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Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Aspinall vs Tybura
We're Back In London For Another Properly Stacked UK Card. Let's Break It Down!
By E. Spencer Kyte, on Twitter @spencerkyte • Jul. 17, 2023
A plethora of British talent and packed houses at the O2 Arena have made London a twice-a-year destination for the UFC in recent years.
Blown away by the reception when the promotion finally returned following a two-year absence as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic in March 2022, the UFC opted to make an expeditious return four months later, garnering the same raucous support. When Leon Edwards shocked the world with his come-from-behind knockout win over Kamaru Usman to claim the welterweight title, making his first defense on home soil at the annual March event was automatic, and now, this week, the second 2023 show touches down with a host of familiar names primed to make the walk to the Octagon.
These events have a history of being wildly entertaining from start-to-finish and have produced some truly memorable moments over the years, and there is no reason to expect this week’s trek to London to be any different.
Here’s a closer look at what’s on tap this weekend.
Cheers!
Main Event: Tom Aspinall vs Marcin Tybura
Ranked heavyweights looking to affirm their standing in the division face off in this weekend’s main event, as Tom Aspinall returns to face off with veteran Marcin Tybura.
Aspinall headlined each of the UFC’s trips to London last year, but his July appearance against Curtis Blaydes only lasted 15 seconds before a knee injury halted the action and sent him to the sidelines. The Team Kaobon standout had won all five of his UFC appearances ahead of that one, all by stoppage, and eight straight overall — again, all by stoppage — and aims to get things moving in the right direction again when he steps in for Saturday’s finale.
The 37-year-old Tybura has quietly put together an excellent run of results, entering this weekend’s contest on a two-fight winning streak and having earned victories in seven of his last eight starts. The Polish stalwart has struggled to clear the final hurdle standing in the way of true contender status in the past, but a victory this weekend would vault him into the Top 5.
This is a perfect piece of matchmaking as Aspinall needs a stiff test in his return to action without being thrown straight into a No. 1 contender fight, while Tybura is a marquee victory shy of being viewed as a legitimate threat in the division. Stylistically, this profiles as a battle between two well-rounded fighters, with Aspinall having a clear edge in athleticism and dynamic offense, with Tybura bringing far more experience and savvy into the Octagon.
Other Main Card Fights
Molly McCann vs Julija Stoliarenko
Fan favorite Molly McCann returns to London, looking to get back into the win column as she welcomes Julija Stoliarenko to the flyweight division for the first time.
McCann elevated her standing in the division and overall popularity with a pair of stoppage wins last year in London, first beating Luana Carolina with a spinning back elbow before hitting Hannah Goldy with the same attack in July. But she hustled back into action in November at Madison Square Garden and was taken down and quickly submitted by rising star Erin Blanchfield.
Stoliarenko got her first UFC victory last July after dropping each of her first four appearances inside the Octagon, submitting Jessica-Rose Clark in the opening bout at UFC 276. But a first-round stoppage loss to Chelsea Chandler in October slowed her roll, and now the Lithuanian veteran looks to start a run by relocating to a new weight class.
It’s going to be really interesting to see how and where this one plays out, as it feels like each fighter has a distinct edge in one realm. If McCann can keep it standing, she should be the far more polished, powerful striker, but if Stoliarenko gets it to the ground, her high-end grappling skills could very well carry her to success.
Nathaniel Wood vs Andre Fili
Talented featherweights looking to build on recent success in their first 2023 appearance meet here as Nathaniel Wood welcomes Andre Fili to his hometown.
After a solid, but injury-plagued, run at bantamweight, Wood debuted at featherweight last July, defeating Charles Rosa before venturing to Paris and outworking Charles Jourdain. “The Prospect” is a technically sharp all-rounder and the kind of experienced, post-hype sleeper that could open a few eyes and make a run in the 145-pound weight class.
