UFC heavyweight contender Tom Aspinall is raring to go in 2022 and plans on beginning a heavyweight takeover with a main event victory over Alexander Volkov at UFC London. Early this week, the headlining fight for the UFC’s long-awaited return to England’s capital was confirmed. Unbeaten rising star Aspinall will collide with UFC veteran and […]
UFC heavyweight contender Tom Aspinall is raring to go in 2022 and plans on beginning a heavyweight takeover with a main event victory over Alexander Volkov at UFC London.
For Manchester’s Aspinall, the event will mark the first time he’s fought in front of a capacity UFC crowd, having defeated his first four opponents, Jake Collier, Alan Baudot, Andrei Arlovski, and Sergey Spivak, inside Las Vegas’ Apex facility and on Fight Island. What better way to arrive in front of a sold-out audience than in his home country?
Opposite him in the Octagon on March 19 will be a talented and unique Russian striker standing six feet and seven inches tall. Incredibly, UFC London will mark Volkov’s sixth main event in just 12 UFC appearances.
With Aspinall boasting an unblemished UFC record and getting set for his first headlining bout in the first quarter of this year, many expect the Englishman to replicate the 2021 of his French UFC peer. If he’s to do so, Aspinall will have to get past Volkov, a task the Manchester native is confident he can complete.
“These opportunities don’t come around all the time. I just feel like I’m ready, man. I just feel like this is my time man,” said Aspinall. “I just wanna go in there and show everybody just what I can really do, because everybody thinks they know what I’m good at and what I’m not good at, but nobody really knows. The only people who really know are the people around me. Mate, I’m gonna be up there and I’m gonna be flying the flag, and I’m gonna take over this shit.”
First Main Event First With Fans First Top 10 Opponent
Similar to UK stars like Arnold Allen, Paddy Pimblett, Jack Shore, Nathanial Wood, Mike Grundy, Molly McCann, and Muhammad Mokaev, Aspinall will be hoping to leave his mark when he enters the cage inside London’s O2 Arena on March 19.
Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC London in March, Tom Aspinall or Alexander Volkov?
UFC heavyweights, Tom Aspinall and Alexander Volkov are set to headline the UFC’s Fight Night card in London on March 19. The UFC is finally set to make a return to the United Kingdom for the first time since 2019, in an event which is set to be held at the 02 Arena in London. […]
The UFC is finally set to make a return to the United Kingdom for the first time since 2019, in an event which is set to be held at the 02 Arena in London. The UFC was supposed to return in March of 2020 before the Covid-19 pandemic meant that card was scrapped.
The event will showcase British talent including Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblet, Jack Shore, Jake Hadley and Molly McCann all expected to compete on the undercard.
No. 10 ranked Aspinall was originally set to take on Shamil Adurakhimov on the undercard but the UFC instead chose to pair the Wigan-based prospect with the much more experienced and higher ranked Volkov in the main event of the evening.
The Background of Tom Aspinall v Alexander Volkov
Aspinall has impressed many with both his attitude and performances inside the cage since his debut with the promotion in mid-2020. Aspinall’s fast hands and the technical game has seen him gain finishes in all of his UFC fights (3 KO, 1 Sub) with his most notable name on his record being Andrei Arlovski but he also scored an impressive first-round KO over the ranked Sergey Spivak.
Former UFC champion and UK MMA legend, Michael Bisping had high praise for the young heavyweight “He’s such a big guy, but he moves like a middleweight. He’s fast on his feet and very agile. He has the speed, which is important. Speed kills power and on top of that he has the power. He’s a big dude, he can wrestle, has heavy hands, is agile. He’s potentially a champion.” (Transcribed by talkSPORT)
Standing opposite Aspinall will stand the towering No.5 ranked Volkov. The former Bellator heavyweight champion will hold a sizeable experience advantage over the Brit, having nearly 45 professional fights.
