10 British MMA Stars You Need To Know
The world better be ready for the best of the British.
The world of MMA was long been dominated by talents from North/South America and Japan - which is to be expected when the likes of the UFC, Bellator, Pride and ONE FC have all been primarily situated in those countries over the years.
Yet despite that, the British MMA scene was quietly going about its business under the radar and producing some top talents who would make it their mission to conquer these major promotions.
Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy both paved the way and established themselves as legitimate contenders inside of the Octagon. However, after their time had passed, a large hole was left to fill. Conor McGregor has happily gone about changing the modern MMA game, but he's from the Republic of Ireland and you know enough about him anyway.
So the question is... who will be the next Brit to put their stamp on the global MMA stage?
Their futures aren't guaranteed. But, if this crop of tenacious and potentially world-class talents keep their eyes on the prize and produce some more awe-inspiring performances over the coming years, we may very much be talking about them alongside the Bispings, Hardys and (go on then) McGregors of the MMA world.
10. Tom Aspinall
Standing at 6'5" and weighing in at a monstrous 250 lbs, Tom Aspinall already has one game-changing attribute on his side. He's a force of nature.
Making his amateur debut back in 2013, the Greater Manchester starlet made short work of his rivals in his first five bouts. He then made the leap up to the professional world and carried on that winning momentum with three first round stoppages.
He's since suffered the odd loss here or there, but overall Aspinall tends to stop his opponents in their tracks and he likes to get the job done early with those devastating bombs he throws. His timing is excellent and he moves like a Middleweight, which is a combination that few have found a way of dealing with.
Dana White finally came calling in late 2019 and Aspinall now looks set to take on Jake Collier in his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 171. All eyes will be on the young Brit who has built up a strong reputation off the back of murdering his rivals before they even know what's happened to them.
Is this Aspinall's time to become the next big British sensation? We'll find out come 21 March.