5 most memorable UFC London moments

The UFC is set to return to London, England, for the first time since 2019, this weekend on March 19. The event will be headlined by a pivotal heavyweight showdown between Alexander Volkov and Tom Aspinall. The co-main event sees rising featherweight star Arnold Allen welcome Dan Hooker back into the featherweight division.

The card also features a number of highly touted prospects. Scouse sensation Paddy Pimblett, undefeated Welsh bantamweight Jack Shore and promotional newcomer Muhammad Mokaev are among those to keep an eye on.

UFC London has produced some sensational moments over the years. The list below mentions some of the best and most memorable moments that have ever gone down in the English capital.

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#5. UFC 75: Michael Bisping takes on Matt Hamill in the co-main event

In his first UFC appearance in the English capital, Michael Bisping squared off against Matt Hamill in a light heavyweight bout. This was Bisping's third fight in the promotion since winning The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) in 2006.

Bisping was the hottest prospect coming out of the UK at the time and entered the bout with Hamill boasting a perfect professional record of 13-0. They locked horns at UFC 75, which was headlined by the light heavyweight championship bout between Quinton Jackson and Dan Henderson.

While the Jackson-Henderson clash was an average fight, the co-headliner between Bisping and Hamill had the crowd in attendance on their feet. Quite a few English fighters competed in the UFC before 'The Count'. However, there was a feeling in the air that England might have a future world champion in Bisping.

Bisping and Hamill were both contestants on season 3 of TUF. In fact, they butted heads on numerous occasions during their time on the show. The light heavyweight duo put on a closely contested bout. Bisping ultimately came away with a split-decision win on the night to improve his professional record to 14-0.

Watch Michael Bisping and Matt Hamill's post-fight interviews below:

#4. UFC 38: Matt Hughes finishes Carlos Newton in the first ever UFC event in London

The first time the UFC visited England was way back in 2002. The event was billed as UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall and was headlined by a welterweight championship bout between Matt Hughes and Carlos Newton. The fight card comprised seven bouts and was underway at the Royal Albert Hall in the English capital.

The first three bouts on the fight card required the judges to determine the winner. At the time, the promotion was nowhere near the powerhouse that it is today. It likely took a huge effort from the organizers to even put together an event outside the United States. The fact that the event kicked off with three decisions likely worried them at the time.

However, the next four fights produced just as many stoppages with three finishes via TKO and one by way of submission. Notably, the two Englishmen on the card, Mark Weir and Ian Freeman, defeated Eugene Jackson and Frank Mir respectively to send the English crowd in attendance into a frenzy.

In the main event, Matt Hughes cruised to the second defense of his welterweight title. He secured a fourth-round TKO victory over Carlos Newton following an enthralling back-and-forth encounter.

Watch a recap of the event below:

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#3. UFC 120: Michael Bisping becomes the first Brit to headline a UFC event in London

Michael Bisping made history in 2010, becoming the first English fighter to headline a UFC event in London. He took on Yoshihiro Akiyama in the main event of a stacked fight card that was brimming with British talent.

The fight between Bisping and Akiyama ended up winning the 'Fight of the Night' honors. While it was an entertaining fight, 'The Count' clearly won all three rounds and came away with a unanimous decision victory.

Michael Bisping was the face of the MMA scene in the United Kingdom for a very long time. He undoubtedly inspired a whole generation of English fighters after winning TUF and subsequently went on to become the undisputed UFC middleweight champion.

Bisping's win over Akiyama in London endeared him to the British fans. He would continue to break barriers later in his career and even headlined a few UFC London cards before retiring.

#2. UFC Fight Night 147: Jorge Masvidal silences the English crowd in style

Jorge Masvidal took a year-long hiatus from the octagon following back-to-back decision losses to Demian Maia and Stephen Thompson in 2017. While on the sidelines, he appeared on a Hispanic reality TV series, which he has since credited for giving him time to reflect on his career and make some changes to his approach.

Masvidal called out former 170 lbs title challenger Darren Till on social media in early 2019. The duo squared off in the main event of a UFC Fight Night in London, England in March.

Darren Till had a reputation for being a high-level striker just like Jorge Masvidal. Following Till's failed attempt at the title against Tyron Woodley, the UFC was likely looking to give the Liverpool native a favorable matchup in his home country as a platform to bounce back and return to winning ways.

Despite Masvidal's famed striking prowess, many expected him to struggle against the reach, size and fight-ending power of 'The Gorilla'. The first round showed why he was such a big betting underdog going into the fight as he was knocked down by the Brit after eating a powerful left cross.

In the second round, 'Gamebred' seemingly slowed down and adopted a more calculated approach. Out of nowhere, Masvidal blitzed Till and caught him with a powerful left hook, putting the Brit to sleep and silencing the English crowd as a result.

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#1. UFC Fight Night 84: Michael Bisping defeats Anderson Silva

Before Michael Bisping ever knew what it was like to be a UFC champion, he found himself in a merciless cycle of beating numerous top contenders but falling short in title eliminator bouts. The cycle repeated itself numerous times as 'The Count' dropped the ball every time he needed just one more victory to secure a championship opportunity.

His knockout loss to Dan Henderson in 2009, the closely contested loss to Chael Sonnen in 2012 and the defeats to Tim Kennedy and Luke Rockhold in 2014 led many to believe that he would never get a title shot. Moreover, with all the medical issues he was dealing with, it appeared as though UFC gold wasn't his destiny.

After his loss to Kennedy, Bisping picked up consecutive wins over C.B. Dollaway and Thales Leites to put himself back in the title mix atop the middleweight division. In his next fight, he was booked to take on former middleweight champion and the consensus greatest 185-pound fighter of all time, Anderson Silva. They locked horns in a five-round main event bout of a Fight Night in London in 2016.

Michael Bisping looked sharp throughout the opening 10 minutes. His activity and volume seemed to be too much for Anderson Silva in the first two rounds. 'The Count' continued to overwhelm Silva with his relentless forward pressure in the third round as well, until the final ten seconds. Bisping's mouthguard fell out after one of the striking exchanges in the clinch and he unwisely pointed at the referee to take notice, taking his eyes off the former champion.

Silva uncorked a thunderous flying knee on Bisping which saw the Brit crash down to the mat. The knee opened up a huge cut and blood was profusely pouring out of it. The former Brazilian champ thought he had knocked out his English counterpart and subsequently climbed on to the octagon wall to celebrate.

It seemed as if the final nail in the coffin that housed Bisping's championship aspirations had been hammered in.

However, the referee didn't call a halt to the fight. Rather, the clock ran out and he told Michael Bisping that the bout wasn't over, just the round. Anderson Silva was asked to stop celebrating as Bisping gathered himself and returned to his corner.

Somehow, 'The Count' carried his incredible forward pressure from the first few rounds into the fourth and fifth. He was awarded a unanimous decision victory in front of a raucous British crowd, putting him in prime position for a shot at the middleweight championship.

In his next fight, Bisping knocked out Luke Rockhold to become the undisputed middleweight champion.

Watch the full Michael Bisping vs. Anderson Silva fight below: