*Leon Edwards knocks out Kamaru Usman with a perfectly placed head kick. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

The UFC heads to the 02 Arena in London, England, with an outstanding Fight Night card. From start to finish, this card is packed with fascinating matchups, rising stars, and established names, all vying for a victory under the bright lights. In the co-main event, former champion and perennial contender Jan Błachowicz faces off against the powerful, red-hot Carlos Ulberg. In the main event, former Welterweight champion Leon Edwards steps back into the octagon against an exceptional grappler and rising star, Sean Brady. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Nathaniel Wood vs. Morgan Charrière

*Nathaniel Wood cracks Charles Jourdain with a straight right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Featherweight Bout

Nathaniel Wood: 20-6-0, 8 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Morgan Charrière: 20-10-1, 12 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Wood has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Andre Fili (24-12-0), Charles Jourdain (16-8-1), and Charles Rosa (16-8-0). He’s a well-rounded scrapper with technical striking and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He’s constantly moving, feinting, and switching stances, often looking to counterstrike. Wood will throw constant leg kicks before darting into the pocket to throw combinations, continually looking to land shots with his lead hand. Training at GB Top Team, he’s averaging over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes, has excellent transitions and reversals, and is tough to take down, having defended 72% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC. He has excellent cardio, pushes a consistent pace throughout the fight, and always remains technical. Wood has landed, on average, about 79 significant strikes in his last five fights and loves to hang in the pocket and let his hands go.

*Morgan Charrière tags Gabriel Miranda with a jab. Credit: Ag. Fight.*

Charrière has won four of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Manolo Zecchini (11-4-0) and Gabriel Miranda (17-7-0). A bit of an internet celebrity in France, he has accumulated a solid following and is a former Cage Warriors Featherweight champion. Training with Team Chapa Quente, he’s a technical striker with substantial power in his hands and brutal leg kicks. Charrière has excellent footwork and is very defensively sound, never taking much damage and always keeping his head off the centerline. He will remain calm and technical throughout and won’t get pulled into dogfights, typically forcing his opponents to the outside and picking them apart. On the ground, he has great top control and heavy ground and pound, particularly elbows. Charrière has gone five rounds multiple times in his career and has great cardio, often increasing his pace as the fight continues.

Jordan Vucenic vs. Chris Duncan

*Jordan Vucenic lands a powerful right hook on Guram Kutateladze. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Lightweight Bout

Jordan Vucenic: 13-3-0, 2 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Chris Duncan: 12-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Vucenic has won four of his last five outings and is looking for his first UFC victory. He’s a well-rounded fighter with exceptional striking and dangerous submissions. He holds the center well and constantly presses forward, always pushing a heavy pace without getting sloppy. Vucenic regularly switches stances and stays patient, looking for openings before blitzing in with heavy hooks. He has excellent timing on his takedowns and typically lands them quickly, often from the clinch. Training at Blood Sweat and Tears, he has heavy control in top position and advances quickly, constantly posturing to land ground and pound or pursue submissions. Vucenic is always dangerous but heats up as the fight continues, securing six of his eight finishes after round one.

*Chris Duncan connects with a thudding right hand on Yanal Ashmouz. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Duncan has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Yanal Ashmouz (8-1-0), Bolaji Oki (9-2-0), and Omar Morales (11-4-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter with a solid wrestling game and dangerous power in his hands. He’s constantly pressuring forward, remaining patient, and looking for openings before unloading overhands and hooks. Duncan has one-shot knockout power and can produce a knockout at any moment. Training at American Top Team, he’s averaging over three takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and has heavy top and clinch control. He’s always working to improve position or land damage when he’s on top. Duncan has great cardio and will push a consistent pace across all fifteen minutes.

Molly McCann vs. Alexia Thainara

*Molly McCann secures a vicious armbar on Diana Belbita. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Women’s Strawweight Bout

Molly McCann: 14-7-0, 6 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Alexia Thainara: 11-1-0, 1 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

McCann has won two of her last five bouts and has UFC victories over Diana Belbita (15-9-0), Luana Carolina (11-4-0), and Ariane Da Silva (17-10-0). She is the textbook definition of a brawler, always looking to close the distance and let heavy combinations fly. She throws everything with power and rarely throws single shots, varying her attack well between the head and body. Training at Next Generation UK, she’s constantly pressing forward and is more than willing to eat a shot to land one, regularly staying on the inside and exchanging punches. She has a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is averaging nearly two takedowns landed per fight in the UFC. When it goes to the mat, she has heavy top control, brutal ground and pound, and a solid submission game. Four of McCann’s last five outings have ended in round one and she always comes out guns blazing.

