UFC London 2025 Preview And Predictions

UFC London 2025 Preview And Predictions

The UFC is returning to the O2 Arena in London, England for the first time in 2025. Former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards will headline the event against Sean Brady. Meanwhile, highly ranked light heavyweights Jan Blachowicz and Carlos Ulberg will fight in the co-main event. The fight card is rounded out with talented European talent worth watching.

Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict UFC London. You can find our prediction records below.

James: 22-24-1

Anthony: 26-10-1

Jerry: 21-20-1

Nathaniel Wood vs. Morgan Charriere- Featherweight Bout

James: The UFC London main card opens with a featherweight bout between Nathaniel Wood and Morgan Charriere. This fight is a premier matchup between two of the best-unranked featherweights in the UFC. Charriere is 2-1 in the UFC. That is combined with a Cage Warriors tenure that featured high-level fights. Wood has gone 10-3 in the UFC. That includes a 4-1 featherweight run after jumping up from bantamweight. 

Charriere is a quick, technical, and clean striker. In striking exchanges, he manages range while trying to find big punches. He will pick away at his opponents with kicks while waiting to land his hands. One key to this approach is that he backs his opponents to the fence. This helps him control the distance and land shots. His biggest flaw is that he is not aggressive enough and gives away close fights. 

Wood is a quality striker with strong boxing skills. The best part of his game is his ability to trade boxing combinations in the pocket. On the inside, he will throw to the head and body while using solid head movement. On the outside, he will also look to establish leg kicks.  

The UFC London main card preview opener previews to be a great fight. The preview favors Charriere because of his power and durability edges. In pocket boxing exchanges, both fighters are capable of landing big strikes. The difference is that Charriere has much more lethal power and Wood has shown durability concerns. That makes Charriere the side. I will take Charriere via second-round knockout. 

Anthony: Charriere via decision

Jerry: Wood via decision

Jordan Vucenic vs. Chris Duncan- Lightweight Bout

James: UFC London features a lightweight bout between Jordan Vucenic and Chris Duncan. Vucenic dropped his short-notice UFC debut, but he did enough to show he is a welcome addition to the promotion. It should also be noted that he had a great run in Cage Warriors, which features multiple impressive bouts. Duncan has been a quality UFC fighter. In his short tenure, he holds a 3-1 record. 

Vucenic is a grappler with potent submission skills. In grappling exchanges, he is capable of landing a variety of submissions from many positions. This makes him a dangerous fighter to grapple with. 

Duncan is a fighter with two vastly different approaches. At times, he will engage in wild boxing exchanges. In those moments, he is more than capable of landing vicious knockout shots, but he is also liable to get hurt. That is not a consistent approach, however. In other fighters, he is more patient and lands takedowns. This has helped him win fights despite not being an elite grappler.

This UFC London bout previews as a fascinating fight. In theory, Vucenic’s edge in grappling gives him a clear path to victory; however, Duncan’s willingness to lean into volatility gives him a path to victory. That makes an upset plausible, but Vucenic is still the more likely outcome. I will take Vucenic by second-round submission. 

Anthony: Vucenic via decision

Jerry: Vucenic via decision

Dana White, Turki Alalshikh Launch Boxing Promotion

Molly McCann vs. Alexia Thainara- Women’s Strawweight Bout 

James: The UFC London main card features a women’s strawweight bout between Molly McCann and Alexia Thainara. McCann became one of the most popular names in women’s MMA because of a three-fight win streak in 2021 and 2022. That run is in the past, however. Currently, she is 1-3 in her last four fights. That includes a 1-1 record since dropping to women’s strawweight. Thainara is a 27-year-old prospect who is making her UFC debut after earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. This fight will be a massive opportunity for the debutant because of McCann’s hype. 

McCann’s success comes when she leverages her physicality against her opponents. This allows her to be uber-aggressive while boxing and offensively wrestling. This success snowballs and she looks great. That said, her skills begin to fall apart when she does not have a physical edge. 

Thainara is an interesting prospect. The best aspect of her skill set is her ability to push a pace for three rounds. She continuously throws volume. The most popular attacks in her approach are straight punches and leg kicks. Although, she expands with hooks, body work, and other weapons. Plus, she has shown respectable defensive wrestling. This ensures she can continue pushing the pace. 

This UFC London preview favors Thainara. This is because of her ability to push a pace. In 15 minutes, she will be able to rack up damage because she never stops throwing. The only downside is that McCann does hit hard and will be presented with opportunities. The issue is that she needs to consistently land big shots or find the knockout to win. That will be tough if Thainara establishes any early momentum. I will take Thainara by third-round knockout. 

Anthony: Thainara via decision

Jerry: McCann via KO/TKO

Gunnar Nelson vs. Kevin Holland- Welterweight Bout

James: UFC London features a welterweight bout between Gunnar Nelson and Kevin Holland. Nelson competes infrequently but has succeeded when he makes it to the octagon. In his UFC tenure, he holds a 10-5 record. A good portion of those losses have come against high-level competition. Currently, he is on a two-fight win streak. Holland is presently on a slide. In his last five fights, he is 1-4. The fan-favorite needs a win to maintain his spot atop UFC cards. 

Nelson is a great grappler. In the top position, he has sensational control, passes without losing position, throws elbows, and sets up submissions. This creates a responsible and effective top game. On the feet, he uses a karate-style stance, with his hands low and his chin high. This allows him to manage range and land straight punches, but his defense is also a concern. 

