UFC London ended in drama once again as Tom Aspinall suffered a knee injury within the first minute of the first round against Curtis Blaydes. This came right after a co-main event where Jack Hermansson won a decision over Chris Curtis, a fight that was most notable for the jawing that came towards the end, and even after it. Today we will be looking into what is next for the losers of UFC London.
Tom Aspinall
Tom Aspinall was 5-0 in the UFC prior to his loss this past weekend, which came about when his knee gave out. Just 15 seconds into the fight, at that. The injury in his knee will ultimately determine how long he will be away from the sport. On one hand, it could be minor enough to only take him out for 6-8 weeks and on the other hand, it could be serious enough to take him out for 6-8 months if not more. If he is able to fight within the next 3-4 months he should probably be looking to fight Blaydes again.
If he ends up having to spend 6-8 months out for his injury, he will likely be looking at someone else inside the top five in his next fight. Later this year it has been rumored that the UFC is looking to book a main event between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. With the winner likely fighting for the belt early next year and the loser looking for a big fight. Tom Aspinall should be returning sometime in the first quarter of 2023 at the latest, hopefully. That means he should be right in line to fight the loser of Jones versus Miocic.
Aspinall’s next fight: Loser of Jones-Miocic
Chris Curtis
Chris Curtis has over 35 professional MMA bouts in his 13-year professional career. He got his shot at the UFC at UFC 268 in November where he knocked out Phil Hawes. Curtis won three straight in the company before losing this decision on short notice against Hermansson at UFC London. Curtis walks around with crazy knockout power and should definitely be looking for an exciting fight in his next appearance.
Cody Brundage is 2-1 in the UFC and won his last two fights stopping Dalcha Lungiambula and Tresean Gore. Brundage has finished his opponent in seven of his eight wins and has only been finished in one of his two losses. That loss was a knockout against William Knight on the contender series in 2020.
Curtis’ next fight: Cody Brundage
Jordan Leavitt
Jordan Leavitt was submitted in the second round at UFC London by Paddy Pimblett. Leavitt is now 3-2 in the UFC. He has great grappling and good knockout power but Pimblett was able to outstrike him on the feet and then submit him when they hit the ground. In his next fight, Leavitt should be looking to fight another up-and-coming star in his next bout.
Joe Solecki is 4-1 in the UFC and has seven of his 12 wins by submission. He showed great improvements in his striking in his last win over Alex de Silva. With that being said this fight gives both men an opportunity to climb the lightweight rankings.
Leavitt’s next fight: Joe Solecki
Alexander Gustafsson
Once almost expected to be an eventual champion at 205 pounds in the UFC, it appears Alexander Gustafsson’s title hopes are shot. If there was a faint glimmer remaining ahead of his return to light heavyweight, his first fight since a failed 2020 heavyweight move, they that glimmer was snuffed out care of a violent finish by Nikita Krylov.
Gustafsson is a member of the UFC Hall of Fame, care of his UFC 165 classic with Jon Jones. He’ll go down as one of the great “what ifs” of MMA — what if “That Mauler” had come along at a time that didn’t have Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier? Because second fiddle is a bummer, being the third wheel is even worse.
Gustafsson may not necessarily retire here, but any fights he takes from here on out should be looked at as entertainment. There’s no need to feed him to young, hungry fighters, though the UFC will likely try to anyway. Still, let’s go a different route here: Ed Herman has been around the UFC forever — since 2006, anyway. He holds the active record for the longest uninterrupted stint with the company. He recently had a three-fight win streak snapped, and pulled out of a fight back in February. If “Short Fuse” is good to go, match these two up.
Gustafsson’s next fight: Ed Herman
Hannah Goldy
Women’s strawweight Hannah Goldy just joined Luana Carolina in the Meatball Molly Highlight Reel Club. Once again, McCann pulled off a spinning back elbow at the O2 Arena in London. This time, it set up the TKO finish rather than knocking Goldy out gold, but the end result was the same. Face down on the canvas was not where Goldy wanted to be.
Goldy is now 1-4 in the UFC, with her lone win coming over Emily Whitmire, who is no longer with the promotion. Goldy may suffer the same fate after this loss, but if they keep her around, a fight with the loser of September’s Gillian Robertson vs. Melissa Gatto fight should give Goldy a bit of time to recover from that elbow. Plus, Goldy and Robertson have a history, with Gillian beating her outside the UFC.
Goldy’s next fight: Robertson-Gatto loser
Paul Craig
Paul Craig lost a unanimous decision against Volkan Oezdemir at UFC London. This was his first defeat since his knockout loss to Alonzo Menifeld in 2019. After that loss, he is 5-1-1 including wins over Shogun Rua, Jamahal Hill, and Nikita Krylov. Craig is a dominant grappler but struggles somewhat with his striking. Oezdemir was able to stay on his feet and outstrike Craig for all three rounds. In his next fight, Craig should look to fight a big-name grappler in the light heavyweight division.
Craig will likely be ranked right outside the top ten when the rankings are updated. In his next fight, he should give Nikita Krylov a rematch. Krylov finished Alexander Gustafsson in the first round at UFC London. Krylov is a great all-around fighter having double-digit wins by submission and knockout. He is 1-0 since his loss to Craig in March and is currently ranked right outside the top ten.
Craig’s next fight: rematch with Nikita Krylov
