The Chip on Brendan Loughnane’s Shoulder

The last time a major mixed martial arts event came to the Manchester Arena was UFC 204, and two of the most-talked-about fighters in England at the time, Paddy Pimblett and Brendan Loughnane, were not on the card. A potential meeting between the two supposedly Ultimate Fighting Championship-bound fighters sent social media threads into convulsions last autumn, but the clash never came to fruition.

While Pimblett had already earned ovations in front of his home crowd under the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship banner in Liverpool, England, Manchester’s Loughnane felt more of a snub, with UFC 204 taking place in his backyard. “The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes” alum on Saturday will get his…