It appears the UFC’s long-awaited return to London, England may have hit another roadblock in the form of Britain’s worst storm in decades.
On March 19, MMA’s premier promotion is set to host a card in England’s capital for the first time since 2019. After an attempt to cross the Atlantic proved unsuccessful last September, the UK audience has finally had an event officially confirmed, one that sold out in minutes.
But an extreme weather event may be about to throw a spanner in the works. As Storm Eunice causes havoc across the British Isles and delivers record-breaking gusts, damage is inevitable. What most probably hadn’t banked on, though, was the roof of the O2 Arena being torn off…
While it’s uncertain how serious the damage is and what a potential repair timeline will look like, the storm continues to rage on. With that in mind, it’s unlikely the venue will remain in its current state, with further destruction expected.
It’s impossible to tell at this stage whether UFC London will be affected. However, with WBC Cruiserweight World Champion Lawrence Okolie set to make his second defense against challenger Michel Cieslak next weekend at the O2, we can expect the status of the March 19 UFC Fight Night to become clearer towards the end of the month.
The O2 Is Set To Host A Stacked British Showcase
Having been kept to US-based events and Abu Dhabi-held cards since the COVID-19 pandemic caused havoc in 2020, the UFC has understandably pulled out all the stops ahead of its return to overseas events.
As well as the presence of top UK names and prospects like Tom Aspinall, Arnold Allen, Paddy Pimblett, Paul Craig, and Molly McCann, well-known international fighters like Dan Hooker, Ilia Topuria, Nikita Krylov, Gunnar Nelson, and Alexander Volkov are also set to enter the cage inside London’s O2 Arena.
With a host of exciting matchups set, fans will certainly be hoping any more damage to the host venue as a result of Storm Eunice is limited.
What a fight!
@Arnoldbfa vs @DanTheHangman is signed for #UFCLondon
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) January 24, 2022
Listed below are the fights currently expected to go down on March 19 in London, England:
Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall (heavyweight main event)
Dan Hooker vs. Arnold Allen (featherweight)
Paul Craig vs. Nikita Krylov (light heavyweight)
Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Sergei Pavlovich (heavyweight)
Jack Shore vs. Timur Valiev (bantamweight)
Paddy Pimblett vs. Kazula Vargas (lightweight)
Gunnar Nelson vs. Claudio Silva (welterweight)
Nathanial Wood vs. Liudvik Sholinian (bantamweight)
Ilia Topuria vs. Jai Herbert (lightweight)
Makwan Amirkhani vs. Mike Grundy (featherweight)
Molly McCann vs. Luana Carolina (women’s flyweight)
Cody Durden vs. Muhammad Mokaev (flyweight)
Cory McKenna vs. Elise Reed (women’s strawweight)
Which UFC London fight are you most looking forward to on March 19?
Continue Reading Watch: O2 Arena Ripped Apart By Storm Weeks Before UFC London at MMA News.