The UK has produced some of the best fighters the world has ever seen, such as Michael Venom Page, who is currently signed up to the American MMA Company Bellator. However, the two most known who have made a name for themselves currently fight in the biggest stage known of the UFC: Brad Pickett, who fights in the UFC bantamweight division, and Michael Bisping the current UFC Middleweight champion.
UFC elite roster
East London has hosted some of the best events in the country, such as Cage Warriors or UCMMA. It means the local MMA fighters will be part of the UFC elite roster, as the UFC is set to host an event in the 02 arena in March.
The 02 Arena is a very important venue for MMA in London and has witnessed some big fights in the past. The first ever UFC event to be hosted at the 02 was UFC 75, which was a major fight between Quinton Jackson and Dan Henderson. The card was also stacked with world-class talent such as Mirko Cro Crop and the UK’s very own Bisping.
It was a huge event as UFC had just bought out Pride and the winner of the fight would walk out with both belts. This event triggered huge following in the UK and to this day, the 02 is known to be one of the best arenas for the UFC.
Career Starter
The 02 arena has helped a lot of fighters to kickstart their careers. A great example of this is Bisping when he went up against the Brazilian Anderson Silva, who at the time was considered to be one of the best of all time. This was a huge fight for Bisping and the UK UFC fans, as Bisping could become the first-ever British champion in the UFC.
The card was stacked with great British talent such as Tom Breese, Mike Wilkinson and Brad Pickett, but everyone’s eyes were set at arguably the greatest English MMA fighter of all time. The Englishman eventually won by unanimous decision against Silva, which helped the UK to be put on the UFC map.
A British fighter who is looking to make a huge impact at the 02 is number-four ranked light heavyweight, Jimi Manuwa who is set to face off Corey Anderson. This would be a huge fight for Manuwa as he looks to follow the footsteps of Michael Bisping on Saturday 18th March.
