10 memorable UFC moments that took place in England
Everytime the UFC goes to England, there's an electric crowd in attendance. Some of the most memorable moments in UFC history have taken place on British soil. Let's take a look back at 10 of them.
Jorge Masvidal puts Darren Till to sleep
When Jorge Masvidal and Darren Till signed to fight each other, they both had chips on their shoulders. Masvidal was on a 16-month layoff after losing to Stephen Thompson while Till had suffered the first loss of his career in a title fight against Tyron Woodley. During his layoff, Masvidal was a contestant on a Latin reality tv show. It was during this time that Masvidal found greatness in isolation. He had no tv, no phone, and no distractions. It was just him and his thoughts. He reinvented his fighting style and was on a mission to resurrect his career. Masvidal had no issue with going to Darren Till’s backyard to fight him. He grew up fighting in other people's backyards. Till dropped Masvidal with the first punch he threw but Masvidal quickly recovered. It was in the 2nd round where Masvidal charged at Till and finished him by knockout. The arena went quiet as they saw Till lay unconscious on the canvas. This was the beginning of Masvidal’s 2019 run as the fighter of the year.
Michael Bisping gets his revenge
In 2009, Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson were opposing coaches on the 9th season of The Ultimate Fighter. As was often the case with Bisping, he trash-talked Henderson leading up to the fight which made the fight even bigger. The two were scheduled to compete at UFC 100 which at the time was the biggest blockbuster event in UFC history. There were a lot of new fans tuning in that night and it was a major opportunity for all fighters on the card. Going into the fight, Bisping only had 1 loss on his record and that was a split decision. Henderson brutally finished Bisping by knockout with a big right hand and a vicious follow up while Bisping was already out. Many believed that Bisping would never be the same after this loss. Though he heard the doubt, Bisping never cared for it. He continued to push forward and eventually became the UFC Middleweight Champion. For his first title defense, he was scheduled to rematch Dan Henderson at UFC 204 in his hometown of Manchester, England. The stakes were as high as they could possibly be. Henderson dropped Bisping in the 1st round and it seemed like the rematch was going to end like the first fight. However, Bisping remained calm and battled back to earn a unanimous decision win in a close fight. This would be the final win of Bisping’s career and the final fight of Henderson’s career.
Gabriel Gonzaga head kicks Mirko Crocop
Some fighters are synonymous with certain weapons. Conor McGregor’s left hand, Dan Henderson’s H-Bomb, and Mirko Crocop’s head kick. When Mirko Crocop joined the UFC in 2007, he was coming off of a year where he was considered the 2006 fighter of the year at PRIDE FC. He made his successful UFC debut against Eddie Sanchez at UFC 67, then was scheduled to fight Gabriel Gonzago at UFC 70 in Manchester, England. Many viewed Gonzaga as a tune-up opponent, as all eyes were on a potential Heavyweight title fight between Mirko Crocop and reigning champion Randy Couture. Gonzaga ended those conversations immediately when he finished Mirko Crocop with a vicious head kick knockout. Fans expected Crocop to finish Gonzaga with a head kick but it was the other way around. Crocop was never the same after this fight.
Michael Bisping defeats the GOAT
When Anderson Silva broke his leg against Chris Weidman, it was unclear if he’d ever come back the same fighter. When he defeated Nick Diaz in his return fight, Silva tested positive for PEDs and was suspended for 1 year. It was announced on Christmas Day in 2015 that Anderson Silva would return to action to fight Michael Bisping on a UFC Fight Pass exclusive event in February of 2016. Silva vs. Bisping was a fight that was talked about for years but never came to fruition. Any time Bisping seemed like he was 1 win away from challenging Silva for the Middleweight title, he lost. Though it wasn’t under the most ideal circumstances, Michael Bisping was finally getting his shot to compete against who many regarded as the greatest of all time. Bisping had let it be known from the very start that Silva’s mind games wouldn’t work on him. Anytime Silva tried to be friendly, Bisping would shut Silva down. They competed in a drama-filled fight where Bisping won a close unanimous decision. Bisping went on to become the Middleweight Champion in his next fight.
