Saturday’s UFC London event featured an explosive lightweight showdown between Mason Jones and the previously unbeaten Axel Sola that left both competitors battered and bloodied.
Jones secured a unanimous decision victory with scorecards reading 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28, pushing his professional record to 18-2. The intense battle resulted in both athletes exiting the cage covered in blood from numerous cuts sustained throughout the contest.
The opening round saw Jones hit the canvas after absorbing a spinning elbow strike, followed by several more significant strikes. While Jones suffered facial lacerations above his right eye and beneath his nose, Sola (11-1-1) endured the worse damage with at least three cuts leaving him drenched in blood by the fight’s conclusion.
“I just like fighting people. Axel wanted to fight. I took it to him,” Jones stated after his victory. “I opened him up. There was fear in his eyes at the end of the first round. There was fear in his eyes in the end.”
In another notable bout, featherweight Nathaniel Wood (11-3) extended his winning streak to four fights by handing Losene Keita his first professional defeat via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28). Keita had maintained a perfect 5-0 record over the previous three years and now holds an overall mixed martial arts record of 16-2.
Welterweight competitor Michael Page (25-3) expressed frustration about his card placement and relatively unknown opponent before defeating Sam Patterson (14-3-1) by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28). The fighter known as “MVP” faced criticism on social media for what many considered a lackluster performance.
“It’s getting more and more difficult when nobody really wants to engage. Everyone’s on the back foot,” Page explained. “He knew how to frustrate me by not wanting to engage. It’s more difficult to fight somebody that doesn’t want to fight than fight someone difficult that wants to fight.”
Light heavyweight prospect Iwo Baraniewski (8-0) delivered a spectacular knockout victory over former NFL defensive lineman Austen Lane, connecting with a swift left hook followed by a barrage of right hands to end the fight in just 28 seconds. Lane (13-8) appeared stunned and was forced backward without throwing a single strike before the referee intervened with Lane on his back seeking cover.
Baraniewski, who earned his UFC contract through the Contender Series, may be positioned for a higher-profile opponent in his next appearance following his impressive showing and his memorable December battle with Ibo Aslan at UFC 323.
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady (16-4) captured his inaugural UFC victory with a 30-27 unanimous decision triumph over Shem Rock (12-3-1). Al-Selwady dropped Rock with a powerful overhand right in the opening round, though Rock quickly recovered and attempted to grapple. Rock continued pressing forward and made contact after the round ended, barely avoiding a retaliatory strike before being escorted to his corner.
