Five Reasons Why I’m Super F—ing Pumped For UFC 286 In London

UFC 286 is getting closer, and I feel we as European MMA fans are getting a real treat with this one.

Numbered pay-per-view event. World title fight headliner. In London.

While I have a sense that that big fight feeling may not be as strong worldwide, I for one is starting to get really excited here. So I figured I’d list my top five reasons why, because why the fuck not?

Click on ”next” to get started and maybe you’ll get as pumped up for UFC 286 as I am!

This is an opinion piece by Ashah Tafari, the editor-in-cheif of Frontkick.online.

1. Start time matters

This may not seem as that big a deal depending of where you live. But let me tell you – and I’m speaking for every single European MMA fan here – a numbered UFC event that doesn’t start in the middle of the goddamn night is like Christmas to us.

For the longest time, this almost seemed like a distant dream. Even when the UFC occasionally decided to put on big fight cards in this part of the world, they’d still have the audacity to cater the start times to the American viewers, and European fans would continue to enable them by still showing up to the arenas despite main cards starting early in the fucking morning the next day.

When you want to watch UFC in Europe from home, you usually have to make one of two choices. Either you stay up all night, force yourself through a card from beginning to end, sacrificing your next day and ruining your sleep schedule completely in the process – or you skip most of the card and wake up early just to catch the last few main card bouts.

So even though I’m over here in Sweden and won’t even be in the arena on Saturday, the start times make my life a whole lot easier and allow me to actually enjoy an entire PPV event like a normal person for once. Hell, we might even do a fight companion livestream with our Swedish podcast ”Käftsmällspodden” for this one – something that’s obviously out of the question most of the time when main cards starts at 4 o’clock in the morning.

2. Leon Edwards reminded me of why I love MMA

Looking at the actual UFC 286 fight card, it’s objectively pretty good.

Solid might be a more fitting word. Not stacked, not weak, just solid. Judging by PPV standards. However, just the main event in itself has me locked-in.

When Leon Edwards scored that head kick knockout and won the welterweight title in round five, I was reminded of why I love MMA so much and decided do dedicate my life to covering the sport. Kamaru Usman was winning comfortably and the Joe Rogan just threw out the question of whether Edwards ”may have resigned himself to losing a decision” when all of a sudden BOOM!

Pound-for-pound. Headshot. Dead.

Looking back, it’s one of my favorite UFC moments ever. The whole ”Rocky” story, coach Dave Lovell’s incredible pep talk in between rounds, the unbelievable comeback win. I just love everything about it and it still gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

And I’ll be honest here, I wasn’t even a fan of Leon Edwards before. Neither his fighting style nor personality was intriguing to me. I didn’t get it then, but I sure do now. The whole story surrounding Edwards and his title win is fascinating to me to say the least.

However, while you can probably guess where my heart lies in this one, we still have an ongoing rivalry on our hands with unfinished business and most importantly, unanswered questions.

I tend to believe that Kamaru Usman – not Leon Edwards – is actually the best welterweight in the world. ”The Nigerian Nightmare” having won a majority of the rounds they’ve competed in across their first two fights supports that claim.

Despite being the defending champion, it’s Edwards who needs to show up with improvements. Based on the last fight, Usman just needs to not get caught again. However, losing the belt by brutal knockout might mess with your head – just like realizing your dream to become the UFC champion, getting love and support from around the world and defending that title in your home country might get you a vital mental edge.

I’m not at all sure about the outcome – which just makes me that more excited. I’m very much looking forward to just sit back and watch the as this trilogy get settled once and for all.

3. Co-main event has got ”just bleed” written all over it

Covering the sport as media since 2015, I feel that I’m becoming more of a so-called ”just bleed” fan for every year that passes.

It might have to do with the fact that I’ve slowly gone from being a lifelong martial artist myself, to turning into more of a keyboard warrior. And maybe it’s just harder to appreciate the technical (and sometimes slow and boring) aspects of MMA when you’re working with this everyday, as opposed to tuning in as just a fan.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got love for all the styles. The big takedowns, the slick guard passes, the clever submissions. I might just have a shorter temper when it comes to guys and gals laying on top of each other, or pushing each other against the fence, throwing just enough sloppy strikes not to get stood up by the ref.

Neither here nor there, what I’m always down for is a good ol’ fist fight. Back and forth action. Fast-paced brawls. And brutal knockouts.

The type of fights deemed ”fight of the year contenders” in every damn headline.

In other words, I love watching Justin Gaethje fight.

It’s especially when enjoyable when he’s paired up with the right dance partner, and I believe the UFC hit the nail on the head with this one as Rafael Fiziev is extremely exciting in his own right.

This should be an absolute banger. I just wish it was five rounds, but hey, let’s not nitpick here.

4. London crowd is spoiled, but awesome

That first part of the headline is just me being jealous.

The London crowd was so damn amazing when the UFC came back to UK following the pandemic that UFC president Dana White demanded a change of schedule so that the promotion would return with another event just a few months later.

Then, since England got a new champion in Leon Edwards who wanted to defend his belt on home soil, they’re now getting their third UFC event over there in less than a year – and even a pay-per-view event with a title-fight headliner this time as we’ve just discussed.

While I’m bitter that we still haven’t seen the UFC back in Sweden since 2019, despite Stockholm being somewhat of an annual destination before, I’m glad for the British fans. You can literally feel their energy watching at home on a screen, and having crazy mad lads in the arena just makes my viewing experience even more enjoyable.

The UK always delivers. Fair play.

(But seriously though, UFC, please come back to Sweden too!)

5. We love Gunni and Makwan over here

Lastly, I gotta give a shoutout to my fellow Scandinavians.

Both Gunnar Nelson and Makwan Amirkhani are beloved by the Swedish MMA fans including myself. Nelson even headlined a UFC card over here before (although that fight was kind of a snoozefest), and Amirkhani introduced himself to the Swedish fans by scoring a eight-second knockout in a sold-out Tele2 Arena before announcing that he’d actually move to Stockholm for a while.

What I’m trying to say is that we as Swedish fans are emotionally invested in these two fighters, even though Nelson is from Iceland and Amirkhani from Finland.

Some may believe that all Scandinavians are just the same and that we always root for each other in sports – and while that’s not really true at all, it is when it comes to these two fighters in particular.

For me as a karate guy too, I find Nelson’s style especially fascinating. I love how he’s cold like Fedor Emelianenko, how he bounces around like he’s in a point karate match and how he suddenly bursts in with the perfect timing when the opening presents itself. And how he’s putting it all together with his incredible grappling skills too.

Amirkhani is always fun to watch as well.

Even though I’m still waiting for that next Swedish event (or Scandinavian event, at the very least), this gives me a little fix and calms my nerves for the time being.

UFC 286 – here’s some useful links ahead of the Edwards vs. Usman 3 event in London

With that being said, I can’t wait for Saturday.

If you read this far, your a real trooper who probably should find something better to do with your life.

In any way, here are some useful links regarding UFC 286 as the fights are getting closer:

• UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3 – Fight Card, Start time & How to Watch
• One fighter misses weight ahead of UFC 286 in London
• UFC 286 Pre-Fight Press Conference Highlights

Follow me on Instagram at @mma_ashah and make sure to keep your eye on Frontkick.online for our UFC 286 coverage!