The UFC returned to London, England Saturday night and while it wasn’t the most star-studded card on paper, the event certainly delivered in terms of action.
The event established the next title challenger at light heavyweight and catapulted someone into the title picture at 155 pounds.
Furthermore, a perennial contender at lightweight may have seen his last opportunity to put himself into title contention as a new breed seems to be overtaking the division.
Check out the biggest winner and losers from UFC Fight Night: London.
BIGGEST WINNER
Alexander Gustafsson – “The Mauler” was expected to steamroll the undefeated, unranked Jimi Manuwa on Saturday and that’s exactly what happened.
Gustafsson showed off his newly improved grappling skills and always dangerous striking en route to an early round 2 TKO.
Gustafsson’s callout of Jones probably wasn’t completely necessary since it’s the rematch fans have been clamoring for since late last year. That doesn’t mean the fans didn’t enjoy it.
WINNER
Michael Johnson – After back-to-back losses to Myles Jury and Reza Madadi, “The Menace” has now rattled off three straight victories over household names.
He showcased his ever-evolving striking against dangerous power puncher Melvin Guillard this weekend, in a bout that looked like Johnson’s to lose. A top 5 opponent makes sense for his next Octagon outing.
WINNER
Gunnar Nelson – The submission wizard decimated a thoroughly overmatched Omari Akhmedov, showcasing brutal ground-and-pound before finishing with a slick guillotine choke.
Despite a 13-month layoff mostly due to injuries, Nelson showed no ring rust whatsoever and remains one of the welterweight division’s most intriguing prospects. A top 10 opponent wouldn’t be out of the question already.
WINNER
Ilir Latifi – “The Sledgehammer” earns a spot on this list by winning in with a rarely-seen ninja choke at UFC Fight Night 38.
While Latifi was easily picked apart by Gegard Mousasi in his UFC debut in April, he has actually won four of his past five fights and may have plenty of UFC fights left in him.
BIGGEST LOSER
Melvin Guillard – A dark horse lightweight title contender for years, “The Young Assassin’s” days inside the Octagon may be number after a clear cut decision loss to Michael Johnson.
The explosive power puncher is a paltry 2-5(1) in his past eight fights and has never broken through and taken out a top 10 opponent after seemingly countless opportunities.
While he may deserve another fight or two inside the Octagon, Guillard will never advance beyond a gatekeeper at this point in his career.
LOSER
Phil Harris – The journeyman flyweight fighter is 1-3 under the UFC banner and has been finished in all three losses.
After getting submitted by Louis Gaudinot on Saturday, it looks like a foregone conclusion that Harris will be handed his walking papers.
LOSER
Brad Scott – The English youngster is 1-2 during his UFC tenure, though he has been fairly entertaining and competitive in each contest.
While he likely will get at least one more matchup inside the world’s premiere mixed martial arts organization, the 24-year-old is a ways off from being a relevant name on the UFC roster.
LOSER
Jimi Manuwa – After 14 straight wins, “Poster Boy” was badly outmatched against Alexander Gustafsson and the fight went exactly how everyone expected it to.
Nevertheless, Manuwa can be brought back slowly and even at 34 years old, can eventually be a force in the UFC’s 205-pound title picture.