The Russian quickly became in the discussion as a potential title contender and consistently been in around the top five for years. Volkov holds impressive wins over Fabricio Werdum, Roy Nelson Stefan Struve and Alistair Overeem. However, recent losses to Curtis Blaydes and Ciryl Gane have derailed his title charge.
What do you think? How will Tom Aspinall V Alexander Volkov go?
Rising heavyweight Tom Aspinall and divisional veteran Alexander Volkov are expected to headline UFC’s return to London, England later this year, per a report.
Volkov and Aspinall are set to serve as the main event for a March 19th UFC “Fight Night…
Rising heavyweight Tom Aspinall and divisional veteran Alexander Volkov are expected to headline UFC’s return to London, England later this year, per a report.
Volkov and Aspinall are set to serve as the main event for a March 19th UFC “Fight Night” event from the O2 Arena, per a report from Brett Okamoto of ESPN.
The matchup gives Aspinall a chance to compete in his first UFC main event fight. His short run with the promotion has been explosive thus far, stopping all four of his opponents in the cage. This includes two wins from last year, which came against Andrei Arlovski and Serghei Spivac.
Aspinall was first initially booked to face Shamil Abdurakhimov in a non-headlining fight on this card. It is not known what the plan is for Abdurakhimov now that this matchup has been booked.
Volkov Returns To Familiar Headlining Position
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Volkov has fought some of the top names at heavyweight for most of his 11-fight UFC career. He is no stranger to headlining cards, as the new booking is scheduled to be his sixth time in the main event spot.
Volkov is coming off a win, as his last fight was a unanimous decision victory over Marcin Tybura in October at UFC 267. His last main event fight was in June 2021, when he lost to now-interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Ciryl Gane.
Aspinall is just one of the many England-based fighters that are expected for the show. Earlier today, it was reported that Paddy Pimblett will also return on the card against Kazula Vargas.
The event marks UFC’s first time in London in over three years, as the COVID-19 pandemic has limited the number of locations they can travel to.
With this main event announced, here is the updated lineup for UFC London:
Heavyweight Bout: Alexander Volkov vs. TomAspinall
Lightweight Bout: Paddy Pimblett vs. Kazula Vargas
Featherweight Bout: Mike Grundy vs. Makwan Amirkhani
Bantamweight Bout: Jack Shore vs. Timur Valiev
Flyweight Bout: Molly McCann vs. Luana Carolina
Flyweight Bout: Muhammad Mokaev vs. Cody Durden
Strawweight Bout: Elise Reed vs. Cory McKenna
Flyweight Bout: Jake Hadley vs. Allan Nascimento
How do you think Tom Aspinall will do in his very first UFC main event fight?
Rising heavyweight Tom Aspinall and divisional veteran Alexander Volkov are expected to headline UFC’s return to London, England later this year, per a report.
Volkov and Aspinall are set to serve as the main event for a March 19th UFC “Fight Night…
Rising heavyweight Tom Aspinall and divisional veteran Alexander Volkov are expected to headline UFC’s return to London, England later this year, per a report.
Volkov and Aspinall are set to serve as the main event for a March 19th UFC “Fight Night” event from the O2 Arena, per a report from Brett Okamoto of ESPN.
The matchup gives Aspinall a chance to compete in his first UFC main event fight. His short run with the promotion has been explosive thus far, stopping all four of his opponents in the cage. This includes two wins from last year, which came against Andrei Arlovski and Serghei Spivac.
Aspinall was first initially booked to face Shamil Abdurakhimov in a non-headlining fight on this card. It is not known what the plan is for Abdurakhimov now that this matchup has been booked.
Volkov Returns To Familiar Headlining Position
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Volkov has fought some of the top names at heavyweight for most of his 11-fight UFC career. He is no stranger to headlining cards, as the new booking is scheduled to be his sixth time in the main event spot.
Volkov is coming off a win, as his last fight was a unanimous decision victory over Marcin Tybura in October at UFC 267. His last main event fight was in June 2021, when he lost to now-interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Ciryl Gane.
