UFC London: Kiwis Back in the Octagon

The UFC is heading back to London this weekend with a seriously stacked lineup, featuring New Zealand’s very own Carlos Ulberg, who has proven to be the sort of bloke you wouldn’t want to piss off. The main card starts at 9 a.m. this Sunday, March 23rd, meaning there’s no excuse not to get involved. The event is a Fight Night and is streaming for free on ESPN and UFC Fight Pass.

The night is headlined by former welterweight world champion Leon Edwards as he takes on #5 ranked Sean Brady. This should be a fairly technical matchup, as Edwards is undeniably one of the top kickboxers in the competition, and Brady boasts an extremely well-rounded game, holding a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Our pick for the matchup is the favorite, Leon Edwards, to win by decision.

The event the Kiwis are holding out for is the co-main event of the evening: former Light Heavyweight titleholder Jan Blachowicz vs. the absolute smoke show, Carlos Ulberg. It’s fair to say that Jan is starting to pass his prime at 42 years of age, but the man is still the #3 ranked fighter in the Light Heavyweight Division. Carlos Ulberg is currently on a 7-fight winning streak, which is no small feat in the Light Heavyweight division. Ulberg is also on the older side of the division at 34 years of age, but he looks like he’s about 25 and seemingly hasn’t lost any of his speed either. The Auckland-based fighter has a lot to prove with this matchup, as his teammate Israel Adesanya lost to Blachowicz via decision at UFC 259 back in 2021. A win against an opponent of this caliber would be a massive step toward title contention for the Kiwi, who is already the highest-ranked Light Heavyweight fighter ever from New Zealand.Our pick for the matchup is that Ulberg will get Blachowicz out of there via TKO in the final round.

The rest of the card has some entertaining matchups that (on paper) likely won't go the distance. The matchup between two fan favorites, Icelandic-born Gunnar Nelson and the trash-talking Kevin Holland, is definitely one to watch, as these MMA veterans aren’t known to leave anything in the cage. We’re thinking Gunnar Nelson will win this one via submission in round 2.

Article by - Blake Spencer