Holland has impressive length for the welterweight division. At six-foot-three, he holds an 81-inch reach. That is ridiculous for the division. This allows him to attack his opponents with quick straight punches and a variety of kicks. Additionally, he has powerful hooks and can compete in the pockets. That size also helps create dangerous front chokes. The flaw in his game is that he struggles when he is taken down. 

This UFC London preview presents paths to victory for both fighters. The biggest positive for Holland is that he is returning to welterweight. The most significant struggles in his career have come against middleweight grapplers. The fact this is a welterweight bout provides optimism he can have a better defensive showing. Furthermore, Nelson is hittable. It would not be a surprise to see Holland land a powerful shot to end the fight. Although, it is impossible to ignore Holland’s subpar run which is filled with bad grappling performance. I expect Nelson to look sensational once this fight hits the mat. I will take Nelson by second-round submission.  

Anthony: Holland via decision

Jerry: Holland via submission

No. 3 Jan Blachowicz vs. No. 6 Carlos Ulberg- Light Heavyweight Bout

James: The UFC London co-main event features a light heavyweight bout between Jan Blachowicz and Carlos Ulberg. The light heavyweight division is in desperate need of title contenders. This bout will present both fighters an opportunity to put their name in title conversations. Blachowicz is a former champion. In his last two fights, he fought to a draw against Magomed Ankalaev and lost a razor-thin decision to Alex Pereira. Those fights took place over a year ago, however. Blachowicz was forced to have surgery on both shoulders. Now, he is attempting to return from injury and a long layoff at 42 years old. Meanwhile, Ulberg is rising the rankings and looking to earn a spot in the top five. The 34-year-old has earned that right after going 7-1 in the UFC. 

Blachowicz is a powerful striker with underrated technical skills. He can land significant punches and kicks that quickly deal damage. If his opponent gives him an opening, he will take advantage to land punches. If he opts to grapple, he aggressively shoots takedowns and gets his opponent down. 

Ulberg has powerful striking, but his approach tends to be focused on being the more technical fighter. The focal point of his approach is his range management. The ideal fight takes place on the outside where he can outland his opponents. If his opponent gets aggressive, he can land massive counters that alter the fight. 

This UFC London preview favors Ulberg. That is mainly because of his edge in athleticism and Blachowicz’s combination of injury, age, and time out of competition. Those factors could allow Ulberg to establish his jab while staying defensively responsible. At the same time, Blachowicz’s durability may drop off a clinch at this point in his career. If Blachowicz does not enter the octagon as a shell of himself, he will have a shot to win. Still, I will take Ulberg by decision. 

Anthony: Ulberg via KO/TKO

Jerry: Blachowicz via decision

How Long Will Magomed Ankalaev Rule The Light Heavyweight Division?

No. 1 Leon Edwards vs. No. 5 Sean Brady- Welterweight Bout

James: The UFC London main event features a welterweight bout between Leon Edwards and Sean Brady. Edwards is looking to bounce back after losing the welterweight title to Belal Muhammad. The loss broke a 13-fight unbeaten streak that dated back to 2015. Brady is attempting to break through to the top portion of the welterweight division. In his UFC tenure, he is 7-1 with his only loss coming to Muhammad. A win over Edwards would elevate his stock to a new level. 

Edwards is a kickboxer with a highly technical set of skills. In distance striking exchanges, he uses length, range management, feints, and stance switches to set up strikes. This allows him to control the fight because he can determine when exchanges take place. On top of that, he is a great counterstriker. If his opponent commits to throwing first, he will punish them with his offense. This is done with attacks on all three levels. He commits to attacking the body with kicks, knees, and punches. That bodywork can also be seen in the clinch. In the grappling realm, he has shown positives and negatives. If his opponent attempts to work out of the clinch, he does a great job of hand-fighting and working for under hooks. The flaws arise when opponents work in the open or get to his hips. In extension of that, he can be controlled when taken down. 

Brady is a grappler whose best skill is BJJ. A lot of his success depends on his ability to utilize his elite top game. His most frequent game plan is to use boxing pressure to force his opponent up against the fence. That helps him corral his opponent into the clinch and attempt takedowns. In the top position, he is great at working from position to position, advancing position, and landing submissions. A large majority of his offensive wrestling is successful because of his mix of ridiculous strength and responsible fundamentals. 

The UFC London main event is a difficult fight to preview. Brady’s approach will massively alter the outcome of this fight. A clinch takedown approach aided with volume-based striking will be difficult to utilize. Edwards will be able to use the fence to defend takedowns while landing counters. Plus, Edwards could land body shots that could slow Brady down. On the other hand, Brady will have a lot of grappling success when he gets on Edwards’ hips. That will be easier to accomplish with open-mat takedown attempts. 

It is possible to justify picking either side in the main event of the UFC London. I will side with Brady, however. I think he could use Edwards’ kicks to open takedown opportunities. If he lands a handful of takedowns, he could bank rounds. Plus, his physical strength will be a unique challenge for Edwards. It would not be a shock to see Edwards defend takedowns and outland Brady; however, it is hard to be confident in that outcome because he tends to be low-volume. I will take Brady by decision.

Anthony: Edwards via decision

Jerry: Edwards via decision

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