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There's a lot to unpack from UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall. This card easily fits in amongst the ranks of the most exciting events that the UFC has put on. From the very first fight to the post-fight press, fans were exposed to moments that will live on in the UFC's highlight reel for some time.
While this card was incredibly stacked, it wouldn't have been half as exciting if not for the energy that the fans in the O2 arena brought. The chants and cheers really gave the athletes something to fight for.
Anything short of "One of the best in history" doesn't do this fight card justice. The finishes were wild, the walkouts were fun and the energy will be very hard to match moving forward. While it's incredibly difficult to sift through and pick which wins were the most fun, here are the 5 best finishes from UFC London.
#5. Ilia Topuria
Ilia Topuria moved up to lightweight and took on a very game and dangerous Jai Herbert. 'El Matador' grabbed a great deal of attention in his last showing that saw him finish Ryan Hall. The Hall fight wasn't the most recent time that fans saw Topuria throwing hands prior to the Herbert meeting. Him and Paddy Pimblett had a fued that stemmed from Twitter and ended with punches thrown earlier on in fight week
Come fight day, Topuria brought that anger into the octagon with him, it seemed. In what was an absolutely ferocious first round, Herbert threw some heat and showed fans that the undefeated Georgian wasn't untouchable. A head kick landed early in the first and had the the 25-year-old in all sorts of trouble.
The second round started and both fighters were ready to pick up where the first round ended. Battling it out didn't last long in the second round, however, as Topuria was able to catch Herbert clean and brutally render him unconscious. This knockout came out of nowhere, as it seemed that the English fighter had Topuria figured out.
Scoring a knockout victory in this fashion against a fighter like Herbert is as impressive as it gets. While Topuria came into hostile territory to take this fight, he gave the fans more to boo about as he called out the aforementioned Paddy Pimblett. Harsh words for the arena's favorite fighter enticed the crowd to express their loyalty to the Scouser.
#4. Paul Craig
If you've never seen a Paul Craig fight, then you'd probably think that things weren't going his way prior to the finish. 81% Of Craig's wins are by submission, and a good amount of these are secured while he's fighting from off his back.
His opponent, Nikita Krylov, secured top position and was landing shots that had bad intentions on them. One or two of these blows seemed to rock 'Bearjew', but it could've been his way of baiting Krylov into entertaining this style of fight. Craig is well-known for his ability to secure triangle chokes at any moment of the fight, but the first triangle attempt was thwarted with the proper defense of 'The Miner'.
Craig's confidence showed as he wasn't set back by the first attempt being a failed one. Shortly after, the surging Scottish fighter locked in his patented triangle choke and forced the tap from the highly-skilled Krylov. Combine Craig's 4 fight win streak with the fact that Krylov's last few losses have been to fighters at the top of the division, it makes this finish a very impressive one. Paul Craig put the light heavyweight division on notice and it would be criminal for him not to fight up the rankings again for his next bout.
#3. Arnold Allen
Undefeated in the UFC, it's about time that Arnold Allen gets the attention that he deserves. As Dan Hooker dropped back down to featherweight, Allen was able to do what Dustin Poirier, Paul Felder, and many more weren't able to do, and that's finish the New Zealander.
'Almighty' has been his own biggest critic, often commenting on how his previous wins were by decision. Albeit great finishes, but the finishes are a surefire way to propel one's self into the spotlight.
The speed difference was very noticeable. The 28-year-old noticed this and acted on it, throwing a barrage of shots that hurt 'The Hangman'. Although Hooker got caught in this first flurry, he didn't let it deter him, for the second onslaught of punches and elbows forced the referee to step in.
#2. Paddy Pimblett
Paddy Pimblett produced a finish that lit up the O2 arena. There were many British fighters on this card, but none were as well-recepted as Paddy Pimblett. The weigh-ins, the walkout, the fight and the finish -- 'The Baddy' had the weight of the world on his shoulders to back-up his brash personality and perform.
Regardless of the pressure, the 27-year-old looked calm and collected. The opening moments of the fight did prove to be problematic for him, as one of the opening shots hurt him and forced him to the mat. He'd recover and hit a beautiful toss that ultimately led to a rear-naked choke submission.
Rodrigo Vargas' tap started a party. Pimblett and his team began celebrating. Singing, dancing and the fans drinking ensued. Beers were tossed all over as the crowd witnessed this rising-star let his talent shine. Pimblett's submission was one of the brightest moments of the whole event.
#1. Molly McCann
Not only is Molly McCann's spinning back elbow the top finish from the UFC's recent trip to London, but this is irrefutably a "Knockout of the year" contender. 'Meatball' fights out of Liverpool, so it's not hard to see why the crowd was ecstatic the moment her walkout music came on.
The excitement transferred over to the fight itself seamlessly, as McCann immediately put it on Luana Carolina. As the third round began, Carolina was starting to find some success in a fight that she was losing.
The newfound success didn't last long. As 'Dread' framed off of McCann, she left herself vulnerable to a concluding elbow. This most recent UFC Fight Night was packed with exciting stoppages, but 'Meatball' Molly McCann's was by far the best.
