5 British UFC Prospects to Watch Out For in 2021

With the British Invasion of mixed martial arts already underway, let's meet some of the UK's flag bearers hunting for gold in the UFC.

Darren Till

Although his impressive UFC performances across two different weight classes have cemented Darren Till as a bonafide contender at this point, it would be wrong to leave the man that many see as the UK's best chance for UK gold off this list.

Last seen in a back-and-forth battle with former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker on Fight Island, Till was scheduled to make his return this weekend against Marvin Vettori before being forced out due to injury.

Despite the injury, Till has proven that he is capable of hanging with the elite at 185lbs, and if comments made by current champion Israel Adesanya regarding potential matchups are anything to go by, don't be surprised if Liverpool's finest is competing for his second shot at UFC gold later this year.

Darren Till - HIGHLIGHTS 2020 [HD]

Tom Aspinall

In a sport where the heavyweight division often sees up and coming prospects having their hype trains well and truly derailed, Tom Aspinall has established himself as one to watch at 265lbs.

A hypermobile heavyweight with some of the fastest hands in the division, Aspinall announced himself to the UFC with a first-round knockout over Jake Collier back in July before returning with a win over Alan Baudot in October.

What really cemented Aspinall as a future contender in the UFC, however, was his second-round submission over former champion Andrei Arlovski in February. By demonstrating that his submission skills are just as dangerous as his striking, Aspinall has sent out a warning to the top ten of the division, and could well be on his way to the title at 265lbs.

Tom Aspinall | Highlights (2021)

Arnold Allen

With a 7 fight undefeated stretch in the UFC dating all the way back to 2015, it's almost surprising that Arnold Allen hasn't already forced his way into the title picture at 145lbs.

Much like so many of his contemporaries on this list, Allen first demonstrated his fighting skills in Cage Warriors, earning a 5-1 record in the promotion before being offered a UFC contract.

Since then, Allen has set about putting the featherweight division on notice and has earned wins over the likes of Mads Burnell, Nik Lentz, and Gilbert Melendez.

Of course, in order to continue his ascent up the division, Allen will have to get past fellow talented prospect Sodiq Yusuff in the co-main event of tonight's UFC on ABC 2 card.

Arnold "Almighty" Allen - Highlights

Cory McKenna

Very few fighters on the current UFC roster can claim to have been on Dana White's radar from the time they were still in school but for Welsh strawweight Cory McKenna that is exactly what happened.

Whilst attending UFC Fight Night 30 back in 2013, the teenage McKenna's mother managed to get the attention of UFC President Dana White, and confidently told the head honcho that her daughter would one day compete in the world-famous Octagon.

And to her credit, Mrs McKenna was spot on.

After racking up a combined amateur/professional MMA record of 11-1, McKenna was invited to compete on Dana White's Contender Series last August and dominated Vanessa Demopoulos en-route to a UFC contract.

McKenna followed that up with an impressive win in her UFC debut showcasing her ever-evolving skill set developed through training under the tutelage of UFC legend Urijah Faber at Team Alpha Male.

If Poppins' seemingly unstoppable momentum continues, the UK might have its first female UFC champion in the coming years.

Cory McKenna Highlights HD

Mason Jones

Though he suffered the first defeat of his career in a knockdown drag-out brawl with Mike Davis in his UFC debut that earned both men Fight of the Night honours, Mason Jones is still one of the brightest prospects to have come out of the British Isles in recent years.

After all, Jones came into the UFC after becoming just the second-ever simultaneous two-division world champion in Cage Warriors, which inevitably drew comparisons to a certain Irishman who had achieved champ-champ status in the promotion just a few years prior...

Having never faced a fighter with a losing record as a professional, Jones has never been one to shy away from tough competition, which is good as even the unranked portion of the ultra-stacked UFC lightweight division is full of killers just waiting for the opportunity to announce themself on the biggest stage.

Jones will look to rebound from his disappointing debut in his sophomore UFC outing against Brazilian Alan Patrick when the two meet at UFC Fight Night 189 in June.

MASON JONES HIGHLIGHTS ▶ THE DRAGON HD