Your new WWE NXT UK Champion is Tyler Bate.
Ilja Dragunov announced that he has been injured when he showed up to the NXT UK TV tapings in London with a boot on his foot, as was PWMania.com reported earlier today. The NXT UK Title was then given up by Dragunov, and it was revealed that an eight-man tournament would be held to select the next champion.
In an update, the tournament concluded during the same tapings, and Bate was crowned the new champion.
In the tournament’s finals, Bate defeated Trent Seven, his former Moustache Mountain partner. The two have been at odds for a number of weeks.
As the first champion crowned for the NXT UK Title in January 2017, when it was known as the WWE UK Title, this marks Bate’s second reign with the title. During his first reign, he held the title for 125 official days. Depending on when the injury announcement segment airs, Dragunov has held the title for at least 319 recognized days since winning the match against Gunther at NXT Takeover 36 on August 22, 2021.
In the upcoming weeks, Dragunov will face Wolfgang in his final title defense. That match was taped at the NXT UK TV tapings in London last month.
There is no indication yet on how long Dragunov will be out of action or when the title change will air on television, but we will keep you updated.
