The
Ultimate Fighting Championship has a new heavyweight contender
on its hands.
Tom
Aspinall submitted former Bellator
MMA and M-1 Global
champion Alexander
Volkov with a straight armlock in the first round of their
UFC Fight Night 204 headliner on Saturday at the O2 Arena in
London. Volkov (34-10, 8-4 UFC) conceded defeat 3:45 into Round 1,
as he was submitted for the first time in nearly 12 years.
The 28-year-old Aspinall (12-2, 5-0 UFC) was flawless on the big
stage. He tore into Volkov with a three-punch combination, executed
a takedown and drew blood with a series of elbows to the head. The
6-foot-7 Russian returned to an upright position, only to be taken
down a second time. From there, a calm and calculated Aspinall isolated his left
arm, bent his elbow beyond its bounds and forced his
surrender.
Aspinall has finished eight straight opponents, seven of them
inside one round.
Big Tom got his beers 🍻
#UFCLondon pic.twitter.com/YOa2YW5Awx— UFC (@ufc)
March 19, 2022
Brilliant Allen Annihilates Hooker
Arnold
Allen put forth a signature performance in the featherweight
co-main event, as he put away City Kickboxing stalwart Dan Hooker
with a hailstorm of punches, knees and elbows in the first round.
Hooker (21-12, 11-8 UFC) succumbed to blows 2:33 into Round 1,
losing for the fourth time in five outings.
Allen (18-1, 9-0 UFC) uncorked an overhand left that forced his
adversary to retreat, then started ripping power punches with both
hands. Hooker tried to shield himself, but the onslaught was
relentless. Allen briefly reset, followed an overhand right with a
head kick and flurried again. Hooker backtracked to the fence,
where he was met with knees and a volley of
standing elbows that brought about the finish.
The 28-year-old Allen has strung together 10 consecutive
victories.
Pimblett Choke Dismisses Vargas
Former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Paddy
Pimblett submitted Rodrigo
Vargas with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their
featured lightweight pairing. Pimblett (18-3, 2-0 UFC) closed it
out 3:49 into Round 1, whipping the crowd into a frenzy in the
process.
Vargas (12-5, 1-3 UFC) clipped the charismatic Next Generation MMA
product with a right hand, drove him to the mat and settled in full
guard. Pimblett eventually returned to a vertical base, turned the
tables with an exquisite hip toss and climbed to the back. From
there, he went to work on the choke, snaked his arms into
position and elicited the tapout from the Combate Global
alum.
Pimblett, 27, will carry a four-fight winning streak into his next
assignment.
Methodical Nelson Quiets Sato
Gunnar
Nelson ran circles around Takashi
Sato and claimed a one-sided unanimous decision over the
Sanford MMA rep in their three-round welterweight feature. All
three cageside judges scored it the same: 30-26 for Nelson (18-5-1,
9-5 UFC), who registered his first win since Dec. 8, 2018.
A short-notice replacement for Claudio
Silva, Sato (15-5, 2-3 UFC) did little more than show up to
collect a paycheck. Nelson secured takedowns in all three rounds,
progressed to the back and cemented his advantage with a body
triangle. From there, the Renzo
Gracie-trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt either chased
rear-naked chokes or assaulted the Pancrase veteran with punches
and hammerfists.
Sato, 31, has lost three of his last four bouts.
McCann Elbow Levels Carolina
Next Generation MMA standout Molly
McCann wrecked Dana White’s Contender Series alum Luana
Carolina with a spinning back elbow in the third round of their
women’s flyweight showcase. Carolina (8-3, 3-2 UFC) checked out
1:52 into Round 3, her modest two-fight winning streak at an
end.
McCann (12-4, 5-3 UFC) made her intentions clear from the outset,
as she wobbled the Brazilian with overhand rights on multiple
occasions in the first round. She calmed down in the second,
shifted gears with takedowns and lengthened her lead. Carolina
upped her activity in Round 3 but walked into a trap in the center
of the cage. McCann wheeled around with the elbow at close range, the
impact instantly separating the Capital da Luta academy rep from
her senses.
The stoppage was McCann’s first in more than four years.
Unbeaten Topuria Flattens Herbert
Climent Club prospect Ilia
Topuria punched out former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship
titleholder Jai Herbert
in the second round of their lightweight attraction. A short-notice
substitution for Mike Davis,
the undefeated Topuria (12-0, 4-0 UFC) drew the curtain 1:07 into
Round 2.
Herbert (11-4, 1-3 UFC) was in position to spring the upset. He sat
down Topuria with a head kick in the first round, withstood a
ground exchange with the Brave Combat Federation veteran and later
knocked his mouthpiece loose with a piercing knee strike. The
intermission between rounds allowed Topuria to reboot. He backed
Herbert to the fence early in the middle stanza, forced him to
trade punches and melted him where he stood with a clean right
hook. “The Black Country Banger” was out before he hit the
canvas.
Topuria has authored three straight finishes inside the
Octagon.
Continue Reading »
UFC London Prelims: Amirkhani Anaconda Choke Sedates Grundy