UFC London 'Weekend Lock' ... What's Yours?

03/21/2025 05:05 PM

UFC London is less than 24 hours away ...

It all goes down this weekend (Sat., March 22, 2025) from the famous O2 Arena in London, England. In the main event, former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight champion, Leon Edwards, will collide with top-ranked contender, Sean Brady,in a pivotal showdown in the 170-pound division.

We've started a new series at MMAmania.com called "Weekend Lock," where we will share one bet that we feel could slap across the pond when the chaotic dust settles. We also want to hear what our readers think (that's you!), so please tell us your most confident UFC London betting lock in the comments section below (full UFC London odds here).

We're 2-0 so far, so let's keep keeping on below ...

No. 13-ranked Heavyweight, Mick Parkin, gets a chance to enter the Top 10 rankings this weekend, taking on No. 8-seeded Octagon veteran, Marcin Tybura.

Unfortunately for the hometown favorite, he might be in some trouble as soon as the cage door closes.

Tybura might not be an elite Heavyweight, but he's still solid and very capable of defeating any other run-of-the-mill Heavyweight. Just ask Jhonata Diniz, Tai Tuivasa and Alexander Romanov, among others.

Parkin, accordingly, has not shown anything inside the Octagon to prove he's super special ... yet.

And if his opponent doesn't have one-punch knockout power, then Tybura will just keep coming forward. Parkin seems to lack power, which is concerning for a Heavyweight, piling up points on the judges scorecards with jabs, crooked overhands and such.

Serghei Spivacused sheer size to bully "Tybur," but that's a rare occurrence because big Heavyweights have tried and failed.

Ultimately, Parkin will more than likely have to stop Tybura with strikes this weekend to be victorious. His ground game is unproven (unlike Tybura's) and his gas tank is questionable (Tybura's is not). Indeed, if he can't muster up a 260-pound kill shot, like this, then it will be a 15-minute slog for the surging son of Sunderland.

Tybura is certainly notMohammed Usman, which is the reason I'm taking the Money Line on the wily Polish veteran at +105.

Here is a brief counterpoint argument to take Parkin:

GROK AI added this as well:

"Betting on Mick Parkin to defeat Marcin Tybura involves weighing Parkin's potential upside against Tybura's proven track record. While Tybura's experience against top-tier heavyweights like Andrei Arlovski, Derrick Lewis and Alexander Volkov gives him a clear edge in resume depth, there are compelling reasons to consider Parkin as a live underdog or even a slight favorite, depending on the odds you find.

"Bet on Parkin if you believe his youth, evolving skills, and home momentum can outpace Tybura's seasoned but battle-worn style. He's not a lock — experience matters — but at near-even odds, the risk-reward favors the rising star over the gatekeeper showing cracks. A Parkin moneyline or a prop on him winning by (technical) knockout could be sharp plays."

Here are the updated lines for "Tybura vs. Parkin" (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook):

• Marcin Tybura To Win By KO/TKO/DQ: +450
• Marcin Tybura To Win By Submission: +800
• Marcin Tybura To Win By Decision: +250
• Draw: +5000
• Mick Parkin To Win By KO/TKO/DQ: +300
• Mick Parkin To Win By Submission: +1100
• Mick Parkin To Win By Decision: +225

Do you agree with our lock of the weekend? Please sound off in the comments and let us know your most confident UFC London pick this weekend. Correct "lock" predictions will be shared in our "Best of the Best" article next week, too.

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC London fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ "Prelims" undercard bouts at 1 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance on ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET.

To checkout the latest and greatest UFC London news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive here.