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
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
Wood vs Rosa – Round 3
Rosa is fighting almost exclusively out of a southpaw stance now. Again Wood kicks the American’s left leg out from under him, though.
Wood with a nasty knee up the middle, before Rosa misses with a spinning back elbow. Rosa’s mouth is badly bloodied.
Wood eats a left hook, but he takes it well. He trips Rosa again. The referee could genuinely rule a TKO from these leg kicks...
Once more Rosa goes down from a leg kick. He urges Wood to ‘stand and bang’ with 20 seconds left, but Wood is too smart to get suckered in. He’s easily ahead on the scorecards and he knows it.
UFC London LIVE
Wood vs Rosa – Round 2
Rosa comes out southpaw for this round. Wood immediately lands a decent right cross. He then smashes Rosa with another and taunts the American.
Rosa connects with a winging left hook, but Wood gets hold of him in the next exchange, initiating a Thai clinch and trying for an elbow.
Wood drops Rosa with a leg kick then lands a clean punch to the downed American! Rosa springs back to his feet but eats a sharp jab – and another. Wood taunts Rosa again. A brutal elbow from Wood in close now.
Wood trips Rosa with ease, then thrashes a leg kick into the American’s injured ankle. Ouch.
How much longer can Rosa go on, on that left leg?
UFC London LIVE
Wood vs Rosa – Round 1
Hard leg kick from Wood. He blocks a high kick. He then catches Rosa with a left hook and a right cross up top. Another right straight.
Rosa tries for a single-leg takedown, but Wood defends it well and moves away. Rosa switches stances briefly to southpaw.
Wood catches him with another left hook, then drops him with a well-timed leg kick. For a second it seemed that Rosa’s leg might have been in a bad way... but he’s back up. Perhaps Wood should have pounced there...
Back on the feet, and Wood just about blocks a knee up the middle. And another! If one of those lands...
Left hook, right hook from Wood! He’s much the slicker striker. It also seems that Rosa’s foot is injured from that earlier leg kick after all; he’s switching stances back and forth but is tentative both ways.
We have a brief pause in the action after an accidental low blow from Rosa. Wood hammers another low kick into that left leg of Rosa. He then kicks to the body, but it’s caught, and Rosa picks up the Briton before slamming him to the mat.
Rosa tries for a guillotine, and for a second it looks like Wood might have passed out... but he twitches, and makes it to the buzzer!
UFC London LIVE
“Let’s go!” shouts Wood as he runs around the ring. He touches gloves with Rosa along the way.
Rosa is pacing back and forwards. He is amped up.
UFC London LIVE
Next up is Nathaniel Wood’s featherweight debut. The former bantamweight, the only Londoner on the card tonight, faces Charles Rosa.
Wood was meant to fight at the O2 Arena in March, but his opponent withdrew on short notice.
UFC London LIVE
Jonathan Pearce def. Makwan Amirkhani via second-round TKO (4:10, punches).
UFC London LIVE
Amirkhani vs Pearce – Round 2
Amirkhani with the greater control in the first round; Pearce doing more damage.
Pearce starts Round 2 by throwing a couple of body kicks that just about get through Amirkhani’s defence. And another, and another.
Amirkhani looks to be breathing heavily, and those kicks will only make things worse for him. He is, however, able to connect with a left hook. Pearce lands a heavy right hook, though, and takes down Amirkhani with ease against the cage. Amirkhani is definitely tired, and Pearce knows it.
Pearce tries to get into mount, but Amirkhani is framing well to keep the American at bay. Pearce does get into side control, though, where he lands a brutal knee to the body and a punch to the head.
Pearce is landing a lot of unasnwered punches... the referee is thinking abnout stopping this fight... and he does!
Pearce with the TKO!
UFC London LIVE
Amirkhani vs Pearce – Round 1
Amirkhani stands with his hands behind his back, looking nice and relaxed. And we’re under way.
Amirkhani tries for a jumping front kick, but it’s a bit telegraphed. He goes for a single-leg takedown, but Pearce lands some decent elbows to slow down the Swede. He’s landing so many, and Amirkhani is busted open!
Eventually “Mr Finland” secures the takedown, though Pearce is still doing a decent job of making life hard for Amirkhani. Pearce partially stands, but Amirkhani drags him back down with a guillotine attempt... He can’t complete the submission, and Pearce is able to get free and stand.
Amirkhani follows him up. A decent jab lands for Amirkhani, over the top of a body kick from Pearce. A southpaw left straight connects for Amirkhani, who then transitions into a takedown attempt.
Good scrambling from Pearce, though, and he briefly looks for an armbar. Pearce is able to get on top, where he hammers punches into Amirkhani’s ribs to end the round.
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