UFC 286 is announced for London on March 18 next year
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UFC 286 is announced for London on March 18 next year, with Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman’s big trilogy fight expected to headline
- Leon Edwards became welterweight champion by defeating Kamaru Usman
- ‘Rocky’ seems ready to return to his homeland and try to defend the belt in the trilogy fight
- The UFC has officially announced that London will host a numbered card in March
- It will be the first numbered event in Great Britain since Michael Bisping vs Dan Henderson.
UFC 286 will take place in London on March 18 next year, in the first numbered event to be held in Britain since Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson in 2016.
The organization confirmed the widely expected news, particularly after Dana White outlined his intentions earlier this year.
The UFC president has seen two wildly successful cards staged at the O2 Arena in 2022 and it’s no surprise another event has been booked.
Leon Edwards is expected to headline the UFC 286 card in London next year on March 18.
Edwards claimed the welterweight belt by knocking out Kamaru Usman earlier this year.
No fights have been announced at this stage, but it will almost certainly be headlined by the Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman trilogy.
Edwards shocked the world when he knocked out the former welterweight champion with a head kick, reclaiming his belt in August.
He had been losing the fight before the fifth round was over, but he delivered the killing blow when it mattered.
It was the first loss of Usman’s UFC career and the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ will be desperate to regain his place at the top.
In terms of numbered events, UFC 284 will be the first since UFC 204 to take place in the UK.
The O2 Arena played host twice in 2022 with Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann winning
Bisping defended his middleweight title against Henderson in Manchester, on an undercard that began in the early hours of the morning to accommodate foreign television audiences.
It remains to be seen if the UFC will go for a similar strategy this time around.
Tickets will be available for general sale on January 27 via AXS and Ticketmaster, with Fight Club members getting priority on January 25, followed by early bird on January 26.
There is a wide variety of British talent making waves in the UFC and many of them graced the O2 Arena this year.
The likes of Paddy Pimblett, Molly McCann, Muhammad Mokaev, Arnold Allen, Paul Craig and many more are likely to be pushing to compete in what will undoubtedly be a momentous night.
Muhammad Mokaev (left) is among the British talents who could compete on the card.