Fili is — and I use this term with the utmost respect and its original intention — a classic journeyman fighter: someone that has never risen to the rank of contender, but has been a tough out for top talent for a number of years, and a guy that can hand anyone a loss on any given evening. The longtime Team Alpha Male representative snapped a three-fight run without a win by outpointing Bill Algeo last time out, and could certainly halt Wood’s momentum on Saturday.
These are the types of matchups I live for — a clash between an emerging talent in need of a stiffer test and the perfect veteran to fill that role. Both can work clean, but neither is opposed to an old-fashioned donnybrook either, so no matter how this one plays out, it should be tremendously entertaining for as long as it lasts.
Paul Craig vs Andre Muniz
It’s a potential grappler’s delight in the middleweight division as Paul Craig debuts at 185 pounds against Top 15 staple Andre Muniz.
Despite owning a win over current champ Jamahal Hill and top contender Magomed Ankalaev, a two-fight slide has sent Craig to the middleweight division. The Scottish submission ace is 8-6-1 through 15 UFC appearances, earning finishes in each of those victories, and could be an intriguing addition to a suddenly fascinating middleweight division.
Muniz seemed poised to make a run at contention heading into last year, having earned three straight first-round submission finishes following his debut decision win. But a tepid outing against Uriah Hall slowed his momentum and a loss to Brendan Allen in February has him now looking to regroup in London.
Ideally, this turns out to be a high-level grappling match that just so happens to take place inside the Octagon, as Craig and Muniz are masters of their craft and their pairing has the potential to be exhilarating. Do what you’ve got to do in order to appease the fight gods so they may deliver us the grappling battle this deserves to be.
Jai Herbert vs Fares Ziam
Long, rangy lightweights meet here as English veteran Jai Herbert squares off with France’s Fares Ziam.
The 35-year-old Herbert has taken part in each of the last three UFC trips to London, coming away with a win, a loss, and a draw to leave his record sitting at 2-3-1 inside the Octagon. The former Cage Warriors champ got the better of the action against Ludovit Klein last time out, but a point deduction in the third round resulted in the fight being scored a draw.
Ziam has gone 3-1 since dropping his promotional debut on short notice at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi. The 28-year-old “Smile Killer” rebounded from a first-round submission loss to Terrance McKinney with a clean, professional effort opposite Michal Figlak in Paris, and will look to build on that victory here.
Both men stand six-foot-one and, despite a 75-inch reach, Ziam will still be giving up two inches to Herbert in that department. This could be a long-range striking battle and should provide some clarity on where each man currently stands, both in the division and in their respective careers.
Lerone Murphy vs Joshua Culibao
Featherweights open up the main card as Lerone Murphy makes his second home start of 2023, welcoming Josh Culibao to London for the first time.
Unbeaten in five UFC starts and 13 fights as a professional, Murphy pushed his winning streak to four with a split decision win over Gabriel Santos in March. It wasn’t the cleanest effort of his career, but after more than a year away and with a late change in opponent, I’m willing to cut Murphy some slack and expect a more dialed-in effort from him here.
Culibao ran his winning streak to three and unbeaten run to four with a second-round submission win over Melsik Baghdasaryan at home in Australia back in February. It was an opportunistic finish that showed the resilience and focus the 29-year-old brings to the Octagon, and it should serve him well here in his biggest assignment to date.
Each of these men currently reside in the “Second 15” in the featherweight ranks, but a big effort from either one could carry them into the rankings or, at the very least, earn them a date with someone sporting a number next to their name later this year. Don’t sleep on this as a Fight of the Night contender.
Prelim Fights
Davey Grant vs Daniel Marcos
Saturday’s prelims wrap in the bantamweight division as “Dangerous” Davey Grant takes on Daniel Marcos.
Coming off one heck of a comeback win over Raphael Assuncao in March, Grant fights on home soil for the first time in more than seven years, and just the third time in his UFC career. A member of the Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) Class of ’22, Marcos registered a second-round stoppage win over Saimon Oliveira in his promotional debut in January at UFC 283.
Danny Roberts vs Jonny Parsons
British welterweight Danny Roberts looks to halt a two-fight slide on Saturday when he welcomes Jonny Parsons to the UFC for the first time.
