UFC: Fight Night Heads to London

Welterweights are on deck in the main event for Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night overseas event live from the O2 Arena in London. Darren Till looks to bounce back from a championship title loss last September as he takes on no. 11 ranked welterweight Jorge Masvidal. UFC Fight Night London begins with the prelims at 10 a.m. Pacific time leading up to the main card at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.

Till suffered the only loss of his career last September against then-champion Tyron Woodley. Before that, Till was riding a four-fight win streak and had captured a win in his past 16 of 17 bouts. The only mark on his record was a draw in 2015.  In an interview with Brett Okamoto of ESPN, Till says, “”You learn from your mistakes. I’ve learned, gravely. I could have touched that title and I didn’t. And it hurts. But we learn from that.” Now, with the pressure of a title fight in the rear-view mirror for now, he turns his eyes to the always dangerous Masvidal.

Masvidal is on a two-fight skid. The always entertaining scrapper is a tough man to finish, and his most recent losses have come from an inability to establish a game plan. His last two fights have ended in decision losses. The last time Masvidal entered the octagon was last November. He had been away recording a game show during his absence from the sport.

Now, with both fighters ready to continue their path towards a title shot, fans should expect fireworks. Both fighters prefer to standup so look for the fight to remain standing. Odds right now have Till as the favorite.

Also on the card is the co-main event between rising welterweights Leon Edwards and Gunnar Nelson. Edwards is on a six-fight win streak while Nelson has won his last 3 of 4. This is an entertaining bout that will offer all displays of martial arts. Nelson is very skilled on the ground and his submission skills are top tier. If this fight stays standing, Edwards carries the advantage. However, if the fight ends up on the ground, look for Nelson to have the advantage.

The main card wraps up with light heavyweights Volkan Oezdemir and Dominick Reyes fighting for a chance to be ranked in the top five. And unranked bantamweights Nathaniel Wood and Jose Quinonez meet in an exciting bantamweight bout that should be fast paced.