UFC Fight Night 204 Results: Aspinall Beats Volkov via Submission in Main Event

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Tom Aspinall did not shrink from the spotlight of fighting in his native England. The British heavyweight submitted Alexander Volkov with a kimura in the first round to close out UFC Fight Night 204 from the O2 Arena in London, England.

His opponent was able to work his way to the feet after the first takedown. He wasn't so lucky the second time. Aspinall was aggressive in hunting for the submission and locked up the straight armbar that finished the fight.

His opponent was able to work his way to the feet after the first takedown. He wasn't so lucky the second time. Aspinall was aggressive in hunting for the submission and locked up the straight armbar that finished the fight.

It was a truly impressive performance from Aspinall that won't slow down his hype train anytime soon. Plenty of analysts sang his praises after the impressive performance.

It's hard not to buy into the Aspinall momentum. He's showcased his boxing in several of his fights, and with this performance, he reminded fans he's also adept on the ground. The heavyweight division has another young challenger flying up the ranks.

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Here's a look at what happened on the rest of the main card from London.

Main Card

• Tom Aspinall def. Alexander Volkov via submission (straight armbar)
• Arnold Allen def. Dan Hooker via TKO at 2:33 of Round 1
• Paddy Pimblett def. Kazula Vargas via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:49 of Round 1
• Gunnar Nelson def. Takashi Sato via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
• Molly McCann def. Luana Carolina via KO at 1:52 of Round 3
• Ilia Topuria def. Jai Herbert via KO at 1:07 of Round 2

Prelims

• Makwan Amirkhani def. Mike Grundy via technical submission (anaconda choke) at 0:57 of Round 1
• Sergei Pavlovich def. Shamil Abdurakhimov via TKO at 4:03 of Round 1
• Paul Craig def. Nikita Krylov via submission (triangle choke) at 3:57 of Round 1
• Jack Shore def. Timur Valiev via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
• Elise Reed def. Cory McKenna via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
• Muhammad Mokaev def. Cody Durden via submission (guillotine choke) at 0:58 of Round 1

Arnold Allen def. Dan Hooker 

March Madness isn't just a basketball tournament. It's a description of what went down in the one-round fight between Arnold Allen and Dan Hooker.

Allen picked up the biggest win of his career with a first-round TKO over Hooker in a fast and furious fight. The 28-year-old Almighty upped the ante early. After a short feeling-out period, he began throwing hooks and immediately found success.

Hooker clipped him in the crossfire and stumbled him for a moment, but Allen was relentless in hunting for the finish.

Allen's win streak in the UFC is now at nine, but none of them carry as much weight as Hooker. The 32-year-old is a well-respected veteran who has fought some of the best at lightweight before cutting back down to 145 and taking this fight.

Allen has earned the right to take on a true top featherweight.

Paddy Pimblett def. Kazula Vargas

Paddy Pimblett continued to look like a potential star in his second UFC fight. After a rough start, he sank in a rear-naked choke against Kazula Vargas in the first round.

Vargas clipped Pimblett with a right hand early on that put him on the ground. The Baddy didn't look very comfortable on bottom but was able to remain patient and eventually flip the position.

That was bad news for Vargas. Pimblett showed fans who have only seen him in the UFC that he isn't just a knockout artist. He locked in the rear-naked choke and forced the tap in short order.

Pimblett proved to be more than just a knockout artist. He navigated rough waters early and showed he has a ground game to complement his striking.

He remains a name to watch.

Gunnar Nelson def. Takashi Sato

It wasn't hard to figure out Gunnar Nelson's game plan against Takashi Sato.

He dominated Sato for three rounds following a simple process of taking him down, taking his back and locking in a body triangle that Sato couldn't escape, and pouring on the strikes.

Sato had no answer as Nelson effectively shut down any threat he brought. It wasn't the most exciting way to win, but it was dominant. Sato's ability to fend off submission attempts was about the only positive in his performance.

The must-win nature of the fight might explain how safely Nelson fought. He came into the bout having lost three of his last four. Sato now carries that distinction after losses to Nelson, Miguel Baeza and Belal Muhammad in his past four fights.

Molly McCann def. Luana Carolina

Molly McCann was the first female British fighter on a main card in England, and she didn't disappoint in the spot. Not only was she dominant from the opening bell, but she also ended the whole thing on a highlight-reel knockout.

With Luana Carolina on the receiving end of a beating for most of the night, Meatball unleashed a spinning back elbow that landed flush and ended the fight immediately.

The win gives McCann her first of 2022 and is a reminder of how good her striking can be when she's on her game. She was able to overwhelm Carolina with volume, and it ultimately set up the knockout blow.

She now has back-to-back wins after losing two in a row to Taila Santos and Lara Procopio. This is the kind of win that could spark some real momentum for her.

Ilia Topuria def. Jai Herbert

As a fighter with an undefeated record, Ilia Topuria hasn't been put in bad positions in the Octagon until Saturday in London.

Jai Herbert nearly handed him a first-round knockout. Herbert landed a clean head kick that put Topuria on the floor and had him simply looking to survive the round.

Herbert's inability to finish the job came back to bite him in the second round, though. With time to recover from getting rocked early, Topuria kept moving forward and found a home for a right hand that scored the emphatic knockout.

Topuria is an interesting prospect. His 12-0 record is probably a product of his competition, but he's shown he can finish fights with submissions or his power. He could be the next opponent for Paddy Pimblett in a prospect vs. prospect fight that would build buzz for both guys.