UFC London 2022 LIVE results: Paddy Pimblett and Tom Aspinall secure statement wins

Re-live round-by-round updates from a monumental night for UK MMA

Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria in hotel bust-up before UFC London

There must have been something in the air at the O2 Arena on Saturday night, where UFC London marked perhaps the most significant night in the history of UK mixed martial arts. Of the 12 bouts scheduled for the first edition of the event since 2019, 10 featured British fighters. Seven of those combatants were victorious in the English capital, with six winning via stoppage. Five of those finishes came in the first round, while the other was an early contender for knockout of the year.

In the main event on Saturday, Wigan heavyweight Tom Aspinall made a mockery of Alexander Volkov’s vast advantages in experience and height, submitting the Russian with a straight arm lock in the first round after exhibiting sharp skills in striking exchanges, too. Aspinall’s victory followed a co-main event that many had predicted would be fight of the night, and indeed the featherweight clash between Arnold Allen and Dan Hooker delivered in the brief period that it lasted. After a chaotic opening few phases, Ipswich fighter Allen announced himself to the world by securing a TKO victory over fan favourite Dan Hooker in the first round, forcing the referee to step in by melting the New Zealander with a fierce flurry of punches against the fence.

Allen’s win followed the people’s main event, which saw rising star Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett bewitch those present at the O2 Arena. After the 27-year-old’s captivating walkout, the atmosphere felt like that of a title fight. The Liverpudlian lightweight was knocked down by Rodrigo Vargas almost immediately, but he rallied to take down the Mexican and submit him with a rear naked choke later in the first round. Earlier in the night, Pimblett’s friend Molly McCann produced a knockout of the year contender with a spinning back elbow finish of Luana Carolina.

Re-live updates from the UFC London prelims and main card, below.

UFC London 2022

• Tom Aspinall def. Alexander Volkov via first-round submission (straight arm lock, 3:45)
• Arnold Allen def. Dan Hooker via first-round TKO (punches, 2:33)
• Paddy Pimblett def. Rodrigo Vargas via first-round submission (rear naked choke, 3:49)
• Gunnar Nelson def. Takashi Sato via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
• Molly McCann def. Luana Carolina via third-round KO (spinning back elbow, 1:52)
• Ilia Topuria def. Jai Herbert via first-round KO (punch, 1:07)
• Plus numerous Britons in action in prelim bouts

[19 March 2022 18:02 · Alex Pattle]

UFC London 2022 LIVE

Bruce Buffer makes the introductions for this women’s strawweight bout.

Reed (4-1) fights out of New Jersey, US. “Poppins” McKenna is 6-1.

[19 March 2022 18:01 · Alex Pattle]

UFC London 2022 LIVE

McKenna, making her second appearance in the UFC Octagon, emerges to the sound of “Chelsea Dagger” by The Fratellis.

A decent pop from the crowd for the song; a bigger one for McKenna!

[19 March 2022 18:00 · Alex Pattle]

UFC London 2022 LIVE

Here’s some light reading for you as McKenna makes her way to the ring. Exclusive interview with The Independent:

[19 March 2022 17:55 · Alex Pattle]

UFC London 2022 LIVE

Next up, the first ever Welshwoman in the UFC, Cory McKenna, faces Elise Reed.

McKenna, 22, is the second-youngest fighter in the UFC – behind only 21-year-old Mokaev!

[19 March 2022 17:48 · Alex Pattle]

UFC London 2022 LIVE

Mokaev vs Durden – Round 1

Mokaev seems to show a middle finger to Durden as the Briton makes his way into the Octagon. Durden grins in response.

Lots of kicks from Mokaev early on. Durden backs him up.

Mokaev soon drops Durden with a jumping knee and immediately goes for a guillotine choke as the American springs back to his feet!

Durden slams Mokaev to the mat but can’t escape the hold…

And there’s the tap! A first-round submission win for Mokaev on his UFC debut!

Mokaev looks ecstatic. “Uncle Dana, £50,000, baby!”

Muhammad Mokaev def. Cody Durden via first-round submission (guillotine choke, 0:58)

[19 March 2022 17:40 · Alex Pattle]

UFC London 2022 LIVE

We’re in place at the O2 Arena!

First up, Dagestan-born Muhammad Mokaev – fighting out of Manchester – makes his highly-anticipated UFC debut.

The 5-0 men’s flyweight takes on Cody Durden.

A big reaction for Mokaev! Already plenty of fans are in the venue and they make their voices heard.

Tough to imagine what the atmosphere will be like ahead of the main event...

[19 March 2022 17:39 · Alex Pattle]

UFC London 2022 LIVE

We’re in place at the O2 Arena!

First up, Dagestan-born Muhammad Mokaev – fighting out of Manchester – makes his highly-anticipated UFC debut.

The 5-0 men’s flyweight takes on Cody Durden.

A big reaction for Mokaev! Already plenty of fans are in the venue and they make their voices heard.

Tough to imagine what it’ll be like ahead of the main event...

[19 March 2022 17:35 · Alex Pattle]

UFC London 2022 LIVE

Main card

Alexander Volkov vs Tom Aspinall (heavyweight)

Arnold Allen vs Dan Hooker (featherweight)

Paddy Pimblett vs Kazula Vargas (lightweight)

Gunnar Nelson vs Takashi Sato (welterweight)

Molly McCann vs Luana Carolina (women’s flyweight)

Jai Herbert vs Ilia Topuria (lightweight)

Prelims

Mike Grundy vs Makwan Amirkhani (featherweight)

Shamil Abdurakhimov vs Sergei Pavlovich (heavyweight)

Nikita Krylov vs Paul Craig (light heavyweight)

Jack Shore vs Timur Valiev (bantamweight)

Cory McKenna vs Elise Reed (women’s strawweight)

Muhammad Mokaev vs Cody Durden (flyweight)

[19 March 2022 17:30 · Alex Pattle]

UFC London 2022 LIVE

You might not have heard of Arnold Allen. That might be by design.

The 28-year-old is one of Britain’s best mixed martial artists, a top-10 featherweight in the UFC with a professional record of 17-1. But for the Ipswich fighter, progress in the ring has always taken precedence over his profile out of it.

“I don’t want to be famous, I don’t like it,” Allen says.

“I just want to be the best fighter in the world, I don’t necessarily want the fame that comes with it.”

Since debuting in the UFC in 2015, Allen has extended his win streak from two to 10 while climbing the rankings at 145lbs.

The Independent and other publications spoke to him ahead of UFC London. Full interview here:

[19 March 2022 17:15 · Alex Pattle]

UFC London 2022 LIVE

Michael Bisping retired from mixed martial arts with a professional record of 30-9, and as a former UFC middleweight champion.

The first – and so far only – British champion in UFC history fought some of the greatest fighters to have graced the sport, establishing himself as one of them along the way.

Bisping, who grew up in Clitheroe, was unbeaten on British soil throughout his entire MMA career, with his wins on home turf producing key moments in a career that culminated in the “Count” remarkably winning the UFC middleweight title at 37 with one functioning eye.

Not only has Bisping’s right eye not worked since 2013, when he suffered a detached retina that led to six surgeries, but when he dethroned Luke Rockhold in 2016 he was fighting on just two weeks’ notice.

Ahead of UFC London, The Independent showed Bisping photos from some of his most important and memorable fights in Britain. Here’s what he had to say: