the honor of being the first woman to fight for the UFC in the UK.
She is definitely a pioneer of the sport. The same can be said about Julie Kedzie, who, like Sexton, is 0-1 in the UFC.
A fight between the two would be a great bout for long-time fans who’ve watched both women’s careers unfold. Plus, it would allow one of the two to get their first win of their UFC tenure (unless, of course, they fight to a draw).
Lightweight: Norman Parke (UK) vs. Jon Tuck (GUAM)
Winner of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes, Norman Parke automatically has some great hype behind him. An ace ground worker, Parke is already 2-0 in his UFC journey, having defeated Colin Fletcher and Kazuki Tokudome along the way.
He’s not ready for top-level competition yet, though, so he should take on another hot up-and-comer in Jon Tuck. The two were supposed to meet earlier this year, but an injury nixed that bout.
Tuck is well-rounded and tough as nails. He has a very refined ground game and solid takedown defense, which is a solid skill set when fighting Parke. This bout could be a very interesting affair.
Featherweight: Andy Ogle (UK) vs. Rodrigo Damm (BRA)
Andy Ogle’s most recent win came at the expense of the once-revered Josh Grispi, a win that earned Ogle his spot on the UFC roster. Not only did he win the fight, but he made a statement in the process. Simply put, the man is getting better.
Rodrigo Damm, like Ogle, is a TUF veteran who is coming off a win in his most recent outing. Now 2-0, Damm would probably have the better ground game of the two. That would force Ogle to keep the fight standing or risk being dominated by a high-level jiu-jitsu player.
The winner wouldn’t be in contention any time soon, but it would be a nice kick-start up the ladder.
Middleweight: Luke Barnatt (UK) vs. Thiago Perpetuo (BRA)
Since earning his spot on the UFC roster following TUF 17, Luke Barnatt is yet to have a fight scheduled. Right now, there are a ton of guys higher up the ladder than Barnatt, so he shouldn’t rush into any fights ahead of his progression.
Thiago Perpetuo is an intriguing prospect that sharpened his ax on the first Brazilian season of TUF. He has solid striking and a good ground game, proving that he has a very well-rounded game.
Perpetuo would have to deal with the long, lanky frame of Barnatt throughout the fight. It would be quite the puzzle for the exciting Brazilian to solve.
Bantamweight: Vaughan Lee (UK) vs. Edwin Figueroa (USA)
Everyone loves bantamweights. OK, maybe not everyone loves bantamweights, but most people love the 135ers.
Vaughan Lee has been nothing but excitement since entering the UFC. The wild grappler with good stand-up has had a couple of tough tests and shown some cojones in the process.
Edwin Figueroa is similar to Lee, except he’s a better striker and an inferior grappler. This striker vs. grappler matchup has Fight of the Night written all over it and could warm the crowd early.
That would complete a 13-fight card. Here is a final recap.
Main Card (Fox Sports 1)
- Middleweight: Michael Bisping (UK) vs. Mark Munoz (USA)
- Lightweight: Ross Pearson (UK) vs. Melvin Guillard (USA)
- Light Heavyweight: Jimi Manuwa (UK) vs. Ryan Jimmo (CAN)
- Welterweight: John Hathaway (UK) vs. Mike Pierce (USA)
- Welterweight: Gunnar Nelson (ICE) vs. Sean Pierson (CAN)
- Flyweight: Phil Harris (UK) vs. John Lineker (BRA)
Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1)
- Lightweight: Norman Parke (UK) vs. Jon Tuck (GUAM)
- Lightweight: Paul Taylor (UK) vs. Anthony Njokuani (NIG)
- Women’s Bantamweight: Rosi Sexton (UK) vs. Julie Kedzie (USA)
- Featherweight: Andy Ogle (UK) vs. Rodrigo Damm (BRA)
Preliminary Card (Facebook)
- Middleweight: Luke Barnatt (UK) vs. Thiago Perpetuo (BRA)
- Bantamweight: Vaughan Lee (UK) vs. Edwin Figueroa (USA)
- Featherweight: Mike Wilkinson (UK) vs. Jimy Hettes (USA)
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