UFC 120
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | November 12, 1993 |
| Founder | Art Davie, Rorion Gracie |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas, Nevada , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Dana White (President) |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Owner | Endeavor Group Holdings |
| Website | www |
UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 16, 2010, hosted at London's O2 Arena in the United Kingdom. The event featured six bouts broadcasted live and four preliminary fights that were not televised.
The headline bout showcased The Ultimate Fighter 3 champion Michael Bisping facing off against Japanese judo specialist Yoshihiro Akiyama. After three rounds, Bisping secured a unanimous decision victory, with every judge scoring the fight 30–27 in his favor. In the co-main event, Dan Hardy, notable as the first British fighter to compete for a UFC title, battled former WEC Welterweight titleholder Carlos Condit, who achieved a first-round knockout over Hardy.
Alongside the fight card, the inaugural UK UFC Fan Expo took place at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre. The event was broadcast live in the United Kingdom and Canada, while airing on a delayed basis on Spike TV in the United States.
This marked the UFC's fourth occasion at the O2 Arena and its ninth event held within the UK. At that time, it ranked as the ninth highest-attended UFC event, attracting an audience of 17,133 and generating gate revenue totaling $2.56 million.
Main event
The headlining fight featured Michael Bisping competing against Yoshihiro Akiyama in the middleweight division (185 pounds). Bisping aimed to capitalize on fighting close to home to advance toward a shot at the UFC Middleweight Championship.
Coming into the bout, Bisping held a professional MMA record of 19–3 overall, including a 9–3 mark inside the UFC. Following his victory in The Ultimate Fighter 3 light heavyweight tournament, he transitioned to middleweight and achieved three straight wins. He also served as head coach on The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom, going up against Dan Henderson. Over the previous year, his performance had been mixed with a 2–2 record. Leading up to UFC 120, Bisping expanded his coaching staff by adding specialists in striking, wrestling, and conditioning.
Akiyama entered with a record of 13–2–2, including one win and one loss inside the UFC. While extremely popular across Japan and South Korea for both his fighting career and entertainment work, he was less recognized in Western markets. His tenure included some controversy after a split decision victory over Alan Belcher at UFC 100 and a submission defeat to Chris Leben at UFC 116—a fight that earned "Fight of the Night" honors. After that loss, Akiyama relocated his training camp to Albuquerque to work under Greg Jackson, who was named World MMA Awards "Trainer of the Year" in both 2010 and 2011.
Before their encounter, both fighters expressed confidence in their updated training approaches. Akiyama highlighted improvements in his takedown defense and striking abilities, whereas Bisping pointed out comprehensive enhancements across all facets of his skill set under his newly appointed coaching team.
Co-main event
The co-headliner pitted recent UFC Welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy against former World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight champion Carlos Condit, competing at the welterweight limit of 170 pounds (77.5 kg). Hardy sought to rebound following his title loss at UFC 111, while Condit aimed to build momentum after a challenging introduction to the UFC.
Hardy arrived with an MMA record of 23–7 (plus one no contest), including four wins and one loss within the UFC. He joined the organization in late 2008 after compiling a 19–6 record primarily fighting in England. Hardy quickly made a name for himself by defeating seasoned opponents such as Akihiro Gono and Rory Markham. His victory over Marcus Davis at UFC 99 earned him a title contender match against Mike Swick at UFC 105; after defeating Swick, Hardy faced champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 111 but lost via unanimous decision.
Condit held a professional record of 25–5 with two wins and one loss inside the UFC. He entered the promotion in April 2009 as the final WEC Welterweight Champion. His initial UFC fights included a split decision loss to Martin Kampmann followed by a contentious split decision win over Jake Ellenberger. Prior to UFC 120, Condit secured a come-from-behind victory against Rory MacDonald; however, judges’ scorecards suggested MacDonald may have been ahead without Condit's late stoppage. Compared to Hardy’s strong start in the promotion, Condit’s bouts tended to be more closely contested.
In pre-fight discussions, Hardy emphasized his intention to deliver an exciting performance. He criticized Nik Lentz for what he considered an uninspiring fight against Hardy’s teammate Andre Winner and voiced concerns about excessive wrestling limiting action inside the octagon. While some interpreted these remarks as indirect criticism of his own fight with St-Pierre, Hardy clarified that he respected St-Pierre's style but disapproved of fighters who simply rest after takedowns without actively pursuing damage or submissions. When matched against Condit—who is part of St-Pierre's training camp—Hardy welcomed the challenge and anticipated an aggressive contest.
