UFC returns to London on Saturday, bringing with it a slew of UK stars, including headliner Tom Aspinall, social media darlings Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann, and fearsome former amateur champion Muhammad Mokaev.
Salford heavyweight Aspinall takes on Curtis Blaydes in the main event of UFC London, while Scottish scrapper Paul Craig faces Volkan Oezdemir.
It’s the second time this year that a UFC event will be staged in the United Kingdom, following Aspinall’s dominant victory over Alexander Volkov at the O2 Arena on March 19.
It’s a good time to take a closer look at how Pimblett and McCann are expanding Liverpool and the United Kingdom’s reputation for fighting.
Do Scousers have the best chins in the UFC?
According to data from LiveScore Bet, Liverpudlians have the lowest percentage of knockout loses of any city in the United Kingdom.
The record of Scouse boxers puts them ahead of their counterparts in Nottingham, London, and Birmingham, with only 13% of their losses coming via KO or TKO.
Paddy Pimblett: The Scouse Conor McGregor?
Since his UFC debut in September 2021, 27-year-old Pimblett has maintained a knockout-free record.
Another first-round win followed, this time against Rodrigo Vargas in the co-main event of Aspinall’s triumph.
Despite losing three of his first 21 fights, Pimblett’s devil-may-care personality and crazy antics have earned him more than a million Instagram followers, making him the most popular bantamweight in the world.
READ MORE: Paddy Pimblett discusses his upcoming fight with Jordan Leavitt at UFC London with “Divvy” Rishi Sunak, Jake Paul, and Darwin Nunez.
When asked this week about his future in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pimblett said he is already a huge pay-per-view star who will be away from the UK for an extended period of time before he comes to Liverpool’s Anfield stadium to fight.
Conor McGregor’s nemesis, Jordan Leavitt, is the next opponent for the newcomer who has refused comparisons to the sport’s most famous fighter.
According to Pimblett, “kids look at [McGregor] and see a huge, hard dude with tons of tattoos.” “Kids have long, floppy hair and no tattoos. They understand me.”
Molly McCann: ‘Meatball’ MMA star targeting champions
There is a long-standing friendship between McCann and Pimblett, who train together at Next Generation MMA in Liverpool.
For them, they are ambassadors for their city and role models for young people from poorer backgrounds, who look up to them with admiration and admiration.
This weekend, Molly McCann will share the O2 Arena with her best friend Paddy Pimblett for another UFC London event.
When McCann first entered the octagon in 2015, she won the Cage Warriors flyweight title in her final bout before joining the UFC in 2018.
An impressive victory over Luana Carolina in March catapulted McCann’s already strong status into new territory. As a professional, she has lost three matches, two by decision and one via submission.
In her opinion, McCann is miles behind Valentina Shevchenko, but she made it clear this week that she intends to earn the belt, starting with a fight with Hannah Goldy at the O2.
Which UK fighters have lit up the UFC?
Bisping is the only British fighter to win a UK title, knocking out Luke Rockhold in 2016 to earn the middleweight belt. He is currently a well-known pundit.
There have been many exciting competitors who have tried to replicate him after Bisping’s induction into the UFC Hall of Fame.
Additionally, a victory on Saturday will increase the possibilities of Pimblett, Mokaev and Aspinall becoming the second UK champion.
He has beaten Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz and is frequently regarded as a potential candidate for Kamaru Usman’s welterweight championship.
Ross Pearson made a name for himself fighting in the UFC for nine years after winning The Ultimate Fighter in 2009. He was recognized for his emotional fights with Edson Barboza, among others, during that time.
UFC London competitor Nathaniel Wood’s inspiration, Brad Pickett, was repeatedly praised by the promotion’s president, Dana White.
Darren Till, Dan Hardy, and Joanne Wood were the first Scottish UFC fighters in December 2013 when they challenged Tyron Woodley and Georges St-Pierre, respectively.