*Alexia Thainara connects with a clean right hand on Rose Conceiḉão. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Thainara is on a nine-fight win streak and making her UFC debut. She’s a well-rounded scrapper with impressive power in her hands and excellent takedowns. She’s always coming forward, regularly dipping her head to unload looping hooks and overhands. Thainara has solid cardio and pushes a heavy pace throughout, throwing every punch with power and purpose. Training with the Ribas Family, she will constantly look to close the distance or clinch up to pursue takedowns. She has excellent timing and top control, able to land takedowns in open space and maintain top position. Thainara has secured four of her seven finishes after the first round and is always dangerous.

Gunnar Nelson vs. Kevin Holland

*Gunnar Nelson pursues a rear naked choke on Takashi Sato. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Welterweight Bout

Gunnar Nelson: 19-5-1, 4 KO/TKO, 13 Sub.

Kevin Holland: 26-13-0, 13 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Nelson has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Bryan Barberena (18-12-0), Takashi Sato (16-7-0), and Alan Jouban (17-7-0). He’s an excellent grappler with flashy striking and lethal submissions. He utilizes a karate style on the feet, using a split stance while constantly moving and keeping his hands low before blitzing forward with punches. Nelson will typically float along the outside the cage before looking to clinch up and pursue takedowns. Training at Mjolnir, he’s averaging nearly two takedowns landed per fight, has smothering top control, and is constantly working in top position to set up a submission. He’s extremely fluid on the mat and can easily transition from position to position without losing control of his opponent. Nelson has been in the UFC since 2012 and has the most submission wins in UFC Welterweight history with seven and the highest significant strike accuracy in UFC Welterweight history at 61%.

*Kevin Holland unloads ground and pound onto Alex Oliveira. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Holland has won one of his last five fights and has wins over #6 ranked Welterweight Joaquin Buckley (21-6-0), #8 ranked Middleweight Anthony Hernandez (14-2-0), and Michael Chiesa (20-7-0). A wild scrapper who’s comfortable anywhere the fight goes, he’s always dangerous and constantly pursuing a finish. He’s an aggressive striker, throwing everything in combination, and is always willing to brawl. Holland does a great job of moving in and out of the pocket without taking much damage, but he has no problem hanging in close to exchange on the inside. Training at Travis Lutter BJJ, he tends to throw kicks at range, using his legs to set up his hands, often throwing kicks naked or at the start of a combination. He holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has a slick submission game, possessing particularly lethal chokes. Holland is one of the most active fighters in MMA, having fought 24 times in the UFC since 2018, and has earned eight post-fight bonuses in his promotional tenure.

#3 Jan Błachowicz vs. #6 Carlos Ulberg

*Jan Błachowicz lands a cracking left hook on Alex Pereira. Credit: MMA India.*

Light Heavyweight

Jan Błachowicz: 29-10-1, 9 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Carlos Ulberg: 12-1-0, 8 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Błachowicz has won two of his last five bouts with one draw and has wins over #4 ranked Middleweight Israel Adesanya (24-5-0), #5 ranked Light Heavyweight Aleksandar Rakić (14-5-0), and #8 ranked Light Heavyweight Nikita Krylov (30-9-0). He is an excellent kickboxer with serious power in his hands and kicks. He has great footwork and does an excellent job of stalking his opponents and cutting off the cage, always letting his hands go when he enters the pocket. Training with Berkut WCA Fight Team, Błachowicz has one-punch knockout power and does a great job of varying his shots, attacking the head and body evenly. He’s averaging just over one takedown landed per fight and is a capable grappler, possessing a black belt in BJJ and excellent takedowns. Błachowicz has great cardio and has gone five rounds multiple times in the UFC, making him constantly dangerous.

*Carlos Ulberg stuns Da Woon Jung with a powerful left hook. Credit: Newsweek.*

Ulberg is on a seven-fight win streak and has UFC victories over #9 ranked Light Heavyweight Volkan Oezdemir (20-8-0), Da Woon Jung (15-6-1), and Nicolae Negumereanu (13-2-0). He’s an accurate, technical striker with excellent power and speed. He remains patient and technical throughout, floating on the outside, looking for openings, and throwing everything straight and tight. Training at City Kickboxing, Ulberg will often lure his opponent into a slower pace before exploding with huge shots. He fights behind his jab, has excellent distance management, and is in perpetual motion. He won’t usually initiate grappling exchanges but is capable on the mat and has solid defensive grappling. Ulberg has only been to two decisions in his eight-fight UFC tenure and constantly pursues a finish.

