Get the full preliminary card results and highlights for UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Silva in London, England, including a featherweight bout between Makwan Amirkhani and Mike Wilkinson.
The UFC is back in London, England with a big Fight Night card, headlined by middleweight legend Anderson Silva against perennial contender Michael Bisping. Before they could enter the Octagon, a nine-fight preliminary card played out at London’s O2 Arena, featuring a featherweight tilt between “Mr. Finland” Makwan Amirkhani and England’s Mike Wilkinson. Here’s how those fights played out.
Makwan Amirkhani def. Mike Wilkinson via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28) – Featherweights
Mr. Finland put on a grappling clinic in the 1st round starting with the takedown into top control just 40 seconds into the 1st round. Great top control, guard passing, and solid ground-and-pound left Wilkinson just hanging on. He briefly had mount but Wilkinson got back to full guard. Amirkhani beautifully passed to side control shortly thereafter. A crazy “Mir Lock” submission attempt by Wilkinson was about his best offense but the 1st was overwhelmingly in Amirkhani’s favor.
Amirkhani sought the crucifix position on Wilkinson, completely overmatching the Englishman on the ground. He transitioned from north-south to side control and elbowed Wilkinson some more. Wilkinson escaped back to his feet and then was stung with a straight left. Amirkhani went for another takedown but Wilkinson dropped for a tight guillotine choke, which Amirkhani escaped and reversed into full guard. He continued his grappling dominance through the end of the round. A tiring Amirkhani dropped the 3rd round to Wilkinson, who actually had Amirkhani on the bottom briefly at times but didn’t do enough to score either a 10-8 or a finish, and even worse, finished the round mounted after an ill-advised leglock attempt. It was a fun, back-and-forth contest that ended with Amirkhani improving to 3-0 in the UFC, with Wilkinson down to 1-2.
David Grant def. Marlon Vera via unanimous decision (30-26 x3) – Bantamweights
Grant started out strongly and aggressively with hard kicks and effective boxing. Marc Goddard warned Vera for grabbing Grant’s glove during a scramble as he sought a submission attempt off his back. Goddard also repeatedly warned Grant for grabbing the fence. In a wild sequence, Vera took Grant’s back in a transition and busted open the Englishman’s face with strikes. He locked in a tight body triangle in search of a rear-naked choke, but Grant rolled through the body triangle to get back to guard to end the round. In the 2nd, Grant dominated the first couple of minutes A huge flurry of knees and elbows battered Vera against the fence as he was clearly rocked. Vera went for a takedown and was stuffed, so he chose to jump to guard instead. Bad move for him, as Grant ripped him up from top position, but they were stood back up after Marc Goddard once again warned Vera for grabbing Grant’s gloves in his grappling. No point was taken away. A desperate Vera went for a throw from front headlock position but ended up falling on his back with Grant on top of him. Vera went for a triangle choke but Grant postured up and fended it off. Goddard warned Vera for grabbing the fence then deducted a point for grabbing Grant’s gloves for the umpteenth time. After standing them back up, Vera crashed in with a flying knee but Grant answered back and then went in on a double-leg takedown. They returned to striking and Vera couldn’t do anything to turn the tide around and overcome the rounds he lost, as well as his numerous infractions committed. A nice win for the TUF 18 runner-up in his first fight since losing the Finale in 2013. Vera is now 7-3, 1 NC in his MMA career and 1-1 inside the Octagon.
Scott Askham def. Chris Dempsey via KO (punch and head kick) at 4:45 of round 1 – Middleweights
Dempsey came forward right away looking to grind Askham into dust with his wrestling. Askham maintained an active guard and threatened with an armbar. After a sustained period of Dempsey pushing for takedowns and clinch work, Askham got off some quality shots and forced Dempsey out of his fight plan. Askham devastated Dempsey with a left hand that was mostly forearm-to-head (if that makes sense), putting Dempsey on rubbery legs and doing a dance. The Yorkshire native shut Dempsey’s lights out with a thudding head kick to send the English crowd into a frenzy. Askham rebounds from his loss to Krzysztof Jotko in a big way, while Dempsey loses by KO for the 3rd time in 4 UFC fights.
Now THAT’S a walk-off KO if we’ve ever seen one! Huge win for @ScottAskham1!! #UFCLondon https://t.co/xoJynL9hHz
— #UFCLondon (@ufc) February 27, 2016
Arnold Allen def. Yaotzin Meza via unanimous decision (30-27 x3) – Featherweights
Undefeated English prospect Arnold Allen nearly scored a knockout win at the buzzer against Yaotzin Meza. After a methodical, well-rounded performance in which Allen showed off his takedown skills offensively and defensively, as well as his preferred striking, Allen unleashed a big combination at the end of round 3 that dropped Meza and just about put his opponent out cold. Replays showed the final punch landed just after the horn had sounded, otherwise it could’ve been a KO at 4:59 of round 3. Instead, Allen will have to “settle” for a comfortable decision victory.
