Everything you need to know about UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall

ACC UFC contributor Felix Heath-Collins with everything you need to know ahead of UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall.

After a year of COVID delays, the UFC's London fight night finally goes down this weekend, and it's overflowing with incredible fights! Let's dig into some of the best.

In the main event towering Russian heavyweight kickboxer Alexander "Drago" Volkov faces top British boxing prospect Tom Aspinall.

Alexander "Drago" Volkov (34-9) (wins-losses) is a veteran Karate kickboxer with a pro MMA career dating back to 2009. In the time since, Volkov has competed for top promotions like M-1 Global, Bellator, and, since late 2016, the UFC. A dominating Russian force who more than lives up to his "Drago" namesake from Rocky, Volkov fought his way to heavyweight championships in both M-1 Global and Bellator MMA before making his UFC debut. In the UFC, "Drago" has KO/TKO finishes over Stefan "The Skyscraper" Struve (via punches), Fabrício Werdum (via punches), Walt "The Big Ticket" Harris (via body kick), and Alistair "The Demolition Man" Overeem (via punch combo). Volkov's fighting style relies on his fluid karate kickboxing style and is founded upon his black belt in Tsu Shin Gen (Karate) and brown belt in Kyokushin Karate, plus an emergency backup in his Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) brown belt.

The fresh-faced Tom Aspinall (11-2) is in stark contrast to the weathered veteran Alexander Volkov. Five years younger than Volkov at 28, Tom Aspinall represents both the modern wave of MMA boxers (alongside Petr Yan or Calvin Kattar), and the new guard of British fighters (alongside Darren "Gorilla" Till and Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett). A super-fast heavyweight that spars with Irish heavyweight boxing champion Tyson "The Gypsy King" Fury, Tom Aspinall's hands are very dangerous, indeed.

This one's pretty damn close, on paper at least. Maybe Volkov's lifelong Karate/kickboxing experience will earn him a veteran's victory. Or maybe Apsinall's quicksilver fists and footwork will end this headliner quickly. Whichever way it swings, this is an essential fight for the future of the heavyweight division. Either Volkov makes his way toward a third pro MMA belt, or Aspinall proves his reputation as heavyweight's killer of kings.

The co-main event is the only fight that truly matters to Kiwi fans. That's because British veteran "Almighty" Arnold Allen defends his home-turf against the invading Aucklander Dan "The Hangman" Hooker.

"Almighty" Arnold Allen (17-1) joined the UFC's featherweight division a year after Dan Hooker did, but the two never encountered each other. And, by 2017, 6'0" Dan Hooker had moved up a division to lightweight. 5'8" Arnold Allen stayed at featherweight while staying undefeated in the UFC, where he collected victories over the likes of Makwan "Mr. Finland" Amirkhani (via split decision), Mads Burnell (via front choke), Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez (via unanimous decision), Nik "The Carny" Lentz (via unanimous decision), and "Super" Sodiq Yusuff (via unanimous decision). Arnold Allen is reliable and consistent, with similar wins throughout his professional MMA career, and, most notably, only a single loss in his time as a pro (via unanimous decision). Allen's consistent style, fight approach, and win-streak are his most valued assets, while simultaneously being his greatest flaws.

Where Arnold Allen is impressively consistent, his opponent Dan "The Hangman" Hooker (21-11) is dangerously violent and unpredictable. At the start of his UFC career as a featherweight, Dan Hooker lost as often as he won. Upon moving up to lightweight, however, Hooker began eliminating his competition. Hooker began as a lightweight in the UFC with KO/TKO's against Ross "The Real Deal" Pearson (via knee), Marc Diakiese (via guillotine choke), Jim "A-10" Miller (via knee), and Gilbert Burns (via punches). A beatdown from Muay Thai kickboxing legend Edson "Junior" Barboza followed, before Hooker beat James Vick (via ground and pound TKO), "Ragin'" Al Iaquinta (via unanimous decision) and Paul "The Irish Dragon" Felder (via split decision). Losses to Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier and "Iron" Michael Chandler followed, before a unanimous decision win over Nasrat Haqparast and another loss, this time to an Islam Makhachev Kimura. Now, once again, Dan Hooker looks to compete down at featherweight. Hooker's City Kickboxing Muay Thai style of striking is evident in the way he fights. He's an elite feinter, and trap-setter with a deceptively long reach and a knockout power that comes more from skill than from raw force. In simple terms, it's very obvious that Hooker spent so much time warring it out in his sparring sessions with middleweight champion Israel "The Last Stylebender" Adesanya. They both fight ferociously, but never forcefully.

Surely it's not favouritism to say I believe Dan Hooker's intangibles should allow him to overcome Arnold Allen's tangibles. I'm talking things like heart, willpower, endurance, grit, pain tolerance, reflex. Hooker has it all. But he's a ball of chaos. Allen's greatest asset is that he wins, consistently. Hopefully, chaos reins this weekend.

Further down the main card also watch out for top British lightweight prospect Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett (17-3) who faces Rodrigo "Kazula" Vargas (12-4). Plus there's some legitimate heat brewing in the main card opener between Jai Herbert and Ilia Topuria. Don't miss that dose of violence.

UFC London finally goes down this Sunday for us here in New Zealand, with the main card starting at an early and UK-friendly time of 9:00 AM, while the prelims begin a few hours earlier at 6:00 AM. This wouldn't be the fight night to rain-check. It'll be great, I guarantee it. Enjoy!