Jimi Manuwa Set to Face Corey Anderson at UFC Fight Night London
Jimi Manuwa Set to Face Corey Anderson at UFC Fight Night London
Top-ranked light heavyweights Jimi Manuwa and Corey Anderson are set to square off in London.
A battle between two of the top 10 UFC light heavyweights is set for UFC Fight Night London, taking place March 18.
Hometown boy Jimi Manuwa (ranked No. 5) is set to take on Corey Anderson (ranked No. 9) in the English capital.
Sources close to the bout confirmed the news to FloCombat on Saturday.
Manuwa (16-2) is coming off a massive win at UFC 204 in Manchester, England, last October in what turned out to be his only fight of 2016.
The Brit defeated Ovince Saint Preux in impressive fashion, notching a devastating second-round knockout after dominating much of the opening five minutes.
Prior to that win, the British light heavyweight had endured a frustrating 2016 littered with injuries and setbacks after being defeated by Anthony Johnson back in December 2015 when he was KO'd by the American in the second round of their contest at UFC 191.
With that loss and all his injuries seemingly behind him now, Manuwa has built some nice momentum, and another win against a high-profile opponent could well propel him into the UFC light heavyweight title picture later this year.
Dec 9, 2016; Albany, NY, USA; Corey Anderson (red gloves) fights Sean O'Connell (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Times Union Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Adamucci-USA TODAY Sports
If Manuwa is to do that, however, he must first go through Anderson (9-2), and that will be no easy task.
Anderson has won four of his last five inside Octagon, with wins over the likes of Jan Blachowicz, Fabio Maldonado and Tom Lawlor. He bounced back quickly from a loss against Mauricio Rua in May with a dominant TKO victory over Sean O'Connell last December at UFC Fight Night Albany. The Iron Army representative currently sits in the top 10 of the light heavyweight rankings with his eyes firmly set up on earning a top five spot.
Both men look to make a big impact on March 18 and put their names amongst the big players of a division currently lacking any real contenders after Anthony Johnson's expected title showdown with the champion Daniel Cormier later this year.
Hometown boy Jimi Manuwa (ranked No. 5) is set to take on Corey Anderson (ranked No. 9) in the English capital.
Sources close to the bout confirmed the news to FloCombat on Saturday.
Manuwa (16-2) is coming off a massive win at UFC 204 in Manchester, England, last October in what turned out to be his only fight of 2016.
The Brit defeated Ovince Saint Preux in impressive fashion, notching a devastating second-round knockout after dominating much of the opening five minutes.
Prior to that win, the British light heavyweight had endured a frustrating 2016 littered with injuries and setbacks after being defeated by Anthony Johnson back in December 2015 when he was KO'd by the American in the second round of their contest at UFC 191.
With that loss and all his injuries seemingly behind him now, Manuwa has built some nice momentum, and another win against a high-profile opponent could well propel him into the UFC light heavyweight title picture later this year.
Dec 9, 2016; Albany, NY, USA; Corey Anderson (red gloves) fights Sean O'Connell (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Times Union Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Adamucci-USA TODAY Sports
If Manuwa is to do that, however, he must first go through Anderson (9-2), and that will be no easy task.
Anderson has won four of his last five inside Octagon, with wins over the likes of Jan Blachowicz, Fabio Maldonado and Tom Lawlor. He bounced back quickly from a loss against Mauricio Rua in May with a dominant TKO victory over Sean O'Connell last December at UFC Fight Night Albany. The Iron Army representative currently sits in the top 10 of the light heavyweight rankings with his eyes firmly set up on earning a top five spot.
Both men look to make a big impact on March 18 and put their names amongst the big players of a division currently lacking any real contenders after Anthony Johnson's expected title showdown with the champion Daniel Cormier later this year.