Aspinall is just one of the many England-based fighters that are expected for the show. Earlier today, it was reported that Paddy Pimblett will also return on the card against Kazula Vargas.
The event marks UFC’s first time in London in over three years, as the COVID-19 pandemic has limited the number of locations they can travel to.
With this main event announced, here is the updated lineup for UFC London:
Heavyweight Bout: Alexander Volkov vs. TomAspinall
Lightweight Bout: Paddy Pimblett vs. Kazula Vargas
Featherweight Bout: Mike Grundy vs. Makwan Amirkhani
Bantamweight Bout: Jack Shore vs. Timur Valiev
Flyweight Bout: Molly McCann vs. Luana Carolina
Flyweight Bout: Muhammad Mokaev vs. Cody Durden
Strawweight Bout: Elise Reed vs. Cory McKenna
Flyweight Bout: Jake Hadley vs. Allan Nascimento
How do you think Tom Aspinall will do in his very first UFC main event fight?
Alexander Volkov will not be in any rush to compete again for now. Volkov returned to the win column with a unanimous decision victory over Marcin Tybura in their heavyweight contest at UFC 267 last night in Abu Dhabi. Although it wasn’t the most exciting fight by any means, it was important for Volkov to […]
Alexander Volkov will not be in any rush to compete again for now.
Volkov returned to the win column with a unanimous decision victory over Marcin Tybura in their heavyweight contest at UFC 267 last night in Abu Dhabi.
Although it wasn’t the most exciting fight by any means, it was important for Volkov to return to winning ways after his last outing against Ciryl Gane saw him suffer defeat.
As for his next fight? Volkov doesn’t have any names in mind for two reasons.
First, his wife gave birth to a son just over a week ago which means it’s family time for the Russian next. However, Volkov is also in a weird situation with three of his recent defeats coming to contenders ranked above him in Gane, Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis.
That is why he will wait for the division to play out in the near future.
“Right now, I don’t have any names because how I told in the octagon, 11 days ago, my youngest son was born,” Volkov said at the post fight news conference (via MMA Junkie). “Right now, I just want to take a little bit of rest to be with my family. After maybe a month, we’ll see what happened in heavyweight, who will be in the rankings because I lost some fights to guys upward from me.
“Maybe we’ll see if one of them wants to make a rematch with me. We will see but I’m ready for any challenge the UFC will give me. I’m here just to do my job.”
We’ve got you covered with our staff picks for UFC 267: Blachowicz vs. Teixeira! It all goes down in Abu Dhabi tomorrow with UFC 267: Blachowicz vs. Teixeira, which will NOT be on pay-per-view but rather a special feature presentation streaming on ESPN+. Make sure you are well-rested and ready to bet, watch, scream, and […]
We’ve got you covered with our staff picks for UFC 267: Blachowicz vs. Teixeira!
It all goes down in Abu Dhabi tomorrow with UFC 267: Blachowicz vs. Teixeira, which will NOT be on pay-per-view but rather a special feature presentation streaming on ESPN+. Make sure you are well-rested and ready to bet, watch, scream, and shout as this early event kicks off at 10:30 AM ET (prelims), with the main card scheduled to begin at 2:00 PM.
There will be two title fights waiting for you and a stacked fight card from top to bottom, capped off with Jan Blachowicz and Glover Teixeira competing for the light heavyweight championship. In the co-main event, Petr Yan will look to return bantamweight gold to his waist, interim or otherwise, as he goes up against the electric Cory Sandhagen.
Also on tap for tomorrow night is the man often considered to be “The Next Khabib,” Islam Makhachev, who will face Dan Hooker. The Russian invasion will also include appearances from Magomed Ankalaev and Alexander Volkov competing on the main card. And who can forget the highly anticipated return of “Borz,” Khmazat Chimaev, who will look to come back with a smesh when he takes on UFC vet Li Jingliang.
You can check out the full UFC 267 main card below!
