UFC star Paddy Pimblett will return to the Octagon this summer as he takes on Jordan Leavitt at UFC London.

Over the course of the last few weeks we’ve seen Paddy Pimblett slowly but surely get back into a training rhythm. His rise to prominence across the last twelve months has helped increase his visibility substantially, but there’s still a long way to go before he can start to mix it up with the big boys at 155 pounds.

The 27-year-old has many outings ahead of him in the UFC but only if he can keep building on the momentum he’s already got, which he’ll aim to do when he locks horns with Jordan Leavitt on July 23.

In what will serve as the UFC’s second trip to the English capital this year, Leavitt will attempt to cause an upset in front of another rowdy crowd. ‘The Monkey King’ is 10-1 in his mixed martial arts career and with a 3-1 record in the UFC since his triumph on Dana White's Contender Series, he’s ready to put the cat amongst the pigeons.

Pimblett, meanwhile, wants to keep proving that he can handle the pressure.

The journey so far

Paddy Pimblett is 2-0 in the Ultimate Fighting Championship with both of his past opponents, funnily enough, being released by the company just a few months ago.

The road to success began with a knockout win over Luigi Vendramini, with the Scouse sensation having to overcome some early adversity before securing the KO before the end of the first round.

Another R1 finish was on the cards in March when Kazula Vargas tried to spoil the party. It was a case of deja vu, in many ways, with a rough start leaving many to wonder whether or not ‘The Baddy’ would come unstuck.

Alas, his ground game is better than most in the lightweight division and he showcased that with a lethal submission win - earning himself another Performance of the Night bonus in the process.

Leavitt is definitely a step up in competition, although it must be said that a lot of fans and pundits were excited about the prospect of seeing Paddy take on Ottman Azaitar, as was heavily rumoured.