10 reasons to watch UFC Fight Night 127 with heavyweight title stakes in London

The UFC is back in London for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 127 card. In the main event, two former champions face off in a bout that could have significant ramifications on the division’s rankings.

In that matchup, former UFC kingpin Fabricio Werdum meets ex-Bellator champ Alexander Volkov. For Werdum, this contest gives him a chance to leapfrog Alistair Overeem and Francis Ngannou in the rankings. Overeem and Ngannou both lost their most recent bouts. For Volkov, this fight represents an opportunity to rocket toward the top of the division.

In the co-main event, Jimi Manuwa and Jan Blachowicz run back their 2015 light heavyweight scrap.

And if you’re a fan who’s interested in checking out fighters making their UFC debuts, you’re in luck. There are six UFC newcomers on the card.

UFC Fight Night 127 takes place at The O2. The entire card streams live on UFC Fight Pass.

Here are 10 reasons to watch the event.

1. A test for the old guard

Werdum was in Boston for UFC 220 where Stipe Miocic defeated Francis Ngannou to break the UFC record for consecutive heavyweight title defenses with three. After that historic win, Werdum, who is currently No. 4 in the USA TODAY Sport/MMAjunkie MMA heavyweight rankings, said he deserved a shot at Miocic, the man who ended Werdum’s reign as champion via first round knockout at UFC 198.

Werdum (23-7-1 MMA, 11-4 UFC) did not get his wish. Instead of a title shot, he faces the No. 14 ranked Volkov (29-6 MMA, 3-0 UFC).

This is a dangerous fight for Werdum. He’s giving up height, reach and 11 years to the former Bellator heavyweight champ. For Volkov, this is precisely the kind of opportunity that could launch him up the rankings and add him to the growing list of relative newcomers looking to replace the heavyweight division’s old guard.

2. An unexpected rematch

Expect Manuwa to be in ill humor at UFC Fight Night 127. First off, Manuwa saw a potential title fight disappear when Volkan Oezdemir knocked him out in 42 seconds in July. Secondly, Manuwa (17-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), who is ranked No. 8 in the light heavyweight division, was unable to secure a fight against a top-10 opponent after that defeat. He faces the unranked Blachowicz (21-7 MMA, 4-4 UFC), a man he bested by unanimous decision in 2015.

Before his loss to Oezdemir, Manuwa scored two consecutive “Performance of the Night” bonus-winning knockout victories.

Blachowicz enters this bout on the first winning streak of his eight-fight UFC career. A win over a top-10 opponent like Manuwa would be a huge boost for him.

3. Back on the tracks

Tom Duquesnoy came to the UFC as a former two-division champion with BAMMA. He also had an 11-fight unbeaten streak to his name. With that resume, hopes were high that the French fighter would make an immediate impact in the bantamweight division. Those hopes received a boost when Duquesnoy knocked out Patrick Williams in his UFC debut. However, the 24-year-old lost some of his shine when he dropped a decision to Cody Stamann in October.

Duquesnoy (15-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC), who is unbeaten in England, faces Terrion Ware (17-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 127. Ware is 0-2 in the UFC

If this contest remains standing it should help Duquesnoy regain some of the luster he lost in the Stamman matchup. Duquesnoy has fast and precise striking, but his output sometimes lags. With Ware absorbing an average of 7.83 strikes per minute in the UFC, this bout would be a good time for Duquesnoy to look to up his production.

4. One thing on his mind

A handful of young(er) fighters are on the come up at welterweight these days. Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman and Darren Till are each ranked in the top 10 and riding winning streaks. Another fighter who is creeping up the ladder is 26-year-old Leon Edwards.

A former BAMMA welterweight champ, Edwards (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) has won four straight since a 2015 loss to Usman. He meets 31-year-old Peter Sobotta (17-5-1 MMA, 4-4 UFC) in London.

Edwards had hoped to land a ranked opponent after he defeated Bryan Barberena in September, but that didn’t happen. Edwards, who has two finishes in eight UFC bouts, has an idea why his wish went unfulfilled.

“Winning ain’t enough in the UFC no more,” Edwards told MMAjunkie. “You have to finish. I feel I need to finish this guy and I’ll stake my claim on that mic and we’ll go from there for July.”

Sobotta, a submission ace, is coming off a win over Ben Saunders in his most recent bout.