#1 Leon Edwards vs. #5 Sean Brady

*Leon Edwards lands a stinging head kick on Colby Covington. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Welterweight Bout

Leon Edwards: 22-4-0, 7 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Sean Brady: 17-1-0, 3 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Edwards has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #3 ranked Welterweight Kamaru Usman (20-4-0), #9 ranked Welterweight Colby Covington (17-5-0), and Rafael Dos Anjos (32-17-0). He is a very polished striker, holding the sixth fastest finish in UFC history, scoring an 8-second KO in his second UFC fight, and is dangerous across all 25 minutes. He has excellent volume striking, outlanding eight of his last ten opponents and averaging about 71 significant strikes landed in his last five fights. Edwards has excellent takedown defense and is most comfortable on his feet, but is solid on the mat and willing to grapple. Averaging over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes, he has heavy ground and pound and holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Training at Renegade MMA, he throws every shot with purpose and won’t overextend, remaining technical throughout the fight. Edwards has reached the fifth round in five consecutive fights and can push a consistent pace across 25 minutes.

*Sean Brady secures a double leg takedown on Michael Chiesa. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Brady has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #8 ranked Welterweight Gilbert Burns (22-8-0), Kelvin Gastelum (19-9-0), and Jake Matthews (21-7-0). He is an excellent grappler, averaging over three takedowns landed per fifteen minutes in the UFC, and has controlled nearly every opponent he’s faced. Training at Renzo Gracie Philly, he advances incredibly quickly on the ground and remains patient on top, using smothering top control to find submission openings. Four of Brady’s five submission wins have come via some form of choke, so the fight is over if he can get a hold of his opponent’s neck. He utilizes a boxing style on the feet, not moving his feet much but throwing constant feints with his hands. While he prefers to take the fight to the mat, he won’t get desperate for takedowns and is willing to engage on the feet. Most of Brady’s finishes have come after round one, usually heating up as the fight continues.

Best Bets

Gunnar Nelson Moneyline: An intriguing matchup of two vastly different fighters; I’m looking forward to this fight. Although both are well-rounded, Holland prefers to keep it standing, using his length and striking to get the job done, while Nelson favors grappling and utilizing his submission game. Although Holland possesses a significant reach and height advantage, Nelson is the all-around more technical and skilled fighter of the two. He rarely engages in brawls and never gets sloppy, two things you see in virtually every Kevin Holland fight. Holland has also struggled mightily lately with both strikers and grapplers, most recently being submitted in the first round by UFC newcomer Reinier de Ridder. I expect Nelson to remain patient and technical throughout, weathering the wild tendencies of Holland. I anticipate Nelson landing multiple takedowns, controlling Holland on the ground, and earning a victory on Saturday night.

Jan Błachowicz Moneyline: In this fight, we’ll see a classic matchup of established veteran versus rising star, and both men are rarely in a bad fight. Both are at very different positions in their career: Błachowicz is a former champion who’s been at the top for a few years now, while this is Ulberg’s opportunity to establish himself as a legitimate title contender. Although Ulberg does have the advantage of youth, he’s at a severe disadvantage in terms of experience. Four of Błachowicz's last five fights have been against current or former UFC champions, and four of his previous six outings were with gold on the line. Alternatively, Ulberg has a single win over a ranked opponent in his last fight over Volkan Oezdemir, exclusively facing other prospects until now. Ulberg has also never faced an opponent with the grappling pedigree of Błachowicz, let alone someone nearly as well-rounded. I expect Błachowicz to put a heavy pace on Ulberg early, engaging striking exchanges but also regularly mixing in takedowns and clinches. Ultimately, I anticipate Błachowicz wearing Ulberg down with his pace and wrestling en route to a victory.

Sean Brady Moneyline: An excellent matchup of two highly-skilled fighters, this is a fantastic way to cap off the card. By far, this is the toughest fight on the card to predict, and I expect it to be competitive. There were nearly opposite takeaways from these fighters' most recent appearances: Brady seemed significantly improved in the previous fight against Gilbert Burns, particularly with his striking. On the other hand, Edwards was dominated for nearly five rounds by Belal Muhammad, being taken down nine times and controlled for over twelve minutes. Although Brady’s grappling advantage is obvious, Edwards’ striking advantage may be a bit overstated, with many casual fans still viewing Brady as a pure grappler despite constant improvements. While I anticipate plenty of takedowns from Brady, I also envision some spirited striking exchanges on the feet. I expect Brady to fight his fight, utilizing constant forward pressure, heavy boxing, and powerful wrestling, countering Edwards' technical, slick striking. I believe Brady will be able to control Edwards, slow down his pace, and earn a massive victory over a former champion.

UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Brady