As we’ve seen with UFC 286 and Tom Aspinall’s Fight Night against Marcin Tybura, sometimes the world’s best fighters converge in London instead of their typical Las Vegas stomping grounds. In fact, the O2 Arena is an old friend of the UFC, hosting bouts for the championship since 2007, and they’ll certainly host more bouts there in the future. If you plan on traveling for one of these events, here are some of the attractions you’ll find near the O2.
Find British Online Entertainment
Like most countries, Britain has a lot of entertainment available online for citizens and visitors alike. In fact, Britain has emerged as one of Europe’s biggest tech economies and London is making moves to become a smart city, so internet speeds are fast in hot spots and hotels.
As for the entertainment available – it depends on what you’re after. There are many services in the UK that deliver online entertainment. The UK & Ireland is home to very successful iGaming platforms, for example, and they always offer deposit bonuses or free spins. Britain’s casino industry flourished online, expanding their reach to citizens and visitors alike. So, on a London visit or before you even arrive, it’s one of many entertainment options available to you. If you’ve heard of a British casino brand, you can probably find them online. Even better, you can compare their offers at sites like bonusfinder.co.uk to get a better deal. Any hotel or public space can be used to access the internet and find entertainment just like this.
iGaming is just one example. The government-funded channel broadcasters like BBC and ITV also have streaming services accessible online – BBC iPlayer and ITVX. There’s also BritBox, a streaming service that features boxset shows from both. Alongside those, there are the typical video-sharing websites that are brimming with content, great for killing time before the event begins.
The Tower Of London
If there are any of London’s museums with widespread appeal, particularly for fighting fans, it’ll be the Tower of London. A fortress and prison all in one, so it’s home to dark cells and the kinds of mechanisms that were once used to torture prisoners. It’s been the final destination in some of Britain’s biggest historical dramatics, from imprisoned royalty like Elizabeth I to revolutionary traitors like Guy Fawkes.
The Tower is right next to the Tower Bridge, where Anderson Silva and Michael Bisping had their pre-fight showdown in 2016, also in The O2 Arena. The Tower of London is only a half-hour away from it, when using the city’s abundant public transport. For details on the time and prices for tickets, you can find more details at hrp.org.uk. As for what those tickets get you, you can view the crown jewels, the greens outside of the tower including its wildflower moat, and more interesting is the armory, where you can see the armor that past British kings wore. You can also try your hand at shooting arrows or holding a sword in your own hands, experiencing how warriors settled their disputes back in the olden days before MMA and organized fighting.
Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds is a wax museum known throughout the world. If you’re an American, you may have heard that they have American outposts in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Orlando. The one in London is the original, however, located just 20 minutes away if you take the fastest train line near the O2.
If you’re not aware, Madame Tussauds hosts exhibitions full of waxwork figures – eerily accurate and lifelike recreations of celebrities and other historical figures. No matter what you’re a fan of, you’ll find a face you recognize in their waxwork army. When it comes to making wax doppelgangers, they’re the best in the business. See examples at instyle.com.
But you’re here for fighters, so you’ll want the sports section. This is where you can find the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Usain Bolt, but they have an impressive collection of fighters on display too. From Muhammad Ali to Anthony Joshua, they have all fighting generations covered. MMA is better represented at the American branches of Madame Tussauds – Chuck Liddell in Vegas and Conor McGregor in New York, for example.
These London attractions should get you in the mood for an all-or-nothing clash the next time UFC hits England’s capital city.