So it’s nearly time for the UFC to take over London; this building has held 6 events previous, UFC 75, 85, 95, 120 and a fight night back in 2014 and another in 2016. A year later, and here we are for a 7th time. Here is the breakdown of what promises to be a huge night of fights.
Preliminary card
(Middleweight) Bradley Scott vs Scott Askham: Starting off with two fighters who are familiar figures to the UK’s audience; Bradley Scott from Bath, Somerset, with a 10 – 4 – 0 record, was the Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes runner-up is not one for winning by decision, either he wins with a finish or doesn’t. West Yorkshire’s Scott Askham on the other hand has an impressive 14 – 3 – 0 and is also a former UCFC and BAMMA middleweight champion and is a known for KO’s. Both men lost their last fight respectively, but Bradley hasn’t fought in over a year. Will his ring rust have an impact on the outcome?
(Bantamweight) Ian Entwistle vs Brett Johns: A very interesting bout, Johns is 25 and 13 – 0 – 0 in his MMA career and 4 – 0 – 0 in his amateur MMA career, the Welshman is also known for going the distance with 7 of his victories coming from decisions. Accrington’s Entwistle is known 9 – 3 – 0 and is known for Jiu-jitsu, with 7 victories coming from submissions. Like Bradley Scott, Entwistle hasn’t fought in just under a year so rust will play a part, he was meant to fight at UFC 204 but fell ill during the weight cutting process, hopefully this won’t happen again. As for Brett Johns, given his age and record, he could be a future star in the bantamweight division.
(Welterweight) Leon Edwards vs Vincente Luque: The first fight on the card to feature a non-British or Irish fighter. Vincente Luque has an MMA Record 11 – 5 – 1, the Brazilian has 2 performance of the nights to his name. His opponent, Birmingham’s Leon Edwards; is a former BAMMA Welterweight champion and has one performance of the night to his name. His record stands at 12 – 3 – 0 with his last two fights being victories. However, Luque is on a four fight win streak currently.
(Middleweight) Tom Breese vs Oluwale Bamgbose: The other Middleweight bout on the card. A very interesting test for Breese. This will obviously be the fan favourite in this one representing Birmingham and a former BAMMA and CWFC alumni; before his last fight he was 10 – 0 – 0, sadly he lost to Sean Strickland at UFC 199; can he get back to winning ways? I can assure you it won’t be easy. Bamgbose is 6 – 2 – 0; all 6 wins knockouts, all of them over in the first round; Bamgbose also lost his last fight to Cezar Ferreira, he too will be wanting to get back to winning ways. A contender for performance of the night.
(Lightweight) Marc Diakiese vs Teemu Packalen: Two very impressive fighters with very impressive records. Packalen is 29 and has a 8 – 1 – 0 record while, Diakiese is coming in with an undefeated 11 – 0 – 0 record. Both have a lot on the line. A contender for performance of the night.
(Heavyweight) Daniel Omielanczuk vs Timothy Johnson: The only heavyweight bout on the card and the first of two fights not to feature British or Irish fighters. Omielanczuk is a seasoned fighter, fighting in promotions all over the world and has been fighting in the UFC since 2014. He has a record of 19 – 6 – 1 (1). Timothy Johnson has a record of 10 – 3 – 0, both fighters are experienced but they don’t have much to show bar wins/losses this is a perfect opportunity for both to make an impact.
(Light Heavyweight) Darren Stewart vs Francimar Barroso: The First of two light heavyweight bouts; the other being the main event. Back in November these two fought to a N/C due to an inadvertent headbutt from Stewart. Stewart is currently on a 7 – 0 – 0 (1) to his name and is on a role currently. Barroso is the more experienced of the two, he has a record of 18 – 5 – 0 (1) and is a two time light heavyweight champion for both SHOOTO and WCOS. Hopefully this ends with a decisive winner.
(Lightweight) Joseph Duffy vs Reza Madadi: Could potentially be another performance of the night contender; Joseph Duffy has an impressive record, with a background in Pro boxing, kick-boxing and holds a victory over current lightweight champion Conor McGregor. With an MMA record 16 – 2 – 0; given his background, you would think he is a predominant striker, but has shown in the Octagon that he is proficient in Jiu-jitsu with 10 of his wins being submissions. Madadi, 9 years Duffy’s senior, however has a 14 – 4 – 0 record, with a submission win over Michael Johnson. He also has an X-Fight Welterweight and SC Lightweight belt to his name. He has come back from adversity with a heart-related illness and an eye injury. Definitely one the fights worth checking out on the night; it’s no surprise it’s main-eventing the prelims.
My main card breakdown will be out next week in advance of what should be a full night of action in London, be sure to watch the Prelims on Fight Pass and the Main Card on BT Sport, plus checkout whoatv.com throughout the week for updates and video coverage on the build-up. And be sure to let us know what you think of our breakdown below or on Facebook or twitter @whoatv.