5 most explosive moments from UFC Fight Night: Derek Brunson vs. Darren Till

#4. Derek Brunson thoroughly shuts down Darren Till in the headliner

Derek Brunson impressed by finishing Darren Till in last night's main event

Last night’s UFC main event between Derek Brunson and Darren Till was a highly anticipated bout. But despite Till hoping to cement himself as a title contender with a win, it was Brunson who ended up winning in a largely one-sided fashion.

Early on, it looked like ‘The Gorilla’ had the edge thanks to his speed and striking skill. However, once Brunson began to fire takedowns at him, Till didn’t have many answers.

Despite his best efforts, the native of Liverpool simply couldn’t handle being taken down and bullied by a larger man.

We saw a similar scenario unfold in Brunson’s last fight, as he edged a decision win over Kevin Holland. This time, however, the veteran clearly came to finish.

After taking Till down in the third round, he passed into full mount and forced ‘The Gorilla’ to give his back. He then slapped on a tight rear-naked choke to force the submission.

DOMINATION 😳💢 @DerekBrunson calls for a rematch with the champ after submitting Till. #UFCVegas36 pic.twitter.com/0q8dzG2z2u

— UFC (@ufc) September 4, 2021

This wasn’t a traditionally explosive finish – particularly not by Brunson’s standards – but it was highly impressive nonetheless.

Brunson may need another win before a shot at Israel Adesanya, but this was still an excellent victory for him.

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#3. Tom Aspinall shows why he’s the UFC heavyweight division’s hottest prospect

Tom Aspinall wasted little time in dealing with late replacement opponent Sergey Spivak

Coming into last night’s show, Tom Aspinall had garnered plenty of hype as the UFC heavyweight division’s hottest prospect. With three UFC wins and three finishes to his name, it was easy to see why.

Aspinall was initially pegged to fight Sergei Pavlovich at last night’s show, but a late switch saw him face Sergey Spivak instead. Not that this change ended up mattering at all to the Liverpool native.

Aspinall simply looked too aggressive and too heavy-hitting for his Moldovan opponent. It didn’t take long for him to find a fourth nasty finish in the octagon.

OHHHHH! Tom Aspinall JUST DID THAT 😳 #UFCVegas36 pic.twitter.com/60i3MrTXUo

— UFC (@ufc) September 4, 2021

Spivak attempted a takedown, only for Aspinall to stop him dead and then level him with a crushing elbow to the head. Aspinall quickly pounced for the finish, and unsurprisingly, Spivak simply couldn’t recover before the fight was stopped.

Aspinall came into this fight ranked at #13, but he’ll surely move upwards after a performance like this. Given the nature of the division, he could find himself in title contention sooner rather than later.