The UFC’s planned 2026 return to London was meant to be a celebration, but for many fans, the announcement landed with a thud, not a bang. The buzz that followed wasn’t exactly the kind we expected. Despite selling out one of their biggest shows in England’s crown, fans have come forward with nagging issues that act as the spoilsport in the thrilling showdown.

Set for March 21 next year, this marks the UFC’s 17th visit to London, and one of over 30 total UFC events held in the UK. It looks like the city, with its loud streets and even more bustling crowds, has delivered the kind of environment that has compelled the promotion to come back for more. This time, though, people are calling out the red flags.

Fans urge UFC London to resolve nagging concerns before showdown

UFC London has made numerous comebacks, and somehow only left a sour aftertaste from the lackluster fights and overpriced tickets for a card many fans felt didn’t deliver. Leon Edwards vs Sean Brady was one of those fights where the former’s struggling wrestling stats were further brought under the microscope, with Sean Brady securing 5 takedowns. An average ticket price of £484.36 (≈ $645), which is higher than a Taylor Swift concert ticket, doesn’t help.

Bringing up these concerns, fans didn’t hesitate to toss digs at the UFC London 2026. One fan kept it straightforward, listing the sore points: “Can you make sure it’s NOT – at 5 am – £500 a ticket – s**t.” Another user reiterated, “Can you ensure it’s not – at 5 am – over 300 pound tickets – terrible fights.” It’s hard to blame the fans when they are still salty about awkward UK broadcast windows in recent years, especially events like the Manchester card that pushed fights into the early hours, so any hint of another timing issue sparks instant backlash.

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Going over the conversation of terrible fights, everyone has favorites on the must-not-watch list. Fans have a clear sentiment on that. “Main event murphy v evloev snoozefest incoming,” one fan exclaimed, while another fan added, “If it’s a Murphy main event we are rioting.” The matchups aren’t final yet, but we surely know which fights are among the black sheep. One fan even sarcastically commented on UFC’s perspective, “Best we can do is Murphy vs Evloev at 3am.”

While we are in the conversation about ridiculous streaming timings and even more ridiculous ticket prices, one fan expressed, “Another London card… Remember when they used to do fight nights everywhere, every week?” With 17 of the UFC’s 30-plus UK events taking place in London, fans aren’t wrong to feel the capital gets most of the attention. But overpriced cards with limited star power remain the biggest point of frustration.

“£600 a ticket for a Fight Night, no doubt. Will sell out before any real fans can buy, then magically reappear on the official reselling platforms for stupid prices,” one user laid out the core of the issue. Another user agreed, “Too soon after 324 for Paddy to be on the card? So, card nobody will care about and Bisping glazing all the UK fighters for 3 hours, terrific.”

The 2025 London card didn’t feature major UK draws like Tom Aspinall or Paddy Pimblett, which made the expensive Fight Night lineup feel even harder to justify for local fans, leading to an overall lackluster event. With not much star power to carry the night, and price tags that eat into your wallet, could it repeat the fate of unsuccessful ticket sales as in 2023? This year’s London Fight Night begs to tell a different story.

UFC London 2025 becomes the highest-grossing Fight Night

London shows might always have been on the radar for drag nights, but the numbers paint a fuller picture of the buzz they create. The Leon Edwards vs. Sean Brady fight wasn’t the most appealing headliner, but the event still succeeded in securing a gate of $4.71 million, with an attendance of 18,583. That made it the highest-grossing Fight Night in UFC history.

However, the sentiment that came from the fight night was mixed and definitely leaning negative. Nine out of thirteen fights ended via decision, snubbing the fans from the thrill of fast-paced finishes and exciting knockdowns. When weighed alongside ticket prices that slipped to £1,950.13 (roughly $2600) at the highest, the lineup just couldn’t match the price tag.

While the timing was more fan-friendly in 2025, with prelims around 5 pm and the main card starting at 8 pm local time, the event disappointed across most other areas. The UFC has faced similar backlash in other international markets too. Australia’s UFC 284, for example, drew complaints about steep pricing and thin undercards—showing London isn’t the only fanbase feeling shortchanged. Could UFC London 2026 make a redemption, or is the fate sealed for fans?