“Hot Chocolate” has been a fixture in the 170-pound weight class since the tail end of 2015, posting a 7-6 record in 13 starts, and sports a 1-1 mark while competing in the Octagon in England. The 31-year-old Parsons slugged his way onto the UFC roster with a split decision win over Solomon Renfro on Season 5 of the Contender Series, pushing his winning streak to five in the process.
Marc Diakiese vs Joel Alvarez
Lightweight division staples Marc Diakiese and Joel Alvarez meet this weekend in a battle of veterans looking to get back in the win column.
Diakiese wrestled his way to consecutive wins over Viacheslav Borshchev and Damir Hadzovic before dropping a unanimous decision to Michael Johnson last December. Alvarez was on the cusp of making a run in the 155-pound ranks heading into last year, having earned four straight stoppage wins, only to run into Arman Tsarukyan and see his winning streak halted.
Mick Parkin vs Jamal Pogues
Heavyweight classmates from Dana White’s Contender Series Mick Parkin and Jamal Pogues face off this weekend in London.
Unbeaten in six professional bouts, the 27-year-old Parkin trains with headliner Tom Aspinall and KSW kingpin Phil de Fries, and aims to join his mates as the next heavyweight threat from England. Pogues followed up his contract-winning turn on Season 6 of the annual talent-search show with a unanimous decision win over Josh Parisian in his February debut.
Makhmud Muradov vs Bryan Barberena
Middleweight staple Makhmud Muradov welcomes Bryan Barberena to the 185-pound ranks in this intriguing clash of veteran talents.
Victories in each of his first three UFC appearances ran Muradov’s winning streak to 14, but he’s since dropped back-to-back contests to Gerald Meerschaert and Caio Borralho to slip to 25-8 for his career. After debuting at lightweight and building a reputation as a tough out and gritty brawler at welterweight, Barberena looks to halt a two-fight skid as he moves up to middleweight for his second consecutive fight in London this weekend.
Ketlen Vieira vs Pannie Kianzad
Top 10 bantamweights looking to bolster their standing in the suddenly wide-open division meet here as Ketlen Vieira takes on Pannie Kianzad.
Following a narrow, split decision win over Holly Holm last May, the fourth-ranked Vieira landed on the unhappy side of that same result in January, dropping a decision to Raquel Pennington. Stationed at No. 6 in the rankings, Kianzad rebounded from her own loss to Pennington with a win over Lina Lansberg last April, giving her five wins in her last six appearances inside the Octagon.
Chris Duncan vs Yanal Ashmouz
Heavy-hitting lightweights Chris Duncan and Yanal Ashmouz meet in what could be an explosive encounter on Saturday’s prelims.
Duncan was able to grind out a decision win over Omar Morales in his promotional debut at UFC 286 in March but has a history of getting into back-and-forth slugfests throughout his career. Ashmouz also competed the last time the UFC touched down in London, appearing one fight ahead of Duncan and registering a blistering knockout win over Sam Patterson.
Shauna Bannon vs Bruna Brasil
Undefeated Irish prospect Shauna Bannon makes her promotional debut on Saturday, facing off with DWCS grad Bruna Brasil.
Bannon closed out her amateur career with five straight wins and has matched that effort since turning pro, most recently out-hustling Minna Grusander at Invicta FC 52 in March. After registering a highlight reel win over Marnic Mann last season on Dana White’s Contender Series, Brasil ended up on Denise Gomes’ highlight reel in her UFC debut, falling to her compatriot in the second round.
Jafel Filho vs Daniel Barez
Contender Series alums Jafel Filho and Daniel Barez kick things off in London this weekend in what should be an entertaining flyweight battle.
Filho pushed Muhammad Mokaev to his limits at UFC 286, nearly torquing his leg into bits before tapping to a neck crank late in the contest. Barez dropped a split decision to Carlos Hernandez on Season 5 of the annual UFC APEX series, but has registered four straight stoppage wins to earn the short-notice call-up to face Filho here.
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