Tom
Aspinall didn’t miss a beat.
Almost a year to the day since he suffered a knee injury in a loss
to Curtis
Blaydes, Aspinall returned to form with a first-round technical
knockout victory against Marcin
Tybura in the
UFC Fight Night 224 headliner at the O2 Arena in London on
Saturday. The heavyweight bout was called off just 73 seconds after
it began.
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“This is a whole new version of me. I’m not going to say that I’m
back… I’m just different now than what I was last year,” Aspinall
said. “My mind’s different. My body’s different. I’m going all the
way.”
Aspinall didn’t give Tybura (24-8, 11-7 UFC) a chance to get going.
The Englishman rattled his foe with a head kick at the outset of
the fight, and then showcased his speed and mobility by making the
Pole swing at air. Shortly thereafter, Aspinall (13-3, 6-1 UFC)
stopped Tybura in his tracks with a step-in elbow before
dropping him with a right hand. From there, the Team Kaobon
standout unleashed approximately seven follow-up strikes on the
ground before referee Marc Goddard waved off the
fight.
Stoliarenko Armbars McCann
Julija
Stoliarenko disappointed the English contingent on hand, as she
submitted crowd favorite Molly
McCann with an armbar in the flyweight co-main event. The
30-year-old Lithuanian
used her signature maneuver to elicit a tapout at the
1:55 mark of Round 1. Ten of Stoliarenko’s 11 career triumphs have
come via armbar.
The bout began at boxing range, but it became clear that McCann
(13-6, 6-5 UFC) was struggling to connect cleanly against a taller,
longer opponent. Stoliarenko (11-7-2, 2-5 UFC) shifted gears for a
takedown, going straight to McCann’s back in the process. She then
transitioned to an armbar, and it was only a matter of moments
before Stoliarenko adjusted the hold and forced her adversary to
call it quits.
Wood Wins Third Straight
Great Britain Top Team member Nathaniel
Wood garnered a hard-fought unanimous verdict against Andre Fili in
an entertaining featherweight tilt. All three judges saw the fight
29-28 in favor of “The Prospect,” who has been victorious in his
last three promotional outings.
The bout’s first 10 minutes were filled with action. Fili sat his
foe down with a straight left at the outset of the bout, but Wood
recovered to rock the Team Alpha Male product with a powerful right
hand. Wood then followed his man to the mat and teed off with
punches and elbows — but a finish didn’t arrive.
Fili had his chance in the second stanza, when he buckled Wood
during an exchange and followed up with a series of clinch knees
that sent the Brit to the floor. Fili then moved to take the back,
but he couldn’t find an opening for a submission. Round 3 was
closely contested, with neither man willing to get reckless.
Ultimately, Wood had the edge in volume and power, which gave him
the nod on the scorecards.
Craig Elbows Stop Muniz
Longtime 205-pound competitor Paul Craig
was successful in his first middleweight foray, as he defeated
Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Andre Muniz
by technical knockout.
A barrage of elbows from mount ended the 185-pound contest 4:40
into Round 2. Muniz has been finished in back-to-back
Octagon appearances.
It was a measured beginning, with both men relying on rear kicks as
their primary means of offense. However, Muniz (23-6, 5-2 UFC)
gained the edge with better punching combinations and a takedown
near the end of the period. That success proved to be short-lived.
Craig (17-6-1, 9-6-1 UFC) set the stage for the finish when he
executed his second takedown of the second round. “Bearjew” then
deftly scrambled out of a neck crank before threatening with a
brabo choke. After releasing the hold, the Scot transitioned to
mount and unleashed a series of unanswered elbows until referee
Daniel Movahedi stepped in on Muniz’s behalf.
Ziam Holds Off Herbert
Kill Cliff FC export Fares Ziam
edged ex-Cage Warriors title holder Jai Herbert
via unanimous decision in a relatively uneventful lightweight bout.
All three judges submitted scorecards for the 26-year-old
Frenchman: 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27. Ziam has been victorious in four
of his last five Octagon appearances.
While both Ziam and Herbert entered the contest known for their
striking abilities, both combatants elected to wrestle for much of
the fight. That resulted in numerous clinch stalemates, with
neither man able to impose his will. Ultimately, Ziam (14-4, 4-2
UFC) was able to distinguish himself by occasionally clipping
Herbert (12-5-1, 2-4-1 UFC) with counters and thudding low kicks at
range.
Murphy Wears Down Culibao
Manchester Top Team member Lerone
Murphy pulled away for a unanimous decision win over
ex-Diamondback Fighting Championship title holder Joshua
Culibao in a featherweight matchup. Murphy received tallies of
30-26, 30-26 and 30-27 to earn his fifth consecutive victory within
the Las Vegas-based promotion.
After a competitive start, Murphy (13-0-1, 5-0-1 UFC) gradually
imposed his will down the stretch. He took Culibao’s back in the
later stages of Round 2, and continued that momentum in the final
frame, when he folded his adversary with a glancing kick to the
liver. Murphy was dominant on the canvas from there, as he
threatened with chokes and landed ground-and-pound until the horn.
Culibao (11-2-1, 3-2-1 UFC) sees a three-fight winning streak
snapped in defeat.
Marcos Edges Grant
Daniel
Marcos remained undefeated, taking a somewhat contentious split
decision against Engllish veteran Davey Grant.
Two judges saw the bantamweight contest 29-28 in favor of Marcos
(15-0, 2-0 UFC), while a third had it 29-28 for Grant (15-7, 6-6
UFC).
Marcos was effective behind a steady diet of low kicks throughout
the contest, and he likely made an impact in the judges’ eyes by
busting Grant’s nose open early on. Grant was undeterred, as he
attacked with punches to the head, knees down the middle and a
variety of kicks. Despite having an apparent edge in striking
volume and variety, it was Marcos who got the nod.
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