UFC London: Luke Riley is set to headline his second UFC fight

On Saturday at UFC London, Riley faces American Michael Aswell Jr. in a featherweight bout at the O2 Arena.

It is just Riley’s second fight in the UFC but the contest serves as the co-main event, demonstrating the star power the UFC believes Liverpool can generate.

For many fighters, that might add added pressure, but Riley is already coping with her interest in being a star.

Before his interview with BBC Sport, he was joking with teammates at his gym in Liverpool, throwing darts at a board he had acquired a week earlier during a social media skit at the PDC World Darts Championship.

During his time in Cage Warriors, he was the face of the promotion, headlining several shows that fans would buy tickets to mainly to watch him.

He already thrives in the public eye, so performing at the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena brings no extra pressure.

“I told my coaches and people close to me, ‘It doesn’t seem that different from Cage Warriors in a way,’” he says.

“It could be in a park, on a street, in a small social club, in an arena with 20,000 people. Once you close the cage, it won’t look any different.”