By Nolan King

Editor's Note: Reports have recently circulated that UFC Fight Night 130 will no longer take place in Dublin and could instead happen in Liverpool. These five fighters would still apply for that card, should the change occur. Enjoy. 

Over the course of 25 years, the UFC has hosted 429 events in 140 cities and 22 countries across the globe. 

Throughout those 2 1/2 decades, the promotion has seen its fair share of energetic crowds. When contemplating which audience is the most enthusiastic, boisterous, and rowdy out there, however, one emerges clearly at the front of the pack: Dublin, Ireland.

Anyone who has even remotely followed the sport over the past five years knows that Irish fans are a breed of their own. Their fervor for all of the UFC’s combatants is only inflated by the presence of their homegrown and adopted fighters.  

The mere mention of Conor McGregor, Gunnar Nelson, Artem Lobov, and/or Joe Duffy will get even the most casual Irish fan fired up.

The rise to stardom for the aforementioned "Notorious" McGregor has inspired a new wave of Irish fighters that may never end. That said, Ireland isn’t the only European country cranking out talent.  

The United Kingdom, Sweden, and Poland have grown UFC-level talent in bunches, while countries such as Denmark, France, and Italy are finally establishing their territory in the biggest promotions in the world. 

On May 27, the UFC makes its long-awaited return to Dublin for UFC Fight Night 130 at the 3Arena in what promises to be a must-watch event. Oftentimes, when the UFC makes a trip “over the pond,” the promotion picks up the best local talent available to fill out the card and to provide more local interest. In that regard, UFC Fight Night 130 should be no different.

Here are five fighters from Ireland and the United Kingdom who could be potentially picked up for UFC Dublin. 

5. Karl Moore 

LHW | 8-1 | 26 years old | Belfast, Northern Ireland

Whether it be from Ireland or Northern Ireland, it’d come as a shock if the UFC didn’t try to add a little Irish flare to its Dublin return. Additionally, the UFC’s light heavyweight division always needs fresh prospects, so why not kill two birds with one stone?

Northern Ireland’s Karl Moore is a grueling fight for any 205-pound fighter to take. The 26-year-old fighter has walked away victorious in eight of his nine professional bouts, most recently defeating "The Ultimate Fighter" veteran Josh Clark by a unanimous five-round decision.

The Skinny

There’s a common theme in this sport: For whatever reason, larger MMA fighters seem to possess more stand-up abilities than ground skills. Karl Moore just so happens to possess both. 

If his stand-up attack is neutralized, he will not hesitate to smother his opponent while working for a submission. Anyone planning to step into the cage against Moore better prepare all facets of the game.

The Cage Warriors light heavyweight champion will be moving up to heavyweight later this month to challenge for the heavyweight strap. If he defeats Italian destroyer Mauro Cerilli on March 24 at Cage Warriors 92, it will be hard to deny the two-division champion a UFC contract. 

Furthermore, if he walks away relatively unscathed, he’ll be an absolute shoo-in for the UFC’s May 27 card at the 3Arena.

4. Brendan Loughnane 

FW | 15-3 | 28 years old | Manchester, England

It may come as a surprise that a fighter who is 1-1 over his last two bouts would show up on this list. However, Brendan Loughnane is an exception to the rule. His only loss since early 2016 came at the hands of Pat Healy last year—a highly questionable decision in the eyes of many. Besides that one slip-up, Loughnane has consistently displayed his readiness to take a step up in competition.

In his last bout this past November, Loughnane knocked out Cyprus’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, Paata Tsxapelia, in the third round. The 28-year-old Manchester native also holds a win over former UFC veteran Mike Wilkinson, whom he knocked out in just 150 seconds.

The Skinny

The one-fight UFC veteran has improved considerably since his lone appearance back in 2012. Still young at 28, Loughnane has established himself as a nightmare for every European featherweight on the regional scene. 

When Alex Reyes fell off March 17's UFC Fight Night 127 card in London, Loughnane made it known he wanted in—despite the bout being contested at lightweight.  

As if more proof was necessary, Loughnane proved he is willing to do everything it takes to make it to the UFC—and who wouldn’t want to see him compete at UFC Dublin?

3. Molly McCann 

WFLW | 7-1 | 29 years old | Liverpool, England

Unassuming in appearance, Molly McCann, to put it simply, is an absolute savage.  

