White Announces ‘Badass’ PPV Card For England

UFC is coming back to England.

That may explain why reigning UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards has remained on the sidelines for the first half of 2024, despite an offer to headline the biggest pay-per-view (PPV) card of the year. In addition, fight fans may also get the return of interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who like Edwards, is from England.

“Well, I have an English heavyweight champion and lots of other European stars but two champs now out of England and that’s another thing that was just happening here recently,” UFC CEO Dana White told TNT Sports. “So we have these teams that build all their different pieces of the puzzle. Then we come together with me and then I start trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together and I’m like, ‘no this doesn’t fit here, that’s gotta go.’ That’s how it all works.”

Expect to see this new addition join the lineup.

Edwards is likely to defend his 170-pound strap against No. 2-ranked welterweight contender Belal Muhammad. As for Aspinall, who is expected to fight the winner of Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic — if and when that fight ever takes place — matching him up could be a little trickier considering the current list of heavyweight contenders.

“We had these fights that were going on that were like, ‘wait, we’re gonna do this where?’ No, we’re going to England,” White continued. “We’re going to England. We’re coming and I got great fights lined up for the UK fans and I’m excited to get back there. I’m excited to get back to England. I haven’t been to England in a minute and I’m excited to get back there. Literally days, we’re right there working on this stuff. We got some badass plans for England. Numbered card buddy, pay-per-view. A great one.”

Expect an official date and location in the coming days.