Athletes
Fighters On The Rise | UFC Fight Night: Aspinall vs Tybura
Three Can't-Miss Combatants To Watch For On Saturday's Return To London
The Octagon makes its second transatlantic trip of the year and the 15th in the company’s history this week, returning to the O2 Arena in London for a massive card headlined by heavyweights Tom Aspinall and Marcin Tybura.
As is always the case when the UFC touches down on the shores of the Thames, the fight card is packed with competitors from the host nation and surrounds, with every main card pairing featuring a British fighter, and every bout featuring at least one competitor that trains in Europe.
Included in that mix are three athletes looking to use this weekend’s return to London as a launch pad to even greater opportunities going forward: two featherweights that were scheduled to face one another when the promotion came to town in March for UFC 286, and an Irish newcomer eager to show that she’s ready to make waves on the biggest stage in the sport.
Here’s a closer look at those competitors in this week’s edition of Fighters on the Rise.
Nathaniel Wood
Rapidly approaching his 30th birthday, “The Prospect” remains an emerging talent on the UFC roster heading into his London return against Andre Fili on Saturday.
The longtime bantamweight returned from an extended absence last July, defeating Charles Rosa in his featherweight debut before making a relatively quick turnaround to register a second straight unanimous decision win in September when he bested Charles Jourdain in Paris.
Wood debuted in the Octagon six years ago, fresh off a Cage Warriors title run and brandishing a ton of upside. Injuries have limited him to just eight fights since then, but he continues to show the kind of skills that make him someone to perpetually keep tabs on. Well-rounded and technical, the Brad Pickett protege has quick hands, sharp low kicks, and heaps of toughness and grit, and while he’s a little undersized for the division from a stature perspective, there have been no signs of it being an issue through his first two appearances in the 145-pound ranks.
Tom Aspinall: ‘I Am The Next Heavyweight Champion’
Saturday’s fight with Fili is an excellent measuring stick opportunity — a matchup against a fighter making the walk to the Octagon for the 20th time that has been ranked in the past and faced excellent competition the whole way through.
Though Fili is just 10-8 with one no contest in his UFC career, five of those losses came against competitors currently stationed in the Top 15, with his most recent setback coming at the hands of someone that seems poised to get there soon, Joanderson Brito. From a physical standpoint, Fili is the kind of fighter that could, in theory, give Wood troubles at ’45, as he’s several inches taller than the Morden man and sports a five-inch reach advantage, as well.
If Wood is able to pass this test, it will indicate that he’s a legitimate dark horse in the division and put him in line for another step up in competition next time out. He’s looked the part thus far — now it’s about confirming that beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Lerone Murphy
Lerone Murphy's Knockout Knee
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Lerone Murphy's Knockout Knee
/
Murphy was meant to share the Octagon with Wood in March, but the latter was forced out of the contest with a leg injury, leaving “The Miracle” to face off with short-notice replacement Gabriel Santos.
The 31-year-old Murphy came away with a split decision win in a competitive, entertaining scrap, maintaining his unbeaten record in the process. Like Wood, inactivity has been the only thing that has kept the Manchester representative from making real headway in the featherweight division, as he’s made just four appearances (all wins) since battling Zubaira Tukhugov to a draw in his debut at UFC 242.
Now he gets to celebrate his birthday by getting into a fist fight with Josh Culibao.
The 29-year-old Australian dropped his promotional debut up a division against Jalin Turner, then battled Jourdain to a draw on UFC Fight Island in the fall of 2020, but since then, “Kuya” has collected three straight wins, establishing himself as an emerging name in the division. His last outing against Melsilk Baghdasaryan in February at UFC 284 showed his resilience and opportunistic side, as he worked through a nasty low blow, a clash of heads, and generally getting out-worked to snatch up a submission the instant it was presented.
Fighting an average of once per year makes it difficult to build and maintain momentum, and it’s doubly difficult in a talent-rich division like featherweight. But a second win on home soil in 2023, coupled with a five-fight winning streak and six-fight unbeaten run in the UFC should be enough to get the ball rolling on bigger opportunities in the back half of the year.
Shauna Bannon
After pushing her professional record to 5-0 with a win over former atomweight title challenger Minna Grusander in her Invicta FC debut, Bannon was added to the UFC roster and chosen to debut this weekend in London against Dana White’s Contender Series grad Bruna Brasil.
The Holohan Martial Arts product went 9-3 as an amateur, closing out her run with five straight wins, and only made her pro debut in April of last year, registering a second-round stoppage win. An active schedule and four more victories elevated her profile, and now “Mama B” looks to keep that run of success going as she makes the move to the biggest stage in the sport.
Bannon comes from a taekwondo background and utilizes her length well, working behind long punches and good kicks, while being comfortable on the ground, as well. The 29-year-old strawweight is still developing as a fighter, but the raw materials are there and the early returns have all been positive, with plenty of room for growth.
Molly McCann's Best London Moments
Saturday’s meeting with Brasil is another chance to get a read on where Bannon is at in her development, as the DWCS alum has more than twice as much experience as the Irish newcomer and has already dealt with getting her UFC jitters out of the way. While she was stopped in her promotional debut, that loss to Denise Gomes has already aged well, as Gomes ran through unbeaten Mexican prospect Yazmin Jauregui at UFC 290.
This is a strong initial test for Bannon, who will look to utilize her three-and-a-half-inch reach advantage and the support of what is sure to be a partisan crowd in London to carry herself to a successful debut and a step forward in the strawweight division.
UFC Fight Night: Aspinall vs Tybura took place live from the O2 Arena in London, England on July 22, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
