Mixed Martial Arts: Scousers seize the limelight as UFC returns to London

LONDON: The UFC returned to London on Saturday nevertheless it was two Liverpool fighters who stole the present, as Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann pulled off sensible wins to impress the gang on the O2 Arena within the capital for the primary time in three years.

McCann blazed ahead from the opening bell towards Brazil’s Luana Carolina and ended the battle in spectacular vogue within the third spherical with a spinning elbow that knocked her opponent out chilly.

Not to be outdone, her shut good friend Pimblett bounced again from being rocked by an early punch to dominate Mexico’s Kazula Vargas, taking his opponent’s again and sinking in a rear bare choke submission to ship the raucous crowd right into a frenzy.

Still in her battle package, McCann jumped again into the cage to have a good time with Pimblett, the pair hopping up on the fence to take the applause and cheers of the gang.

“I’m never, ever, ever, ever in a boring fight lad, I have to get a punch in the face to get woke up,” the charismatic 27-year-old stated in his post-fight interview earlier than throwing down the gauntlet to the UFC.

“See this arena? Too small, too small, get me a stadium. Get us to Anfield and we’ll fill it,” Liverpool fan Pimblett bellowed, and judging by the response, a lot of these in attendance in London would make the journey to Merseyside.

Having not staged an occasion in London since Mar 16, 2019, Saturday’s card was a triumphant return for the UFC, which abruptly cancelled a deliberate occasion in March 2020 because the COVID-19 pandemic started to comb all over the world.

The British fighters excelled on Saturday, with Welshman Jack Shore profitable a call victory and Scot Paul Craig pulling off one other come-from-behind win by way of triangle choke towards Nikita Krylov.

Ipswich-born Arnold Allen got here out swinging haymakers at New Zealander Dan Hooker within the co-main occasion, ending it with a TKO victory midway by way of the primary spherical.

With many Russian athletes excluded from competitors following their nation’s invasion of Ukraine, Alexander Volkov was booed as he took on Tom Aspinall within the heavyweight important occasion.

His night went from dangerous to worse as Aspinall opened a reduce on his head early after which secured a straight arm lock on the Russian to finish the battle on the 3:45 mark within the first spherical.

Given the performances from the brawling Brits, the UFC is prone to return to the UK sooner somewhat than later.