WHOAAAA!! What a finish to the round! @ArnoldBFA #UFCLondon https://t.co/pDHDImqE1W
— #UFCLondon (@ufc) February 27, 2016
Krzysztof Jotko def. Bradley Scott via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28) – Middleweights
Scott was all about forward movement and pressuring Jotko against the fence and forcing him to fight on the defensive. Jotko landed good strikes sporadically but it may not have been enough to offset Scott’s pressuring attack and his own offense. Scott continued the same strategy but with less success in round 2, as he was missing with his strikes and Jotko worked well with his back against the fence. Jotko ended round 2 strongly with an upward elbow — think Silva/Fryklund — that appeared to hurt the Englishman. The Polish fighter dictated the pace in round 3 and kept a steady flow of strikes pouring on as Scott struggled to find his range and timing. A couple of takedowns for Jotko closed out round 3 to get himself a third consecutive win. Scott is 2-3 in the UFC, having alternated losses and wins since the TUF Smashes Finale.
Rustam Khabilov def. Norman Parke via unanimous decision (29-28 x3) – Lightweights
In a close fight between two veteran lightweights, Khabilov came out active in the 1st round, taking the Northern Irishman down with a suplex before Parke got back to his feet. The Dagestan native outstruck Parke and looked to be the faster fighter. Norman turned up the aggression in the 2nd, cutting Khabilov with a left hand that actually hit Khabilov’s own hand and made him punch himself in the pace. Khabilov was struggling offensively for much of the 2nd before closing with a strong double-leg takedown in the final minute. Parke started the 3rd with a nice takedown and was able to take Khabilov’s back. He worked for a rear-naked choke but Khabilov scrambled out of it and put Parke on his back. Rustam aggressively attacked Parke with ground-and-pound and didn’t give him much space to wriggle free. Khabilov outgrappled Parke to win the round and ultimately win the fight to end his two-fight losing streak. Parke has lost 3 of his last 4 bouts.
Daniel Omielanczuk def. Jarjis Danho via majority technical decision (29-29, 29-28, 29-28) – Heavyweights
It was a high-paced, back-and-forth bout in the opening 5 minutes. Omielanczuk hurt Danho with a left hand and a glancing head kick in the most notable action in round 1. Danho landed several quality shots of his own that may have tipped the round in his favor despite being hurt. Daniel’s superior striking put the pressure on Danho, who was dropped in the 2nd round but then illegally kneed in the head while downed. At the restart he was hurt again and turned his back to Omielanczuk, eating more hard shots. In the 3rd round, the debuting Danho was unable to continue after being hit with a small left hand to the beltline/groin area. Because it happened in round 3, the round was scored and the fight went to the scorecards, which Omielanczuk took by majority technical decision. Omielanczuk is now 3-2 in the UFC while Danho suffers his first loss and drops to 6-1 (1 NC).
Teemu Packalen def. Thibault Gouti via submission (RNC) at :24 of round 1 – Lightweights
Packalen finished France’s Gouti in incredibly quick fashion. The Finland native dropped Gouti with a right uppercut, threw some ground-and-pound before beautifully transitioning to back mount and sinking in a fight-ending rear-naked choke. Teemu improves to 8-1 with his first UFC win, while Gouti’s undefeated record is no longer, as he drops to 11-1.
Undefeated no more! @PackalenTeemu hands Gouti his first pro loss!! Two fights. Two finishes. Let’s go! #UFCLondon https://t.co/N06OILhpfF
— #UFCLondon (@ufc) February 27, 2016
David Teymur def. Martin Svensson via TKO (uppercut) at 1:26 of round 2 – Lightweights
In a battle of TUF 22 lightweight teammates, Sweden’s David Teymur scored an impressive knockout victory over his countryman Martin Svensson. Teymur’s huge advantage in striking shone through here, as Svensson was unable to mount any significant offense and couldn’t drag the fight to the ground as he’d prefer. After an easily stuffed takedown attempt in the 2nd round, Teymur drilled Svenson with a beautiful left uppercut. Svensson was wobbled, Teymur just missed with a head kick, but Svensson crashed to the mat and the fight was stopped after a few hammerfists. An emotional Teymur improves to 4-1 in his MMA career, while Svensson drops to 14-6.
WOW @DavidTeymur!! What an opening fight! #UFCLondon https://t.co/Nr251NrkYP
— #UFCLondon (@ufc) February 27, 2016