UFC returns to London: Murphy vs. Evloev and more announced on March 21st

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The UFC has formally introduced that a number of bouts will happen on the London occasion on March twenty first on the O2 Enviornment, including depth to what shall be probably the most prolific worldwide playing cards of 2026.

The promotion introduced the total combat card on Monday, headlined by the undefeated featherweight showdown between Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy. The winner will possible get his subsequent title shot in opposition to champion Alexander Volkanovski, who defeated Diego Lopez by unanimous choice at UFC 325 in Sydney final weekend.

Murphy’s knockout energy matches Evloev’s excellent file

Evloev brings an ideal 19-0 skilled file to this combat, together with a 9-0 mark contained in the Octagon. The Russian has not fought since December 2024, when he scored an in depth choice win over former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 310. His previous victories embody victories over Diego Lopez and British challenger Arnold Allen. Regardless of Evloev’s unblemished file, all 9 of his UFC wins have come from distance, and he has drawn criticism for his decision-heavy type.

Murphy enters this contest with a 17-0-1 file and has received 9 straight since a tie in 2019. The Manchester fighter final competed at UFC 319 in August, scoring probably the most memorable knockouts of 2025 when he completed Aaron Pico with a spinning again elbow within the first spherical. This efficiency established Murphy as a reliable title contender and earned him widespread recognition as a Knockout of the 12 months candidate.

Within the co-main occasion, Luke Riley will tackle Michael Aswell in a featherweight contest. Riley, a long-time coaching associate of Paddy Pimblett at Liverpool’s Subsequent Era Health club, made a formidable UFC debut with a second-round knockout of Bogdan Glad at UFC Qatar in December. The win earned Riley a $50,000 performance-of-the-night bonus and the 26-year-old was introduced as a fighter to observe within the 145-pound division.

One other important addition is the all-British welterweight matchup between Michael “Venom” Web page and Sam Patterson. Web page, who has an expert file of 24-3, just lately defeated Jared Cannonier at UFC 319 and has grow to be probably the most entertaining rivals within the sport. Patterson earned this chance after profitable 4 straight fights within the first spherical and is trying to transfer into the highest 15 of the welterweight rankings with a victory.

The principle card may even function a middleweight bout between Roman Dolizet and Christian Leroy Duncan. Dorise at the moment sits at No. 12 within the middleweight rankings, whereas Duncan is on a three-fight win streak and goals to interrupt into the highest 15 in entrance of his residence crowd. Duncan received all three of his fights in 2025, together with two gorgeous knockouts.

Polish mild heavyweight contender Iło Baraniwski will tackle Austin Lane in a conflict of knockout artists. Lane shall be making his debut at 205 kilos after spending his total profession at heavyweight, compiling a 13-7 file. Baraniowski, who’s undefeated at 7-0, shall be making his second look within the Octagon, contemporary off his Combat of the Evening efficiency at UFC 323.

The qualifying card accommodates some attention-grabbing matchups. Welsh light-weight Mason Jones takes on Axel Sola. Jones is a former two-division Cage Warriors champion who most just lately defeated Jeremy Stevens by unanimous choice in Could 2025. British fan favourite Nathaniel Wooden will tackle Rosen Keita at featherweight. Wooden has received his final two fights and has an expert file of twenty-two wins and 6 losses.

British heavyweight Mick Parkin, ranked thirteenth in his division, will face Portugal’s Mario Pinto. Parkin suffered his first profession loss to Marcin Tybura in March 2025, however previous to that he had received 4 straight within the UFC, together with a first-round knockout of Łukasz Brzeski, incomes him a Efficiency of the Evening bonus. Pinto knocked out Lane in his most up-to-date look and is 3-0 within the UFC.

Different bouts embody Mantas Kondratavicius vs. Antonio Trocoli at middleweight, Louis Sutherland vs. Brando Pericic at heavyweight, and Shem Roque vs. Abdul-Kareem Al-Serwadi at light-weight. The ladies’s division shall be represented by Melissa Mullins, who will tackle Luana Carolina within the bantamweight division, and Chanel Dyer, who will tackle Ravena Oliveira within the strawweight division.

Curtis Campbell will make his UFC debut in opposition to Danny Silva in a featherweight bout. Campbell entered the Octagon with an undefeated file of 8-0 and earned a contract with a first-round TKO over Demba Sek on Dana White’s Contender Sequence. Silva has wins over Joshua Krivau and Lucas Almeida in two of his three UFC appearances.

Tickets will go on sale to most of the people by way of AXS on February sixth, with early entry accessible for Combat Membership members on February 4th, and precedence entry for pre-registered followers on February fifth. The occasion marks the UFC’s seventeenth go to to London and follows the promotion’s highest-grossing combat evening in March 2025 on the similar venue.