UFC 267: Blachowicz vs. Teixeira Main Card
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship Bout: Jan Blachowicz (c) vs. Glover Teixeira
UFC Interim Bantamweight Championship Bout: Petr Yan vs. Cory Sandhagen
Islam Makhachev vs. Dan Hooker
Alexander Volkov vs. Marcin Tybura
Li Jingliang vs. Khamzat Chimaev
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Volkan Oezdemir
UFC 267: Blachowicz vs. Teixeira Staff Predictions
MMA News is the place to be for all the latest UFC 267 updates. Staff members Andrew Ravens, Doug Murray, and Harvey Leonard have provided predictions for the main card. And based on the consistency of the picks, there seems to be a lot of safe bets to be made according to these three staffers! Check out their picks below!
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Volkan Oezdemir
Magomed Ankalaev, Volkan Oezdemir
Andrew Ravens: Volkan could be in for a rough night at the office when he steps into the Octagon against Ankalaev, who has looked exceptional aside from his promotional debut that he lost. Ankalaev seems to get better and better every outing while Volkvan has flattened at his spot. Ankalaev walks away with the decision win. (Prediction: Magomed Ankalaev)
Doug Murray: Ankalaev can extend his winning streak to seven with a win against Oezdemir. The former title challenger took a devastating loss when he fell at the hands of Ji?í Procházka. Since Oezdemir’s last fight ended by getting finished, his approach will likely be toned down when he meets Ankalaev. With that in mind, Ankalaev’s pressure and high kicks will be difficult for Oezdemir to dodge for 15 minutes. (Prediction: Magomed Ankalaev)
Harvey Leonard: As good as Oezdemir was at the start of his UFC career, he’s certainly not at his best anymore. I think his victory over Aleksandar Raki? has perhaps disguised that slightly. The result was controversial, and it seemed pretty clear he should have lost. With more competent judging, the Swiss contender would be sitting with five losses in his last six. At that point, a reset against lower-ranked opposition (similar to Dan Hooker last month) is needed. Magomed Ankalaev certainly isn’t that. With the Dagestani’s superior accuracy on the feet and Oezdemir’s inferior defense, I see Ankalaev extending his streak to seven. (Prediction: Magomed Ankalaev)
Consensus: 3-0 Ankalaev
Li Jingliang vs. Khamzat Chimaev
Li Jingliang and Khamzat Chimaev
Andrew Ravens: Here’s a chance for Chimaev to get another knockout highlight reel, and I see it happening. Li is a good fighter but does have moments where he simply doesn’t show up as expected. If that happens, then Chimaev is going to get a bonus at his expense. Chimaev stops him in the second round. (Prediction: Khamzat Chimaev)
Doug Murray: Mystery shrouds this welterweight showdown. Since Chimaev was forced to the sidelines after contracting COVID-19, his massive audience awaits his return to Fight Island. With three wins and three finishes in the UFC, Chimaev’s speed and ability to predict opponents as they grapple make his style a nightmare to deal with. While Li is a powerful 170-pound fighter, Chimaev’s speed and takedowns will set the tone for this fight early. (Prediction: Khamzat Chimaev)
Harvey Leonard: Whenever a fighter reveals they didn’t know who their opponent was before a booking, I’m wary to side with them. I can picture the clip of Chimaev at media day being brought up after a defeat. However, I do think the edge lies with “Borz.” He may have been away for over a year, but the quality he trains with at the Allstar gym in Stockholm shouldn’t make that an issue.
