UFC announces return to London – but key fighter could miss out
A Fight Night event is scheduled for March 2025, likely meaning a lack of title bouts and the absence of the UK’s sole champion
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Your support makes all the difference.The UFC will return to London on 22 March 2025, the mixed martial arts promotion announced on Tuesday, as it prepares to host a Fight Night at the O2 Arena.
Events on British soil have become increasingly common for the UFC in recent years, with the O2 Arena hosting several events since the end of the Covid pandemic.
Most of those cards have been Fight Nights, but the O2 Arena did host a UFC pay-per-view in March 2023, and the UK’s sole card in 2024 was also a pay-per-view – at the Co-op Live in Manchester this July.
With the March 2025 card scheduled as a Fight Night, it is very unlikely that any title bouts will be involved, meaning interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall could miss the event.
The Wigan fighter won the interim belt in New York City in November 2023, before retaining it in Manchester this July with a first-round knockout of Curtis Blaydes.
That bout served as the co-main event of UFC 304, which was headlined by Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad. In that contest, Britain’s Edwards lost the welterweight title to the Palestinian-American via decision.
Edwards will be among the names that fans will hope to see at the O2 Arena in March, with numerous British fighters likely to be involved – but not Aspinall, it would seem.
Aspinall’s next move would be clear in most situations: unify the heavyweight belts with the regular champion. However, Jon Jones, 37, has hinted that he could retire after defending the regular title against Stipe Miocic on Saturday (16 November). And ex-champion Miocic, 42, is also expected to call time on his career after UFC 309 this weekend.
It is therefore possible that Aspinall is elevated to official champion by next week, with his next fight likely to take place on pay-per-view in 2025.
Tickets for UFC London will go on sale at 10am GMT on 24 January, on AXS and Ticketmaster. Fight Club members can access tickets earlier: at 9am GMT on 22 January. Fans can also register their interest at ufc.com/London to receive access to a sale at 10am GMT on 23 January.
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