Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall could have a serious impact on the UFC heavyweight division, but it's not the only fight worth watching at UFC London. UFC is set to host a Fight Night card at the O2 Arena in London, England on Saturday, March 19.
UFC London offers a lot of variety to fight fans. Arnold Allen is primed for a run for title contention at featherweight while Dan Hooker seeks to reinvent himself a weight class down. WrestleMania is around the corner, but PaddyMania is running wild at the O2 Arena as the polarizing Paddy Pimblett makes his sophomore appearance for the promotion. Ilia Topuria, who is on the cusp of the featherweight top 15, moves up a weight class to fight a lightweight knockout artist.
Let's take a look at three fights to keep an eye on at UFC London.
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Arnold Allen vs. Dan Hooker
Allen and Hooker have a lot at stake in Saturday's co-main event. Allen has snuck his way into the featherweight elite with a perfect 8-0 run in the UFC. The fights have often been unspectacular, but his wins are convincing. Hooker is in desperate need of a reboot following a 1-3 slump at lightweight. A victory over a highly-ranked opponent one division down will mend much of the damage done to Hooker's status as a title contender over the last two years. Activity may be the only thing that has held Allen back this long. The Englishman has only competed once a year, with the exception of two fights in 2019, dating all the way back to his 2015 debut. Hooker has been far more active, competing two-to-three times every year since signing with UFC in 2014. Hooker is an all-action fighter never content with a slow, plodding fight. Expect Hooker to bring the best out of Allen. This is a big opportunity for Allen to absorb Hooker's name value or for Hooker to immediately insert himself into the featherweight top 10.
Paddy Pimblett vs. Rodrigo Vargas
Pimblett is the people's champion, particularly in his native England. "The Baddy" made his UFC debut in September to plenty of fanfare, delivering with his brash personality and unique presentation. The former Cage Warriors champion pencilled an exciting UFC debut against Luigi Vendramini. Pimblett bounced back from earlier adversity and knocked his opponent out in the first round. It was far from a perfect performance, but the thrill and chaos go hand-in-hand with Pimblett's appeal. This fight is set up as a showcase for Pimblett. If he can't get past Vargas (12-4 in MMA, 1-2 in UFC), PImblett's longterm UFC potential will be in doubt.
Jai Herbert vs. Ilia Topuria
One can make the argument that outside of Aspinall, Topuria is the fighter on Saturday's card with the highest ceiling. A perfect 11-0 in his pro career, Topuria -- who is moving up to lightweight for this contest -- should be fighting ranked opposition. He beat Damon Jackson and Ryan Hall, the latter of whom was regularly avoided by contenders, in his second and third UFC fights. Herbert maybe 1-2 in the Octagon, but he has consistently faced tough competition in Khama Worthy (his sole UFC win), Renato Moicano and Fransisco Trinaldo. If you are going to watch one fight on the UFC Fight Night prelims, this should be it. Topuria is championship material and a win over Herbert should be a launching pad into a top-15 fight at featherweight. But hey, perhaps Herbert pulls off the upset and takes Topuria's momentum with him.
Who wins Volkov vs. Aspinall? And what other picks do you need to see? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed top picks on UFC Fight Night, all from the insider who's up more than $10,000 on MMA picks the past two years, and find out.
