Jimi Manuwa meets Alexander Gustafsson when UFC returns to London in March

Dana White wanted to get Jimi Manuwa a big fight, and now Manuwa’s got one.

Manuwa (14-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), fresh off a victory 10 days ago in England, will get the biggest test of his career when he meets Alexander Gustafsson (15-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in the main event of the UFC’s return to London in March.

UFC officials on Tuesday announced the new light heavyweight fight booking. Manuwa steps in for Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC), who originally was announced as Gustafsson’s opponent before having to withdraw with an injury.

The Gustafsson-Manuwa fight will take place March 8 at the UFC’s first European Tour event, which takes place at London’s O2 Arena. Broadcast plans have not been finalized.

Gustafsson recently took UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones the distance at UFC 165 and lost a close decision to the dominant titleholder. After the fight, though an immediate rematch was one possibility, Jones instead will face Glover Teixeira early in 2014. And White, the UFC’s president, has said that a win by Gustafsson and a win by Jones will set up the rematch.

Gustafsson, from Sweden, had a six-fight winning streak snapped with the loss. He has fought in England twice before in the UFC. His debut with the company was a 41-second knockout win over Jared Hamman at UFC 105 in Manchester. At UFC 120 in London, he submitted Cyrille Diabate in the second round.

Manuwa on Oct. 26 picked up a TKO win over Ryan Jimmo in the second round to stay unbeaten. He hit Jimmo with a knee to the head, and while Jimmo was backpedaling, he suddenly fell to the canvas, clutching toward his leg with an obvious injury. The fight was halted. All of Manuwa’s UFC wins since signing with the company in 2012 have come by way of stoppage – but only indirectly from him. His debut was a doctor stoppage win over Kyle Kingsbury, and he followed that with a first-round TKO win over Diabate, who couldn’t continue into the second round with an injury. All three of his fights thus far with the promotion have been in his home country of England, and that will continue in March – despite White saying after UFC Fight Night 30 in Manchester that he hoped to get Manuwa a big fight in the United States.

Instead, he’ll get to stay at home – which doesn’t change the fact that the fight is most certainly a big one for him.

The event, which will be the first of the UFC’s planned six in Europe next year, already has a rematch booked for it. Ross Pearson and Melvin Guillard will run back their fight after a controversial no-contest in the first round in Manchester 10 days ago.

For more on the UFC European Tour show in London, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Jimi Manuwa)