British Stars of UFC 204 Prelims

Besides Michael Bisping, the brash, emboldened UFC middleweight champion who takes center stage in Manchester, eight Brits will appear at UFC 204, six of whom occupy the prelims against foreign foes. There will be lots of UFC betting action on these lads.

The first of the night will be Marc "Bonecrusher" Diakiese, a 23-year-old former BAMMA lightweight champion who enters with a 9-0 record and back-to-back knockouts in 24 and 36 seconds, respectively. He's uncovered a penchant for power punching and will eye a successful octagon debut against Reza Madadi, an often-sidelined vet who has never been stopped and holds a submission win over Michael Johnson.

Skip a bout and you have Danny Roberts, a fine prospect who hasn't lost since 2011. He holds a win over fellow prospect Jim Wallhead and made a successful octagon debut in December 2015, putting a charging Nathan Coy to sleep with a triangle choke. He's a quick thinker who is dangerous from all positions and eyes his third UFC win against Mike Perry, an unbeaten knockout artist from Altamonte Springs, Florida.

Next up for you UFC betting fans is former BAMMA welterweight champion Leon "Rocky" Edwards, an 11-3 striker out of American Kickboxing Academy. Edwards hasn't had his desired breakthrough in the octagon yet. If he can handle one of the division's top boxers and most lethal kickers in Albert Tumenov, he, in turn, will get all the plaudits and crack the top fifteen as well.

Knee injury and subsequent surgeries kept bantamweight Davey Grant out of the cage for twenty-eight months following his impressive displays on the Ultimate Fighter. Grant, 30, returned this past February with plenty of energy, pushing Marlon Vera all the way and getting the win albeit falling short of his tenth stoppage (nine by submission) in ten wins. His opponent will be Damian Stasiak, a BJJ fighter from Poland.

A late starter in MMA, bantamweight Ian Entwistle is a limited striker who has become a fan favorite for his aggression and submission skills. He started training in MMA at age 21 and still has a ways to go to become a top contender. He took a step in the right direction, moving to Thailand to brush up on his Muay Thai in 2013, but hasn't seen any results in the cage yet. He's 1-2 in the octagon (with two early KO losses) and battles a good striker in Massachusetts' Rob Font next.

Topping the preliminary show, one of the most popular fighters to emerge from the UK, Brad Pickett, will look to put two wins together for the first time since 2012 against fellow veteran Iuri Alcantara. Pickett has fought in the UFC and WEC fifteen times and is a former Cage Rage featherweight champion. He is past his prime now but still has it in him to tough one out and claim his sixth "Fight of the Night" bonus. It's sure to be a good one with Pickett involved. Check the sportsbook for current odds.