OLD UFC London 2022 card: Alexander Volkov vs Tom Aspinall and all bouts this weekend

All you need to know about the main event and undercard, with Paddy Pimblett among the Britons in action

British fans and fighters have waited for three years, and finally the UFC returns to London this weekend.

The O2 Arena will be the setting as UFC London takes place for the first time since 2019, with the Covid-19 pandemic having seen 2020’s edition of the event cancelled on short notice and having prevented a card from being staged in 2021.

This year, heavyweights Tom Aspinall of Wigan and Alexander Volkov of Russia will main event in the English capital, with Volkov making it to the UK this week amid concerns that the fallout from his country’s invasion of Russia could thwart his involvement here.

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Also in action will be fan favourite Paddy Pimblett of Liverpool, Ipswich fighter Arnold Allen – who takes on New Zealand’s Dan Hooker in the co-main event – Liverpool’s Molly McCann, Scotland’s Paul Craig, Welshman Jack Shore and many more.

Here’s everything you need to know.

When is it?

UFC London takes place at the O2 Arena on Saturday 19 March.

The prelims are scheduled to begin at 5pm GMT (9am PT, 11am CT, 12pm ET), with the main card following at 8pm GMT (12pm PT, 2pm CT, 3pm ET).

How can I watch it?

The card will air live on BT Sport in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights.

In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass.

Full card

Liverpool’s Paddy Pimblett (left) won his UFC debut via first-round knockout (Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Main card

Alexander Volkov vs Tom Aspinall (heavyweight)

Arnold Allen vs Dan Hooker (featherweight)

Paddy Pimblett vs Kazula Vargas (lightweight)

Shamil Abdurakhimov vs Sergei Pavlovich (heavyweight)

Nikita Krylov vs Paul Craig (light heavyweight)

Gunnar Nelson vs Takashi Sato (welterweight)

Prelims

Jai Herbert vs Ilia Topuria (lightweight)

Muhammad Mokaev vs Cody Durden (flyweight)

Mike Grundy vs Makwan Amirkhani (featherweight)

Molly McCann vs Luana Carolina (women’s flyweight)

Jack Shore vs Timur Valiev (bantamweight)

Cory McKenna vs Elise Reed (women’s strawweight)

Odds

Volkov – 4/5; Aspinall – 20/21.

Allen – 20/21; Hooker – 4/5.

Pimblett – 1/4; Vargas – 11/4.

Via Betway.