Whilst “The Leech” possesses the KO power to finish anyone, his shortcomings on the ground were evident in his loss to Neil Magny. We saw how brutal Chimaev can be when he gets his opponents down, and whilst he hasn’t faced a talent like Jingliang, I’d expect his pressure wrestling to be too much. (Prediction: Khamzat Chimaev)
Consensus: 3-0 Chimaev
Alexander Volkov vs. Marcin Tybura
(via Zuffa LLC)
Andrew Ravens: Volkov is looking to rebound after losing his previous fight against Cyril Gane while Tybura has been on fire as he’s won five straight. I see Volkov being really fired up to get a win here and prove that yes, he can fight with the best of the best. I don’t see Tybura at that level and predict Volkov can back that up with a TKO win. (Prediction: Alexander Volkov)
Doug Murray: A battle of two titans, don’t look now, but Tybura has amassed a five-fight winning streak with the promotion. Tybura is finally synergizing his standup with his strength on the canvas. The heavyweight showed his path to victory in his last fight. With damaging ground and pound, Tybura will need to get “Drago” to the mat to drastically increase his odds for success. Volkov has shown a stellar takedown defense as a former champion in Bellator, and his striking will be overwhelming if the fight makes it to the third round. (Prediction: Alexander Volkov)
Harvey Leonard: Tybura is on a pretty devastating win streak, but he’s not come close to facing an opponent with the skill of Volkov during it. The only times he’s faced heavyweights similar to his level on the feet, he was finished by Derrick Lewis and Augusto Sakai. The Pole’s threat is power, but given that Volkov has only been finished by Lewis in the UFC, I can’t see a scenario where he gets taken out by Tybura.
Volkov’s striking is up there with the best in the division, and through The Russian’s reach and speed advantage, I’d expect “Drago” to put it on full display. I’d fancy a Volkov finish, but if it goes to the scorecards, Tybura will struggle to outpoint him. (Prediction: Alexander Volkov)
Consensus: 3-0 Volkov
Islam Makhachev vs. Dan Hooker
Islam Makhachev, Dan Hooker (Image Credits: Mike Lawrie/Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)
Andrew Ravens: There are levels to this game, and it looks like Islam is on his way to the top tier. That’s not to say Hooker is not a real challenge as he’s a really good fighter. Islam has been running through people, but Hooker is his first real test, and he’s gonna have to put out his best to get past Hooker. I do think that happens with Islam getting the decision win. (Prediction: Islam Makhachev)
Doug Murray: Burn the boats. Dan Hooker is coming to Fight Island after just competing on Sept. 25, “The Hangman” is becoming somewhat of a hardcore fight fan’s dream. The wrestling skills of Hooker appear to be evolving rapidly, and he showed as much in his fight against Nasrat Haqparast. With a style geared toward volume, Hooker poses some real challenges to Makhachev. The heir to Khabib Nurmagomedov has looked impressive in the cage. And with a short camp for Hooker, Makhachev’s pressure will likely get the best of Hooker. (Prediction: Islam Makhachev)
Harvey Leonard: As much as I’d love for Hooker’s attitude to be rewarded with a victory, it’s hard to bet against the imposing game of Makhachev. Whilst I don’t buy into the idea that it’s as one-sided as the likes of Khabib would like us to believe, I do think “The Hangman” could struggle to implement his game if the Dagestani imposes his own early. Hooker’s route to victory is clearly keeping the fight on the feet. If he can’t, Makhachev could force a submission, but I think a controlling decision is more likely. (Prediction: Islam Makhachev)
Consensus: 3-0 Makhachev
Petr Yan vs. Cory Sandhagen
Cory Sandhagen, Petr Yan (Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Andrew Ravens: In my eyes, Yan is still champion and not Aljamain Sterling. We all know why Yan isn’t technically the champion right now and to his credit, instead of waiting for Sterling, he’s trying to stay active. In such a deep division, there are no easy tests and this inserts Sandhagen, who has a real chance to win this fight. I think Yan is the better fighter, but this will be a close, back-and-forth, and fun fight. (Prediction: Petr Yan)
Doug Murray: After going the distance with TJ Dillashaw, Sandhagen’s style is so fan-friendly that it was no surprise he got the call after hearing the champion was injured. I think Sandhagen’s kick-heavy style will be to his detriment against a disciplined boxer like Petr Yan. Yan is able to connect at will when opponents tire and relies heavily on a boxing repertoire that should carry him to the win. (Prediction: Petr Yan)
Harvey Leonard: This is arguably a better fight on paper than the original Yan vs. Sterling rematch. The contrast between the Russian’s tight boxing and forward pressure and Sandhagen’s kickboxing and elusive movement should make for a barnburner. Whilst Sandhagen is always capable of a highlight-reel KO and Yan is always looking for a brutal finish, I expect this one to go the distance.
