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UFC London preview: Werdum saves the day, SBG Ireland hopefuls debut

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The divisive Fabricio Werdum has done a lot to re-enter the UFC's good graces over the past handful of months.

But every gesture of goodwill the ex-heavyweight champ has made in an effort to repair his tumultuous relationship with president Dana White, he's sullied with his conduct outside the Octagon - most recently in November in Sydney. When Mark Hunt was yanked from UFC Fight Night 121's headliner due to medical concerns, Werdum played the company man and agreed to face Marcin Tybura in his stead just 43 days after he submitted Walt Harris in 65 seconds at UFC 216.

Then the boomerang incident happened.

Mere days before he took a one-sided decision over Tybura, the Brazilian got into an altercation with the welterweight division's persona non grata, Colby Covington - a dispute that got him summoned to Australian court on general assault charges. Werdum was fined $600, and his next attempt to mend fences with White and Co. is a date with Alexander Volkov at Saturday's UFC Fight Night 127 in London, which he accepted six weeks ago when the promotion's efforts to book a main event amounted to bubkes.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Werdum crosses the pond in pursuit of his third W in five months, and aims to parlay that into a shot at his second heavyweight crown by year's end. Standing in his way is Volkov, a winner of five straight and a long, rangy striker who's gotten his hand raised in all three of his walks to the Octagon.

The Russian most recently stopped Stefan Struve by third-round TKO at UFC Fight Night 115 in September. He now enters a clash of styles against a lauded Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner in Werdum, who's tapped nearly half his 23 scalps and made tremendous strides in the striking department since his days under the Pride FC banner.

From the big house to the big show

John Phillips has been living out of a caravan in preparation for his UFC debut, but he's not complaining. After all, it's an upgrade from the Welsh jail that once housed him for six months.

Over the past four years, the hard-hitting Swansea native has gone to the slammer on a charge of attempted murder (he was never tried), and seen several attempts at his maiden trip to the Octagon foiled by injuries and visa issues. Less than 24 hours from fight night, it appears the third time will prove the charm for Phillips, who faces fellow newcomer Charles Byrd in Saturday's featured middleweight preliminary bout.

The 32-year-old fielded an offer from SBG Ireland head man John Kavanagh to sharpen his sword in Dublin upon winning a one-night tourney in Glasgow - where he knocked out camp member Charlie Ward - shortly after his release from prison in 2015. Phillips took him up on it and made an abode of the caravan that now sits outside Kavanagh's home in the Irish capital.

The boxer-turned-MMA fighter's rather spartan regimen soon bore fruit, as he extended his win streak to four with a pair of first-round knockouts under Kavanagh's watch before signing with the UFC in late 2016. He'll make his long-awaited debut with a pro record boasting 21 stoppages in as many victories.

Joining Phillips on the undercard is another SBG Ireland member, albeit a far more recent addition to the team: Hakeem Dawodu. Armed with a Muay Thai base that earned him six knockouts in seven professional wins under the World Series of Fighting banner, the undefeated Calgarian had the Canadian MMA community singing his praises after he took a decision over UFC veteran Steven Siler last March.

Dawodu's run in WSOF earned him a call from the UFC in late 2017 - one he'd expected to come sooner - and he'll face Danny Henry in a featherweight tilt on Saturday's prelims. The 26-year-old previously aimed to hold his training camp at Jackson's MMA in Albuquerque, N.M., but opted to train for his debut in Dublin under Kavanagh - whose friendship with Dawodu's coach Brian Bird dates back to their days on the jiu-jitsu circuit.

Anyone familiar with Dawodu's resume won't be surprised to know the youngster has vowed to become the first man to put Henry away inside the distance. The Scot, meanwhile, is vying for his fifth straight win after taking a decision over Daniel Teymur in UFC Fight Night 113's Fight of the Night.

Related - UFC London predictions: Will Volkov stay perfect in the Octagon?

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