UFC London LIVE results: Paddy Pimblett wins before Tom Aspinall injury against Curtis Blaydes

Re-live updates and see all results from the O2 Arena, where a host of British fighters competed

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Paddy Pimblett was once again the star of UFC London, four months after the MMA promotion’s last trip to the English capital, submitting Jordan Leavitt in the second round before fellow Briton Tom Aspinall suffered a knee injury just seconds into the main event.

Pimblett, who entered the O2 Arena with a 2-0 record in the UFC after two first-round stoppage wins, was largely outwrestled by Leavitt in the first round of their fight on Saturday night, but the Liverpudlian kept his composure to set up the finish in Round 2. Pimblett, 27, dropped Leavitt with a knee in the clinch as both lightweights grappled along the fence, and “Paddy The Baddy” quickly took the American’s back before locking in a rear naked choke. Leavitt soon tapped out, sending the O2 into raptures in a similar fashion to how the crowd reacted to Pimblett’s submission of Rodrigo Vargas in March.

Later in the night, the highly-anticipated heavyweight main event between Wigan’s Aspinall and American Curtis Blaydes ended after just 15 seconds, when the Briton’s knee gave way after he had thrown a leg kick. Aspinall collapsed to the canvas, and referee Herb Dean waved off the fight, before Blaydes was declared the winner by TKO once a wincing Aspinall, 29, had finally gotten back to his feet with his leg in a brace. Re-live updates and see all results from UFC London, below.

UFC London LIVE

• Blaydes def. Aspinall via first-round TKO (knee injury, 0:15)
• Hermansson def. Curtis via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
• Pimblett def. Leavitt via second-round submission (rear naked choke, 2:46)
• Krylov def. Gustafsson via first-round KO (punches, 1:07)
• McCann def. Goldy via first-round TKO (elbow and punches, 3:53)
• Oezdemir def. Craig via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

[23 July 2022 16:42 · Alex Pattle]

UFC London LIVE

Here’s all you need to know about the timings for tonight’s fights, and how you can watch them online and on TV:

[23 July 2022 16:40 · Alex Pattle]

UFC London LIVE

Main card

Curtis Blaydes vs Tom Aspinall (heavyweight)

Jack Hermansson vs Chris Curtis (middleweight)

Paddy Pimblett vs Jordan Leavitt (lightweight)

Nikita Krylov vs Alexander Gustafsson (light heavyweight)

Molly McCann vs Hannah Goldy (women’s flyweight)

Paul Craig vs Volkan Oezdemir (light heavyweight)

Prelims

L’udovit Klein vs Mason Jones (lightweight)

Marc Diakiese vs Damir Hadzovic (lightweight)

Nathaniel Wood vs Charles Rosa (featherweight)

Makwan Amirkhani vs Jonathan Pearce (featherweight)

Muhammad Mokaev vs Charles Johnson (flyweight)

Jai Herbert vs Kyle Nelson (lightweight)

Mandy Bohm vs Victoria Leonardo (women’s flyweight)

Claudio Silva vs Nicolas Dalby (welterweight)

[23 July 2022 16:39 · Alex Pattle]

UFC London LIVE

Here’s an excerpt from our interview with Tom Aspinall last week:

“I’m nervous for every fight, there’s a lot at stake for every fight. That’s something that we have to be prepared to deal with as high-level athletes. This is the life I chose, I chose to put myself in these positions. If I didn’t want to do that, I’d be working in an office or a car garage, or doing something that doesn’t require any pressure.

“I have to embrace it and I enjoy it, so when I stop feeling like that, I’ll probably stop fighting and do something else that brings me those same kinds of feelings.”

Read the full interview here:

[23 July 2022 16:35 · Alex Pattle]

UFC London LIVE

A host of British fighters will step out in front of a raucous home crowd this evening, as UFC London plays out at the O2 Arena.

In the main event, Tom Aspinall looks to continue his remarkable heavyweight run as he faces Curtis Blaydes. Wigan fighter Aspinall is 5-0 in the UFC with five stoppage victories, all of which have come in the first two rounds. Aspinall, 29, took part in his first UFC main event at the March edition of UFC London this year, submitting veteran Alexander Volkov in the first round after outstriking the Russian. Now Aspinall goes up against wrestling specialist Blaydes, whose only professional defeats have come against the hardest hitters in the division, with Francis Ngannou (twice) and Derrick Lewis having knocked out the American. The winner of tonight’s main event may even challenge for the title next time out, or they may have to take on one more test before receiving that honour.

Elsewhere on the card, fan favourite Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett takes on Jordan Leavitt. Liverpudlian lightweight Pimblett, who was the star of the show at the O2 in March, had some stern words for the American this week, saying: “My nan’s dead, and she’d finish him. I’m gonna come out and take his head off, I’m coming to take his chin home with me.” Pimblett’s fellow Scouser Molly McCann is also in action following her stunning, spinning elbow KO at the last edition of UFC London, while Scotland’s Paul Craig steps into the Octagon once again, too.