The UFC Champion vs. the PRIDE FC Champion
When Zuffa acquired PRIDE FC in 2007, they became the most dominant MMA organization on the planet. In addition to acquiring PRIDE, they also acquired many PRIDE fighters including 2 division PRIDE Champion Dan Henderson. When Rampage Jackson finished Chuck Liddell to become the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Dan Henderson walked into the Octagon with his two belts. A Light Heavyweight unification bout between Rampage and Henderson was set for UFC 75 in London, England. Rampage defeated Henderson by unanimous decision to become the first unified Champion in MMA history.
BJ Penn once again becomes the King
When BJ Penn became the UFC Welterweight Champion in January of 2004, he left the promotion as Champion. When he returned to the UFC 2 years later, he failed to reclaim his Welterweight title. After losing his rematch to Matt Hughes, Penn decided to move back down to the Lightweight division which was his natural weight class. After submitting Jens Pulver, Penn would earn an opportunity to compete for the vacant Lightweight Championship against Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 in Newcastle, England. At the time, Sean Sherk had just been stripped of the Lightweight title after testing positive for PEDs. Sherk was on commentary and would fight the winner of Penn and Stevenson. As soon as the fight began, BJ Penn brutalized Joe Stevenson. He dominated the entire fight then submitted him in the 2nd round to become the Lightweight Champion. With this win, Penn became the 2nd fighter in UFC history to win a UFC title in 2 weight divisions. He defeated Sean Sherk in his following fight.
Ian Freeman hands Frank Mir his first loss
When Dana White and the Fertitta brothers took over the UFC, they wanted to globally expand by hosting events in countries outside the US. The first international event they hosted was UFC 38 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. The event was attended by 3,800 fans. In the co-main event, England’s Ian Freeman would take on rising contender Frank Mir. During fight week, Freeman was going through an emotional roller coaster as his father was diagnosed with brain cancer and was told he only had 2 weeks to live. "The fight was a week away and I thought, 'Great, let me go do this fight, let me beat up Frank Mir, let me win and let me tell my dad I won and he'll die a happy man”. Losing was not an option for Freeman who was fighting for his father. Mir secured Freeman in a heel hook that made his knee pop, but Freeman refused to tap. He took control of the fight and finished Frank Mir by TKO in the 1st round, handing Mir his first loss. After the fight had ended, Freeman headed to the back of the arena to call his father to let him know the good news. His mother picked up the phone and let him know that his father died one day before the fight. It was his father’s dying wish that his family wouldn't share the news with him until after he had already defeated Frank Mir.
Matt Hughes defends his Welterweight title
During Matt Hughes’ road to the top of the sport, he was trained under the tutelage of Pat Miletich under the Miletich Fighting System. He watched Carlos Newtown defeat Miletich for the UFC Welterweight title in May of 2001. After Miletich was dethroned, Hughes was next in line to challenge for the title. Hughes defeated Carlos Newtown 6 months later to become the UFC Welterweight Champion. A rematch was booked between Hughes and Newton at UFC 38 in London, England. Hughes finished Newton by TKO in the 4th round to retain his title. This marked the first time that Hughes went past the 3rd round.
Carlos Condit stuns Dan Hardy
When Dan Hardy lost his Welterweight title shot to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 111, he was determined to work his way back to the top and once again compete for a title. In his first fight back, he would take on former WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit in front of his British fans in London, England. It was a matchup tailored for Hardy as Condit was a fellow striker. With approximately 30 seconds remaining in the 1st round, both Condit and Hardy threw left hooks at the same time. Hardy’s hook glanced Condit, while Condit’s hook landed flush and knocked Hardy out. Condit became a household name for the UFC after this fight.
Alexander Volkov finished Fabricio Werdum
Whenever a rising contender has an opportunity to fight a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, they have a chance at instantly elevating their career. This was the opportunity that Alexander Volkov had in March of 2018 when he fought Fabricio Werdum in London, England. Werdum was coming off of back to back wins against Walt Harris and Marcin Tybura and had his eyes set on another title shot. After losing the first 2 rounds, Volkov started to gain momentum. He took the fight to the 4th round and finished the former Champion by knockout. Volkov will once again return to London, England and main event a UFC card 4 years later when he takes on undefeated Tom Aspinall. Now Volkov is the veteran while Aspinall is the rising contender.
