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Britain’s biggest UFC prospects: Five of the best

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Britain’s biggest UFC prospects: Five of the best

When Michael Bisping captured the UFC Middleweight belt back in 2016, he became the first Brit ever to win a title in MMA’s leading promotion. 4 years have gone by since then, and so far, no one has followed in Bisping’s footsteps. But there are a number of promising UK fighters throughout the divisions, and here are five of the best…

 

Tom Aspinall 

Heavyweight Aspinall actually turned down the UFC earlier in his career, feeling he needed more experience. He eventually joined this year, and has since gone 2-0 with two emphatic first round knockouts.

The Wigan-born fighter is only 27, and could quickly rise up a heavyweight division that he has stated is ‘not that strong’. It will be interesting to see if Aspinall’s next opponent can offer him more of a test, and we look forward to him hopefully fighting a ranked UFC star within the next year or two.

 

Darren Till 

It would be impossible not to include ‘The Gorilla’, UFC fan-favourite Darren Till on this list. The Scouser began his professional career in Brazil, and had amassed a 12-0 record before joining the UFC. He seemed to be on an unstoppable rise before losing to Tyron Woodley in a welterweight title fight.

Till has now moved up to middleweight, which seems a more natural weight class for him. He last fought in a close decision loss to former champ Robert Whittaker. Still only 27, Till is only a couple of wins away from another title shot.

 

Leon Edwards 

‘Rocky’ Edwards has not fought in the UFC for over a year, but is still one of the most dangerous fighters in the Welterweight division. Born in Jamaica but raised in Birmingham, Leon began training in MMA at age 16. Now 29, he has amassed an 18-3 pro record, and is on an 8-fight win streak.

Cancelled bouts and inactivity have clouded his career of late, but Edwards now finally has the high-profile fight he wants. He will reportedly face the unbeaten and exciting Khamzat Chimaev as a main event on December 19th. If he can stop the Chimaev hype train, then a title shot will not be too far away. 

 

Jack Shore 

25-year-old Welshman Shore is the only fighter on this list to be currently undefeated. He joined a highly competitive UFC Bantamweight division last year, and has since gone 2-0. Both wins, like the majority in Shore’s career, were ended via submission.

In a division packed with talented strikers like Cody Garbrandt and TJ Dillashaw, being such a top grappler could help Shore rise through the rankings. His last bout was cancelled due to Visa issues, but ‘Tank’, as he is known, is planning to be very active through 2021. It will be interesting to see if he can hold onto that unbeaten record. 

 

Nathaniel Wood 

Carshalton native Wood has had an up and down UFC career so far, but his entertaining fight style has surely made him popular with the boss Dana White. The Brit is 4-2 in his UFC career, and sits just outside the top 15 rankings.

His last bout was a ‘fight of the night’ against highly rated Casey Kenney, which Wood narrowly lost. He will need to perform with some consistency inside the Octagon if he is to rise to the top, but the man known as ‘The Prospect’ is certainly an exciting prospect for British fans. 

 

We hope enjoyed this article ‘Britain’s biggest UFC prospects’. Who do you think will be Britain’s next best UFC fighter? Let us know!

 

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Jack Wood is a journalism degree graduate from University of Derby, with a particular passion for boxing, football and MMA

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