There was a lot of build-up for the UFC’s return across the pond for this weekend’s UFC London: Blaydes vs Aspinall, and it certainly had its moments of brilliance. Molly McCann and Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett were two of six fighters performing for their countrymen, and they shined brightly. Even after Pimblett handed Jordan Leavitt his first ever finish, he took to the mic to deliver the highlight of the night with a heartfelt message on men’s mental health and suicide prevention.
Outside of McCann and Pimblett stealing the show, UFC didn’t really pop off of the screen. Of the 14 contests, nine ended in a decision that favored one fighter unanimously. On the main card, Alexander Gustafsson and Chris Curtis both looked out of their element. To cap it all off, the main event ended after just 15 seconds when Tom Aspinall’s knee gave out. With the lack of quality battles, the UFC didn’t declare a Fight of the Night, but four fighters were awarded Performance of the Night bonuses. Of course, all fighters collected their promotional bonus from the Venum sponsorship program. Keep reading to see who earned what.
Performance of the Night – Jonathan Pearce, Molly McCann, Nikita Krylov, and Paddy Pimblett
Of the eight fights on the preliminary card, only Johnathan Pearce scored a finish, forcing referee Dan Movahedi to call him off of Amirkhani in the second round of their bout. Had the contest gone into the third round, there’s a chance it would have seen consideration for Fight of the Night honors, as it surely would have meant some kind of rally from Amirkhani.
No doubt about it 👏
💸 @JSPMMA, @MeatballMolly, @KrylovUFC, & Paddy Pimblett are all walking away with an extra 50K tonight! #UFCLondon pic.twitter.com/mClIEANWcs
— UFC (@ufc) July 23, 2022
The other three recipients of the Performance of the Night bonuses should come as no surprise. Pals McCann and Pimblett each finished their opponents in the second round, the former with strikes and the latter with a submission. Between them on the main card, Nikita Krylov wasted no time in finishing his Hall of Fame opponent in Alexander Gustafsson. Krylov looked faster and more powerful than Gustafsson, especially after stinging him with some massive shots early. One of the biggest wins on his resume, Krylov also collected the $50,000 bonus that comes with a Performance of the Night designation, as did Pearce, McCann, and Pimblett.
Main Card and Preliminaries Payouts*
The UFC doesn’t generally share how much it pays the athletes for taking fights,and UFC London was no exception. We do know, however, how much each fighter takes home from the organization’s sponsorship with Venum. UFC London had a fair amount of experience on the card, with just Charles Johnson making his debut. The majority of the fighters have made six or more appearances in the UFC, meaning most took home at least $6,000 from the Venum sponsorship. Taking home the most was opponents Nikita Krylov and Alexander Gusaffson who fought their 16th and 18th bouts respectively. Though his appearance was hardly a fight, Curtis Blaydes still earned his $16,000 payout for taking his 16th challenge at UFC London.
Venum Sponsorship Payouts (based on number of fights in the UFC)
Per the UFC Promotional Guidelines
- $4,000 (1-3 fights): Mandy Bohm (2), Victoria Leonardo (3), Muhammad Mokaev (2), Charles Johnson (debut), Paddy Pimblett (3)
- $4,500 (4-5 fights): Jai Herbert (5), Kyle Nelson (5), Jonathan Pearce (5), Mason Jones (4), Ludovit Klein (5), Hannah Goldy (4), Jordan Leavitt (5), Chris Curtis (4)
- $6,000 (6-10 fights): Claudio Silva (8), Nicolas Dalby (9), Nathaniel Wood (6), Damir Hadzovic (10), Molly McCann (9), Tom Aspinall (6)
- $11,000 (11-15 fights): Makwan Amirkhani (13), Charles Rosa (13), Marc Diakiese (12), Paul Craig (13), Volkan Oezdemir (11), Jack Hermansson (15)
- $16,000 (16-20 fights): Nikita Krylov (16), Alexander Gustafsson (18), Curtis Blaydes (16)
UFC London Results
Main Card
- Curtis Blaydes TKO’d Tom Aspinall – Round 1
- Jack Hermansson defeated Chris Curtis – Unanimous Decision
- Paddy Pimblett submitted Jordan Leavitt by rear naked choke – Round 2
- Nikita Krylov KO’d Alexander Gustafsson via KO – Round 1
- Molly McCann TKO’d Hannah Goldy – Round 1
- Volkan Oezdemir defeated Paul Craig – Unanimous Decision
Preliminary Card
- Ludovit Klein defeated Mason Jones – Unanimous Decision
- Marc Diakiese defeated Damir Hadzovic – Unanimous Decision
- Nathaniel Wood defeated Charles Rosa – Unanimous Decision
- Jonathan Pearce TKO’d Makwan Amirkhani – Round 2
- Muhammad Mokaev defeated Charles Johnson – Unanimous Decision
- Jai Herbert defeated Kyle Nelson – Unanimous Decision
- Victoria Leonardo defeated Mandy Bohm – Unanimous Decision
- Nicolas Dalby defeated Claudio Silva – Unanimous Decision