“Meatball” is not only one of the top female prospects in all of Europe, but she also ranks highly on the list of international WMMA up-and-comers. The 5-foot-4 flyweight’s record is nearly unblemished, having not lost since 2015.

Last month, McCann ran through fellow highly touted prospect Bryony Tyrell in destructive fashion. The 29-year-old Liverpool native dominated Tyrell, finishing her via strikes in the second round and claiming the Cage Warriors women’s flyweight championship in the process.

The Skinny

With WMMA still evolving as a whole, there isn’t much left for McCann on the regional scene. Sure, Cage Warriors is always able to find competitive opponents for its champions, but with the UFC’s women’s divisions constantly searching for new high-level talent, they’d be crazy not to take a chance on McCann.

McCann is the full package. She possesses heavy striking, relentless cardio, and strong top pressure. Her unique skill set would make her an interesting addition to the newly developed UFC 125-pound women’s division. 

A preliminary-card tussle featuring some “Meatball” action at UFC Fight Night 130 would certainly get the Dublin crowd moving early. 

2. Mike Grundy 

FW | 11-1 | 31 years old | Manchester, England

A main training partner of breakthrough UFC star welterweight Darren Till, Mike Grundy has defeated every fighter he's faced—with the exception of UFC bantamweight Damian Stasiak. 

Since the loss to Stasiak back in 2015, Grundy has evolved tremendously as a fighter, traveling the world competing for various organizations, including BAMMA, ACB, Shooto, and Brazil's Aspera FC.

Grundy is in the prime of his career, handling tough opponents with relative ease. MMA fans who weren’t that familiar with him in the past became more acquainted after the Team Kaobon product recently took to Twitter, leading a social media campaign to pressure the UFC to sign him for its upcoming London event.

While that attempt ultimately failed, Grundy made one thing clear: He wants his UFC opportunity, and he wants it now. 

The Skinny

If you’re looking for a sloppy, back-and-forth slugfest, you’re not going to get that with Grundy. 

That doesn’t mean, however, you won’t get a fun, entertaining fight. Ruining the antiquated stereotype of United Kingdom fighters not knowing how to wrestle, Grundy often resorts to his bread and butter—the ground game.

With his last three opponents having a combined record of 40-7-2, Grundy isn’t running through schmucks, either. These three performances alone—in which he notched one submission and two unanimous decisions—proved Grundy is UFC ready.  

Since it's looking like he didn't secure his sought-after debut at UFC London, let the man make his walk to the Octagon at UFC Dublin. He’s earned it.

1. Chris Fishgold 

LW | 17-1-1 | 25 years old | Liverpool, England

With history as our witness, there are two types of prospects the UFC loves to sign.  

The first demographic contains prospects with a high ceiling—fighters who may be green and rough around the edges but who have that “it” factor.  

The second category is comprised of UFC hopefuls who have proven themselves against tough competition on the regional scene and who are simply "due" for their shot.  

Interestingly enough, Cage Warriors lightweight champion Chris Fishgold is of both breeds.

When Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby look over a fighter's record, the level of past opposition is most certainly taken into account. What’s so impressive about Fishgold is that he doesn’t have many “record builders” on his resume—all of his opposition has been legitimate.  

In his most recent bout, Fishgold choked out 8-1 Norwegian Alexander Jacobsen in just 4:15.

The Skinny

At just 25 years old, Fishgold has already fought 19 times on the regional scene, losing just once, a unanimous decision to Gi Bum Moon in 2015. He carries himself with an in-cage and out-of-cage demeanor of a seasoned veteran that is rare among fighters on the regional scene. 

His powerful punches and kicks combined with his strong single- and double-leg takedowns make Fishgold a versatile threat to any lightweight brave enough to stand across the cage from him.  

Now that Fishgold is a free agent who is open to taking offers from all promotions, the time has never been better for him to make his UFC debut.

Honorable mentions:

Five is a miniscule number when comparing it to the amount of potential UFC talent in Ireland and the United Kingdom.  

Other potential signees include Paddy Pimblett, Sam Creasey, Mike Shipman, Anthony Dizy, Nathaniel Wood, Jack Grant, Amir Albazi, Ross Houston, Andy Clamp, Daniel Crawford, Terry Brazier, and Jack Shore.  

With another fight or two under their belts, expect a handful of these fighters to be signed by the end of 2018.