British MMA Talents Aiming for UFC Glory
Not only are British boxers thriving in the world boxing scene, with all the world havyweight titles belonging to two Britons, but we could well be entering a golden age of emerging British MMA talent too.
Amidst a host of great prospects, some are aiming to get their chance to compete in the UFC, while others are already starting to make their mark.
These are three fighters who could make a big impression in UFC over the coming years, which makes them a trio to watch carefully in their upcoming fights.
Nathaniel Wood
“The Prospect” couldn’t be a better nickname for Nathaniel Wood. Hailing from Morden in South London, the 26-year-old worked his way through the British MMA scene and was a big hit with Cage Warriors, winning the bantamweight championship and successfully defending his title twice.
Already praised by UFC journalists for his submission grappling ability in debut wins, Wood appeared on the main card at UFC Fight Night 147 in London, triumphing again with a trademark rear-naked choke against José Alberto Quiñónez. However, even the best prospects need a reality check now and then.
That came with a third-round TKO defeat against UFC veteran John Dodson at UFC Fight Night 167 in New Mexico. Nevertheless, general opinion and expert UFC betting tips would suggest that Wood has a great future ahead of him in the biggest mixed martial arts promotion, thanks to his obvious talent and determination to succeed.
Paddy Pimblett
Don’t let the flowing blonde locks of Paddy Pimblett fool you. This young Liverpool lad has earned a fearsome reputation fighting with Cage Warriors, boasting an impressive 15-3 record after his most recent victory against Decky Dalton in Manchester. This came after more than a year out of the cage and at short notice, following a change of venues for Cage Warriors 113.
Despite losing his featherweight title in 2018, “The Baddy” Pimblett is keen to win the Cage Warriors lightweight title, and recent MMA odds favour that ambition even though he was unsuccessful challenging Soren Bak in 2018. That said, his distinctive appearance and powerful fighting style have made him a popular attraction at Cage Warriors events over the last several years.
According to MMA Junkie, it’s only a matter of time before Pimblett makes the switch to UFC, having reportedly turned them down twice in the past to remain with Cage Warriors. Apparently, he wasn’t happy with the money offered by UFC compared to what was on the table from Cage Warriors. That said, UFC remain keen to lure the Liverpudlian to their promotion.
Jack Shore
Amongst all the British fighters aiming to make it big with UFC, few can boast such an exceptional record as Jack “The Tank” Shore. After an impressive October 2019 UFC debut victory against Nohelin Hernandez in Copenhagen, the Welshman extended his unbeaten professional MMA record to 12 wins, following 12 as an amateur.
Having previously dominated Cage Warriors as bantamweight champion, Shore was “over the moon” to have made such a “dream start” in UFC. That will have been no surprise to UFC president Dana White, who has long admired Shore’s ability and once referred to him as “the hottest prospect” emerging from the UK fighting scene.
Of course, Shore will have to continue proving himself during upcoming fights, if he’s to climb up the rankings and get a shot at the UFC bantamweight title currently held by Henry Cejudo following his victory against Marlon Moraes at UFC 238 in June 2019. However, that will certainly be the target for Shore, who is aiming to emulate that level of success.
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