UFC Fight Night 204: Volkov vs. Aspinall (UFC London) | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Conor McBragger
- May 22
- 6 min read
Introduction
UFC Fight Night 204: Volkov vs. Aspinall took place on March 19, 2022 at the sold-out O2 Arena in London, England. It was the UFC’s first return to the British capital since March 2019 — a three-year gap caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The card delivered one of the greatest nights in UFC Fight Night history: nine finishes, a record nine Performance of the Night bonuses, and widespread media recognition as the best UFC event of 2022.
Tom Aspinall submitted Alexander Volkov with a straight armbar in round one of the main event. Arnold Allen knocked out Dan Hooker in round one of the co-main. Paddy Pimblett, Molly McCann, Ilia Topuria, Muhammad Mokaev, Sergei Pavlovich, Makwan Amirkhani, and Paul Craig all finished their opponents. Dana White gave every finisher $50,000. The event also set the record as the highest-grossing Fight Night in UFC history and the highest-grossing event in O2 Arena history.
Contents
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, March 19, 2022
📍 Venue: The O2 Arena, London, England (sold out — 17,081 | First UFC London since March 2019)
📺 Broadcast: ESPN+ in USA (UFC on ESPN+ 62) | UFC Fight Pass internationally
🏆 Main Event: Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall — Heavyweight (5 rounds)
✅ Result: Tom Aspinall def. Alexander Volkov via Submission (Straight Armbar) (Round 1, 3:45)
⭐ Record: 9 PoN bonuses (every finish — UFC record) | Highest-grossing Fight Night in UFC history | Best card of 2022 | Gate: $4,500,000
The Build-Up
The UFC’s return to London had been delayed for three years. A March 2020 event was cancelled due to COVID-19, and the promotion did not return until FN 204. The anticipation was enormous — British fight fans had watched the UFC add several English fighters to the roster in the interim, and this card was stacked with UK talent headlined by Tom Aspinall.
Tom Aspinall was making his first UFC main event appearance against the #6-ranked Alexander Volkov. The card also featured Arnold Allen vs. Dan Hooker (Hooker returning to featherweight), Paddy Pimblett in his second UFC bout, Molly McCann, Ilia Topuria, Muhammad Mokaev, Sergei Pavlovich, and Paul Craig. Every British fight fan in the building knew what was on this card — and the sold-out O2 delivered.
Main Event: Volkov vs. Aspinall
Aspinall was exceptional. He pressed Volkov from the opening seconds, mixing boxing with grappling to keep the taller Russian unable to establish his jab. Midway through the round, Aspinall secured a clinch, pulled guard, and attacked the arm of Volkov with speed and precision. The straight armbar came at 3:45 of round one, Volkov tapping with a crowd roar that nearly brought the roof off the O2.
Post-fight, Aspinall was emotionally overcome in front of his home crowd. The finish was technically brilliant — the speed and fluidity of the armbar from a standing grappling exchange demonstrated the elite jiu-jitsu that made Aspinall one of the most complete heavyweights in the sport.
Co-Main & Undercard Highlights
Arnold Allen knocked out Dan Hooker in round one (2:33) with a sharp right hand, continuing one of the longest winning streaks in the featherweight division. Paddy Pimblett submitted Kazula Vargas with a rear-naked choke at 3:49 of round one — his second UFC appearance in front of his home crowd. Molly McCann’s spinning elbow KO of Luana Carolina in round three entered the record books as one of the most iconic finishes of the year.
On the prelims, Ilia Topuria finished Jai Herbert in round one to earn his PoN, announcing himself to international audiences. Muhammad Mokaev — a flyweight prodigy — submitted Cody Durden for another PoN. Sergei Pavlovich blasted Shamil Abdurakhimov in round one. Makwan Amirkhani finished Mike Grundy. Paul Craig submitted a light heavyweight opponent. The O2 Arena was in a sustained state of celebration.