If “The Sandman” can stay at range and catch Yan when he attempts to move in, perhaps even with a knee as the Russian ducks low with his shots, he is capable of outpointing “No Mercy.” But whilst I expect him to have some success doing so, I believe Yan will have the better of the exchanges, especially in the later rounds. (Prediction: Petr Yan)
Consensus: 3-0 Yan
Jan Blachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira
Jan Blachowicz, Glover Teixeira
Andrew Ravens: Some casuals may overlook Glover in this fight, but the hardcore fans know how dangerous Glover can be. However, I see this to be a one-sided beatdown by Jan. In the current division, I don’t see anyone beating Jan right now, and I add Glover to that list. Glover has a puncher’s chance early and won’t be put away, but I have Jan getting his hand raised after a decision win. (Prediction: Jan Blachowicz)
Doug Murray: The light heavyweight titleholder made his name as a Polish champion in KSW. B?achowicz is well versed in maintaining a fight’s geography. As a powerful counter puncher and reactive wrestler, the 38-year-old has all of the tools to deal with Teixeira. While the Brazilian challenger may have the edge in power on the feet, B?achowicz will be too much for a UFC legend that appears to be slowing despite stringing a massive streak together. (Prediction: Jan Blachowicz)
Harvey Leonard: After the bad blood in last weekend’s main event, it’s a nice change of pace to have two headliners respecting each other. As much of a feel-good story as it would be for Teixeira to become the UFC’s second post-40 champion, I believe he’ll fall short. Of course, he does boast incredible Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, and if the fight does hit the mat, he has what it takes to submit the champion.
However, on the feet, Blachowicz will have a speed and power advantage, which will not only help him control the exchanges and possibly find a finish but will also aid him in resisting Teixeira’s attempts to take him down and keep him there. The 42-year-old can never be counted out, but “and new” would surprise me. (Prediction: Jan Blachowicz)
Consensus: 3-0 Blachowicz
That’ll do it for our unanimous staff picks! What do you think? Are these fights as clear-cut as our three staffers seem to think? Or do you see some upsets brewing? Feel free to drop your own picks in the comments section, and you can check out the UFC 267 undercard below.
UFC 267 Undercard
PRELIMINARY CARD
Amanda Ribas vs. Virna Jandiroba (Women’s Strawweight)
Ricardo Ramos vs. Zubaira Tukhugov (Featherweight)
Albert Duraev vs. Roman Kopylov (Middleweight)
Shamil Gamzatov vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (Light Heavyweight)
Makwan Amirkhani vs. Lerone Murphy (Featherweight)
Hu Yaozong vs. Alen Amedovski (Middleweight)
Magomed Mustafaev vs. Damir Ismagulov (Lightweight)
Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Allan Nascimento (Flyweight)
Be sure to keep it right here on MMANews.com tomorrow for all the results, highlights, and updates on UFC 267!
https://t.co/wg9VkLrok2 pic.twitter.com/Vi1uYYuE34
UFC heavyweights, Tom Aspinall and Alexander Volkov are set to headline the UFC’s Fight Night card in London on March 19. The UFC is finally set to make a return to the United Kingdom for the first time since 2019, in an event which is set to be held at the 02 Arena in London. […]
Alexander Volkov will not be in any rush to compete again for now. Volkov returned to the win column with a unanimous decision victory over Marcin Tybura in their heavyweight contest at UFC 267 last night in Abu Dhabi. Although it wasn’t the most exciting fight by any means, it was important for Volkov to […]