Main card
The third bout on the main card showcased English contender John Hathaway taking on seasoned MMA competitor Mike Pyle in the welterweight category. Hathaway came into the fight undefeated with a 14–0 record, including four victories within the UFC, and was widely regarded as England’s premier prospect due to his exceptional takedown defense. Pyle, a veteran with a professional record of 20–7–1 and a UFC tally of 2–2, was coming off a submission victory against Jesse Lennox at UFC 115. Before their encounter, Pyle minimized Hathaway’s upset over Diego Sanchez, referring to Sanchez as a "small, somewhat average-sized" opponent. Conversely, Hathaway recognized Pyle as a considerable challenge, emphasizing his high rate of submission finishes.
Another highlight on the main card was a heavyweight clash between French UFC veteran Cheick Kongo (15–6–1 overall, 8–4 in UFC) and undefeated prospect Travis Browne (10–0), who had secured a first-round TKO victory in his UFC debut just four months earlier. Kongo sought to rebound following two defeats in 2009 and controversy surrounding unsportsmanlike behavior in a previous bout. Browne aimed to continue his momentum after finishing seven of his ten wins via KO or TKO in the opening round.
The main card commenced with a welterweight matchup featuring Claude Patrick (12–1) against The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom champion James Wilks (7–3, with two UFC wins). Patrick was making his sophomore UFC appearance after earning a win by guillotine choke in his debut just months prior.
Injuries and replacements
Originally, Dan Hardy was slated to face Dustin Hazelett, who withdrew due to scheduling conflicts related to his wedding in September. Carlos Condit stepped in as Hardy’s replacement. Meanwhile, John Hathaway was set to compete against the undefeated Dong Hyun Kim, but Kim pulled out because of an elbow injury and was substituted by Mike Pyle.
Tom Blackledge, assistant coach for Team Rampage on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, was scheduled to fight James Te-Huna, who withdrew due to injury. Blackledge was then paired with TUF 10 semifinalist James McSweeney. However, Blackledge later withdrew for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Fabio Maldonado.
A bout between Steve Cantwell and Stanislav Nedkov was canceled less than two days before the event after Cantwell sustained a knee injury during training.
Card criticism
Ahead of UFC 120, criticism arose from analysts and fans who contended that UFC events held in England disproportionately showcased English fighters rather than internationally recognized stars familiar to American audiences. Previous events in England featured title bouts such as UFC 80, which hosted the last UFC championship fight on British soil in the Lightweight division. Other headline fights included prominent former champions like Randy Couture and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović, whereas UFC 120 was perceived to lack comparable star appeal. Frustration among fans increased due to the reduction of UFC events staged in England—only one event took place in 2010 compared to two in 2009 and three in 2008.
In response to these concerns, UFC officials defended the lineup. UK president Marshall Zelaznik clarified that championship matches are generally reserved for pay-per-view cards, which present logistical challenges given time zone differences. He suggested that although pay-per-view events and title fights are limited in England at present, they remain possibilities for future shows.
Fighter John Hathaway, competing on the main card, voiced his support for the event, underscoring the importance of British athletes competing against international challengers. UFC president Dana White also stood by the card, noting that initial skepticism often precedes some of the most thrilling events and reassuring fans that quality matchups would be delivered in England.
UFC Fan Expo
The UFC organized its inaugural international Fan Expo at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre on October 15–16, 2010, following the debut event held during UFC 100. This expo showcased more than 100 vendors associated with MMA and included autograph sessions featuring approximately twenty-four UFC athletes. Prominent fighters like Randy Couture and Wanderlei Silva led seminars, significantly boosting fan interaction and strengthening the UFC brand.
Attendance and gate figures
Marshall Zelaznik anticipated that UFC 120 would set new European records for both attendance and gate revenue, as the initial seating arrangement had completely sold out. The previous attendance benchmark was 16,693 at UFC 105, while the highest gate earnings were $2.7 million recorded at UFC 75. UFC 120 exceeded attendance milestones with a crowd of 17,133, placing it as the ninth largest UFC gathering at that time; however, gate revenue totaled $2.56 million, falling just short of projections.
Although attendance reached record levels, viewership on Spike TV dropped compared to earlier UK events. UFC 120 attracted an average audience of 1.9 million viewers, whereas UFC 105 had drawn 2.9 million in November 2009.
Bonus awards
Competitors were awarded $60,000 bonuses in the following categories:
- Fight of the Night: Michael Bisping vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
- Knockout of the Night: Carlos Condit
- Submission of the Night: Paul Sass