5. Can he live up to the nickname?

John Phillips (21-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who goes by the nickname “The White Mike Tyson,” due to his penchant for first-round knockouts – he has 17 – makes his UFC debut against Charles Byrd (9-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

Phillips, who fights out of SBG Ireland, has been waiting for more than a year to make his UFC debut. Visa issues and a knee injury kept him from making the walk to the octagon. Phillips has gone the distance once in his career. His heavy-handed style and outspoken ways make him a potential fan favorite.

The problem with Phillips, the former BAMMA middleweight champion, is that he’s struggled against tougher opponents. He has losses to Jesse Taylor, Frank Trigg, Tom Watson and Jim Wallhead.

Byrd, who also makes his UFC debut on this card, would be wise to get this fight to the ground quickly. Byrd earned his UFC deal with submission victories on two Dana White Contender Series cards.

6. A new addition at featherweight

Unbeaten 26-year-old prospect Hakeem Dawodu makes his UFC debut in London. It’s been nearly a year since the Canadian tuned up Steven Siler at WSOF 35. Signed as a free agent by the UFC in November, Dawodu is an exciting striker with a style that should appeal to UFC fans. He has six knockout victories to his name.

Before signing with the UFC, Dawodu told MMAjunkie Radio that his ideal schedule would have him fighting four times per year, but a lack of opportunities limited him to one fight a year in 2016 and 2017. Dawodu shouldn’t have any problem finding willing opponents in the UFC’s featherweight division.

Dawodu (7-0-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) faces Danny Henry in London. Henry (11-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) defeated Daniel Teymur in his UFC debut. Henry won that July bout by decision.

7. Time to make an impression

Unbeaten Dagestani prospect Magomed Ankalaev makes his UFC debut in London. Since his pro debut in 2014, the Akhmat Fight Team member has nine straight wins. He’s finished his two most recent fights via first-round knockout. Both of those stoppages came via ground strikes.

Ankalaev (9-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) works well in the clinch, and his ground-and-pound is impressive. He meets Paul Craig (9-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) in London.

Craig was 8-0 with eight stoppage wins when he faced Henrique da Silva at UFC on FOX 22. Craig earned a “Performance of the Night” bonus for his submission win in that bout. The Scottish fighter lost his two most recent contests by knockout.

8. Welcome back

Stevie Ray rolled the dice and fought out his UFC contract in July. Paul Felder knocked him out in that bout. Ray (21-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) then waited for a new deal. In February the UFC booked him as a late injury replacement against fellow lightweight Kajan Johnson (22-11-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC).

Before his loss to Felder, Ray’s UFC record was 5-1. He defeated Ross Pearson and Joe Lauzon before the Felder bout. With the contract issue behind him, expect Ray to show the UFC brass that bringing him back was a wise decision.

Johnson is on a three-fight winning streak with his most recent bout being a knockout win over Adriano Martins.

9. Different kind of pressure

Dmitriy Sosnovskiy opened his MMA career with 10 fights in 31 months. He won each of those bouts, with eight of those victories coming by way of first-round stoppage. The 28-year-old heavyweight makes his UFC debut in London. It’s been 34 months since his most recent outing.

That layoff is a big concern for the Russian, especially since he’s facing a step up in competition in former BAMMA heavyweight champ Mark Godbeer who is 2-1 in the UFC.

While Sosnovskiy (10-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is under pressure being the new guy coming off a long layoff, Godbeer (13-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) is facing the prospect of fighting in his home country for the first time since he joined the UFC in 2016. Like his opponent, Godbeer is a finisher. Of his 13 wins, Godbeer has earned 11 via stoppage.

10. Recapture that buzz

Paddy Pimblett had a ton of hype behind him heading into his April 2017 fight against Nad Narimani. Pimblett, who had drawn comparisons to Conor McGregor for his swagger and confidence, was the Cage Warriors featherweight champ at the time. He was also riding a nine-fight winning. Narimani ended Pimblett’s winning streak and took the title from him via a unanimous decision. The win should have given Narimani some buzz, but the English fighter has not fought since he relieved Pimblett of the belt.

Narimani (10-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) steps into UFC Fight Night 127 on very short notice to face Nasrat Haqparast in a lightweight scrap. Haqparast (8-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) saw his streak of eight straight stoppage wins come to an end in his most recent fight. He dropped a unanimous decision to Marcin Held in his UFC debut.

For more on UFC Fight Night 127, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.