NXT UK will be headlined by a colossal championship bout, as Ilja Dragunov will make his first NXT UK Title defense against A-Kid.

The Mad Russian did the impossible two months ago at NXT TakeOver 36, absorbing unimaginable punishment from WALTER but somehow outlasting The Ring General and earning a tap-out victory to claim the NXT UK Championship.

The previously tormented Dragunov, whose body was covered with battle scars from the grisly encounter with The Austrian Anomaly, let out a battle cry at end of the match and recently claimed that he is happy for the first time in a long time.

Case in point, Dragunov nearly started salivating when Assistant to the General Manager Sid Scala presented the idea of The Mad Russian defending his newly won championship against the winner of a Triple Threat Match between A-Kid, Nathan Frazier and Rampage Brown.

And in a wild melee that easily could have seen any of the three emerge as the No. 1 Contender, an opportunistic A-Kid secured a hard-earned pinfall.

A-Kid, a former NXT UK Heritage Cup Champion, recently participated in a sit-down interview with Dragunov and suggested that the new titleholder likely emptied his tank in his war with WALTER and may not have anything left for his first championship defense.

Though tension permeated the dual interview, champion and challenger shook hands at its conclusion, setting the stage for Thursday’s can’t-miss battle for the prestigious NXT UK Title.

Additionally, at the request of Stevie Turner, Scala agreed to lift the suspension of Blair Davenport. Turner was ruthlessly ambushed by Davenport several weeks ago and has been champing at the bit to get a piece of her attacker. She’ll get her chance Thursday when the two Superstars finally collide.

Plus, after a recent backstage altercation, the high-flying Flash Morgan Webster and the hard-hitting Sha Samuels are primed for a heated slugfest.

Don’t miss an amazing edition of NXT UK, streaming Thursday at 3 ET/8 BST on Peacock in the United States and on WWE Network everywhere else!