UFC London Main Card Preview

Published by Paul Browne on March 19, 2025

London Calling

The UFC returns to British shores for its annual London event this Saturday, with a pivotal matchup in the welterweight division topping the bill.

Let’s take a look at the fights that make up the main card at The O2 Arena this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 255.

Main Event – Leon Edwards vs. Sean Brady

It’s do-or-die time for former UFC champion Leon Edwards in the main event. Edwards (22-4 MMA, 14-3 UFC) had been riding the second-longest winning streak in welterweight history (13) before he was dethroned by Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 last July. While there may be some truth in his claims that fighting in the small hours of the morning (British time) hindered his performance, he won’t be afforded any sympathy should he fail to capitalize on this opportunity on Saturday.

Sean Brady (17-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC), who is stepping in as a short-notice replacement after Jack Della Maddalena was promoted to fight for the title at UFC 315 on May 10, knows he has a golden opportunity to upset the apple cart.

If Brady gets his hand raised against a former titleholder in his second UFC Fight Night main event, he will have a legitimate case to call for a title shot afterward.

Co-Main Event – Jan Błachowicz vs. Carlos Ulberg

42-year-old Jan Błachowicz (29-10-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC) returns after the longest layoff of his career (602 days) to face rising light heavyweight contender Carlos Ulberg (10-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in the co-main event.

Błachowicz held the 205-pound title for over a year between 2020 and 2021. The Polish fighter failed to reclaim the top spot when his bout against Magomed Ankalaev for the vacant belt at UFC 282 ended in a draw.

This Saturday’s fight will test Błachowicz’s power against the volume and precision of Ulberg, who, at 7.28 significant strikes per minute, has the highest strike rate in UFC light heavyweight history.

Kevin Holland vs. Gunnar Nelson

Grappling phenom Gunnar Nelson (19-5-1 MMA, 10-5 UFC) will make his first walk to the Octagon in two years when he faces one of the most active fighters in the UFC today, Kevin Holland (26-13 MMA, 13-10 UFC).

Nelson has only competed twice since September 2019, while “Trailblazer” has fought in the UFC twenty times since then.

With seven submission wins to his name, Nelson holds the record for the most submissions in welterweight history. Holland enters this bout fresh off a first-round submission loss to former ONE Championship titleholder Reinier de Ridder and moves back to 170 pounds after fighting at middleweight in his last three outings.

Molly McCann vs. Alexia Thainara

Fan favorite Molly McCann (14-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) returns for her third outing since dropping to 115 pounds at the beginning of 2024.

“Meatball” has gone 1-1 in the strawweight division so far and has earned a “Performance of the Night” bonus for her past four UFC wins. She is also one of only two fighters (Ricardo Ramos being the other) to have finished two fights with spinning back elbows.

Alexia Thainara (11-1) makes her UFC debut on short notice, stepping in to replace Istela Nunes.

Jordan Vucenic vs. Chris Duncan

Former Cage Warriors featherweight champion Jordan Vucenic (13-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will look for his first win inside the Octagon when he faces Scotland’s Chris Duncan (12-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) on Saturday.

Vucenic made his UFC debut on short notice, moving up a weight class last August to face Guram Kutateladze in Abu Dhabi. “The Epidemic,” who shared a fascinating rivalry with PFL star Paul Hughes in Cage Warriors, gave a good account of himself in that defeat but will be eager to get his hand raised this weekend to solidify his status as a UFC fighter.

Nathaniel Wood vs. Morgan Charrière

Two more former Cage Warriors champions face off in the main card opener as Morgan Charrière (20-10-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) takes on Nathaniel Wood (20-6 MMA, 8-3 UFC).

Wood won the 135-pound title in Cage Warriors and entered the UFC as a bantamweight. However, he has gone 4-1 since moving up to 145 pounds in 2022.