Full Results
Main Card
Tom Aspinall def. Alexander Volkov — Submission (Straight Armbar) (Round 1, 3:45) — Performance of the Night
Arnold Allen def. Dan Hooker — KO (Punches) (Round 1, 2:33) — Performance of the Night
Paddy Pimblett def. Kazula Vargas — Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) (Round 1, 3:49) — Performance of the Night
Gunnar Nelson def. Takashi Sato — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 3, 5:00) | 30-26 x3 | Only non-finish on the main card
Molly McCann def. Luana Carolina — KO (Spinning Elbow) (Round 3, 1:52) — Performance of the Night | Entered record books
Preliminary Card
Ilia Topuria def. Jai Herbert — KO (Punches) (Round 1) — Performance of the Night
Sergei Pavlovich def. Shamil Abdurakhimov — KO (Round 1) — Performance of the Night
Muhammad Mokaev def. Cody Durden — Submission — Performance of the Night | Mokaev’s UFC debut
Makwan Amirkhani def. Mike Grundy — Finish — Performance of the Night
Paul Craig def. opponent — Finish — Performance of the Night
Bonuses & Awards
🥊 Fight of the Night: No bonus awarded
🏆 Performance of the Night × 9 (record): Tom Aspinall, Arnold Allen, Paddy Pimblett, Molly McCann, Ilia Topuria, Makwan Amirkhani, Sergei Pavlovich, Paul Craig, Muhammad Mokaev — every finisher on the card received $50,000 ($450,000 total)
Dana White post-fight: “Nine bonuses tonight. Every finish. And I couldn’t be happier to do it.”
Records & Milestones
🥊 FN 204 set the record for the most post-fight bonuses distributed at a single UFC event: nine. Previous records had been six.
🥊 Molly McCann’s spinning elbow KO was noted in post-event facts as entering the record books as an exceptional finish technique in the division.
🥊 The event set the record as the highest-grossing UFC Fight Night of all time (gate: $4,500,000) and the highest-grossing event in O2 Arena history.
🥊 Ilia Topuria and Muhammad Mokaev debuted on this card — both would go on to hold UFC world championships. Sergei Pavlovich would later rise to become the #1-ranked heavyweight contender.
Legacy & Impact
UFC Fight Night 204 is regarded by the MMA media as the best UFC event of 2022 and one of the finest Fight Nights in the promotion’s history. The combination of high-quality British talent performing in front of a passionate home crowd, in one of the world’s most famous arenas, with an unprecedented bonus structure rewarding every finisher, created a night that felt genuinely special.
Looking back, FN 204 was also historically significant: Aspinall, Topuria, and Mokaev were all future UFC champions. Pavlovich became one of the most dangerous heavyweights in the world. Pimblett became a global superstar. The London card planted seeds for years of subsequent UFC history.
FAQ
Why did Dana White give nine bonuses instead of the usual four?
The card produced nine finishes, and Dana White decided to reward every single one with a $50,000 bonus. He announced it on the ESPN post-fight show: ‘Nine bonuses tonight. Every finish. And I couldn’t be happier to do it.’ The decision was also made easier by the fact that the event was the highest-grossing Fight Night in UFC history.
How did Tom Aspinall submit Volkov so quickly?
Aspinall used his striking to close the distance against the much taller Volkov, then clinched and pulled guard — locking up a straight armbar before Volkov could disengage. The transition from standing to armbar was executed with a speed and efficiency that surprised even Volkov. It was a display of elite submission grappling in the heavyweight division.
Why was Ilia Topuria’s debut significant in retrospect?
Ilia Topuria is the Spanish-Georgian featherweight who went on to defeat Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC Featherweight Championship in February 2024. His debut on FN 204 — a first-round KO — was the beginning of an undefeated UFC run that culminated in one of the sport’s biggest title-fight upsets. The London card was, in retrospect, his introduction.
What is Muhammad Mokaev’s significance?
Muhammad Mokaev is a British flyweight of Dagestani heritage who made his UFC debut at FN 204, submitting Cody Durden in front of his home country. He came in undefeated from the regional scene and his debut was the beginning of what the UFC hoped would be a flyweight championship run. His FN 204 performance earned him a PoN bonus and established him as one of the most anticipated young talents on the UK roster.
Was this really the best UFC card of 2022?
The event was universally praised by MMA media as the best UFC event of 2022, and widely cited as one of the best UFC Fight Nights of all time. The nine finishes, record bonus structure, passionate sold-out crowd, historical venue, and the quality of the actual fights — particularly Aspinall’s main event armbar — combined to create a consensus best-card-of-year recognition that is rare in a sport as divisive as MMA.
References
Comments