UFC London is officially in the books. It was a great event full of some really entertaining fights and finishes. There are a few fighters who stood out from the rest though. Let’s go over the results, break down some of what happened, and talk about where fighters will go from here.
UFC London Results:
Jimi Manuwa* def. Corey Anderson via KO at 3:05 of R1
Gunnar Nelson* def. Alan Jouban via submission at :46 of R2
Marlon Vera* def. Brad Pickett via TKO at 3:50 of R3
Arnold Allen def. Makwan Amirkhani via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 30-27)
Joseph Duffy def. Reza Madadi via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
Francimar Barroso def. Darren Stewart via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
Timothy Johnson def. Daniel Omielanczuk via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Leon Edwards def. Vicente Luque via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
Marc Diakiese* def. Teemu Packalen via KO at :30 of R1
Bradley Scott def. Scott Askham via split decision (29-28×2, 28-29)
Lina Lansberg def. Lucie Pudilova via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
*Performance of the Night Winners ($50,000 bonus)
UFC London Recap:
Out of the 11 bouts, there were a handful of standouts. Let’s start with the prospect Marc Diakiese.
Diakiese is now 3-0 in the UFC after holding the BAMMA lightweight title. He’s a flashy, creative, spetacular striker who could very well be the next big thing at 155 lbs. The performance he had in London could make that happen. Diakiese KOd Finnish fighter Teemu Pakalen in just 30 seconds. Incredible performance. Definitely keep an eye on “Bonercrusher”.
Another result to note is Joseph Duffy‘s decisive win over Reza Madadi. This bumps Duffy up to 4-1 in the UFC, but unfortunately this was Duffy’s last fight on his contract. We will see whether the UFC retains him or not.
British prospect Arnold Allen turned in a veteran-like performance against fellow prospect Makwan Amirkhani. Even though Amirkhani came out like a bat-out-of-hell, he was unable to sustain himself. Allen took over later in the fight. It was a very fast-paced grappling-heavy bout that highlighted some really entertaining groundwork from both fighters.
Next up was a heart-crushing bout featuring the pride of British MMA, Brad Pickett. This was his retirement bout. South American Marlon Vera rocked him with a head kick and some follow up punches to get the stoppage. Some argued it was too early, but nevertheless Pickett was unable to end his career with a win. Congrats to Vera.
In the co-main event, Gunnar Nelson put on one of his best performances to date by starching Alan Jouban. Nelson rocked Jouban with a calculated right hand early in round two. Even though he could have followed up and finished him with strikes, Nelson opted to go for the guillotine instead. It was savvy performance from Gunni, and hopefully he gets a top contender next.
Finally, in the main event of UFC London, Britain’s own Jimi Manuwa scored a highlight reel walk-off KO over Corey Anderson. Manuwa’s best shot still seems to be his left hook, but his Octagon contol and composure seems much improved. Even his physique is much different compared to a few years ago.
Next Fights:
Let’s start with Jimi Manuwa. Since getting starched by Rumble Johnson in 2015, Manuwa has put on some muscle mass and is now arguably just as big as anyone else. His striking is also just as dangerous as shown by his two recent KO wins. Manuwa has transformed himself into a tank in this division, and he’s not far from a title shot. I think a guy like ‘Shogun’ Rua would make a fine next opponent as both are on win streaks.
Gunnar Nelson sits within the top 10 at 170 lbs, but has yet to be able to beat a top-ranked contender. Nelson was inked to fight Dong Hyun Kim before; I’d like to see that fight now. If not Kim, then maybe Neil Magny.
Hopefully the UFC retains Joe Duffy because I see him being a top lightweight contender in the near future. For a next fight, I’d like to see him get someone in the top 15. Someone like Evan Dunham would make for a great scrap. That way he can establish himself as a contender and get some more value out of his name.
As far as prospect Marc Diakiese is concerned, he’s 3-0 which means it’s time for a challenge. Now, I understand wanting to build him up slow – the UFC still can – but he has yet to really be tested. I think a top 15 opponent is too much, but someone like Paul Felder or Yancy Medeiros would be perfect.
