UFC London: The Conclusions
The UFC’s return to London after three years had special overtones from the announcement of the lineup, but the finishes from the first fight to the main event exceeded all expectations.
Dana White couldn’t have put it any better than by handing out bonuses to all the fighters who won by submission or knockout. Nine to be exact, when normally four $50,000 bonuses are awarded.
Tom Aspinall looked good on all grounds against a ranked opponent like Alexander Volkov, but was somehow overshadowed by the reception the fans gave Paddy Pimblett, who got into trouble with Kazula Vargas, but managed to submit him in the first round.
It’s no easy task to pick out the highlight of the night, but Molly McCann certainly signs up for the knockout of 2022 with the spinning elbow she knocked out Brazilian Luana Carolina with.
Arnold Allen destroyed the hard-hitting Dan Hooker in the first round and may be the biggest winner of the night. There is no doubt he can take on a Top 5 contender and wants to test his UFC undefeated record against Calvin Kattar.
One of the reasons the evening was special were epic comebacks like Paul Craig taking punishment from Nikita Krylov before submitting him and Ilia Topuria’s miracle, he came so close to losing his undefeated and ended up putting Jai Herbert to sleep.
For a first fight, Muhammad Mokaev’s debut went unnoticed, but he submitted Cody Durden in one minute and backed up the hype that places him as the biggest flyweight prospect to come along in years.
The result inside the cage and out left promotion officials so satisfied, they secured a return to the UK later this year.
Tom Aspinall wakes up at flyweight
Although the division seems stalled, with champion Francis Ngannou out until next year and the uncertainty of Jon Jones’ arrival, Tom Aspinall’s rise to Top 10 opens up the possibilities of some very good fights.
The Manchester native had already gotten a taste of his boxing, but now he also got to show off his jui-jitsu skills with a rare submission against Alexander Volkov, who came into this fight ranked number six.
Who did he call after the victory? They want a fight against Tai Tuivasa that no heavyweight fan would refuse to sign up for, but he might even be ready for former contenders like Derrick Lewis and even Cyril Gane.
Paddy and Molly’s party
Although they are still a long way from fighting for a title, Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann stole the party in London, first McCann showed off with a spinning elbow that switched off Luana Carolina immediately and brought the O2 Arena to its feet.
Minutes later he joined the fans in giving an uncharacteristic welcome to his partner Pimblett as he jumped into the octagon. Conor McGregor has probably never had such a response in his second UFC fight.
