Shem Rock vows to smash opponent in “scouse takeover” at UFC London

Liverpool UFC fighter Shem Rock says he’s “going to smash” his opponent ahead of the fight with Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady at the O2 in London next month.

Rock signed with the UFC from Oktagon back in June 2025 and will take on Al-Selwady on March 21st.

Transition into the UFC

A transition which isn’t easy for many fighters, but which wasn’t an issue for Rock.

Speaking exclusively to Merseysportlive, he said: “The UFC make fight week a lot easier, they do everything for you, all your nutrition and all your media is done on site.

“But fight night in the cage, honestly? When I fought in Qatar, it was a smaller arena than the ones I was fighting in in Oktagon, so I felt less nervous.”

Rock returns to the O2 four months after a unanimous decision loss to undefeated fighter Nurullo Aliev, which saw him lose for the first time since 2021.

“I probably started the fight a little bit slower because of it (the small arena) as well.

“I like the pressure, I like the nervous energy, but I just felt calm, normal and took nothing from the last fight, it is what it is.

“The gloves are better in the UFC, those Oktagon ones are ****** terrible, but once you’re locked in the cage, it is what it is, it’s a fight.”

A “Scouse takeover” in London

With two other fighters from Merseyside on the card in Luke Riley and Kurtis Campbell, many UK fans are talking of a “scouse takeover” in the capital.

Rock added: “Kurtis is my mate, I’ve known him for a while.

“It’s all good stuff as he’s a very good fighter and is going to go far in the sport.

“And Luke, obviously, I train with him every single day.

“I’m close to him, he’s an absolute killer.”

Seven years on the run

Accused of a burglary with violence and assault in 2014, Rock went on the run aged twenty for 7 years, fearing he would be jailed for a crime he did not commit.

After being acquitted in April 2022 in a trial that lasted less than twenty minutes, he could finally focus on his MMA career.

He then went on to a seven-fight unbeaten streak, fighting in the FCC (Full Contact Contender) and Oktagon.

Five of those wins came by finish in the first round as Rock showcased his killer instinct in the cage.

His opponent, Al-Selwady, is also 0-1 in the UFC, but hasn’t fought for almost two years due to his last four fights being cancelled.

A convincing win for either could see them kickstart their UFC career in a lightweight division that is stacked outside of the top fifteen, with many good potential matchups ahead.

Click here to see an extract from my interview with Shem Rock:

(Featured image by Oktagon MMA, full permission obtained to use)