The worst-kept secret in MMA is finally official: the UFC will return to London, England later this summer.
On Thursday, the promotion announced its return to the British capital on social media. The show will take place on Saturday, July 23, 2022, once again at the O2 Arena.
It was SOOOO good we're doing it again! 🇬🇧
We're back at #UFCLondon on Sat 23 July! Don't miss out! Register now for early access to tickets ⤵️
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) April 28, 2022
For weeks, rumors have swirled about the July date. In March, the UFC arrived in London for a Fight Night event capped off by Tom Aspinall versus Alexander Volkov. The first Fight Night event outside of Las Vegas this year, and the first European event since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, UFC London on March 19 was heralded as one of the best Fight Night cards of all time.
An enthused Dana White said following the event that the UFC would return to London in 2022 “as soon as possible.” He’s staying true to his word.
While no fights have been officially announced for the card, Mohammad Mokaev vs. LFA champ Charles Johnson was previously reported for the date. Mokaev made his promotional debut on the March card in London, submitting Cody Durden after dropping him with a flying knee.
That effort saw Mokaev become one of nine Performance of the Night winners that evening, an unheard of amount given the promotion generally just awards two such bonuses, and occasionally four when no Fight of the Night is declared.
The only other bout rumored for the date sees Nikita Krylov facing Alexander Gustafsson, per a report by Sweden’s Frontkick Online. Gustafsson had been paired up for a heavyweight bout against “Big” Ben Rothwell, but Rothwell recently requested and was granted his release by the promotion.
With the March event topped by Tom Aspinall and packed with British stars including Aspinall, Arnold Allen, Paddy Pimblett, and Molly McCann, there’s a good chance some of the same names could make their way back to the O2 in July.
