How Shauna Bannon recovered from 'head kick from hell' to snatch UFC London victory - 'No giving up in me'

Shauna Bannon looked to be staring defeat in the face as she was floored with a head kick in the second round of her UFC Fight Night London strawweight match against Puja Tomar on Saturday. However, 'Mama B' was able to turn the match on its head just a minute later to claim victory. Watch and stream UFC Fight Night London on TNT Sports and discovery+.

A stunning recovery from Shauna Bannon lit up the early prelims at UFC Fight Night London as she recovered from a brutal head kick to submit Puja Tomar in a matter of seconds.

With two minutes and 45 seconds remaining in the second round of their strawweight bout, Indian fighter Tomar caught Bannon with a shin to the side of the head, dropping the Irish fighter to the canvas.

Fans and observers inside the O2 Arena seemed to think the fight was about to end with the commentary team of Michael Bisping, John Gooden and Paul Felder ready to call it.

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"I thought it was over," said Bisping.

"Bannon battles on," said Gooden, adding: "Tomar unleashed a head kick from hell."

However, prone Bannon was able to respond immediately from the floor by locking in an armbar, taking her opponent down, and leading to a submission.

"Shaunna Bannon, turns it around here in London," exclaimed Gooden.

"What a turn of events. She’d been dropped with the head kick," added Felder.

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Speaking to TNT Sports after the fight, 'Mama B' explained her thought process in that moment to battle back for the win.

"What can I do to recover from this?" she admitted thinking. "When I had the guard, got back to full guard, and climbed my arm up, I could kind of feel it in her, like she was giving up.

"Like, I had the armbar, it wasn’t fully on, but I could feel it was taking out of her.

"Even a couple of times in the fight, she kind of went and came back, went and came back and I could see that in her, whereas there was no giving up in me.

"Whatever it took, I was going to go to the end."

Bannon stresses ‘I was never giving up’ after recovering from brutal kick

Video credit: TNT Sports

Told that judges had potentially scored the first round in favour of Tomar, Bannon was even more pleased with how she was able to finish the fight.

"So I needed that finish," Bannon said. "Ok, I’m surprised at that."

She added: "I think unless you go out there and dominate, it’s up to the judges so you have to make sure you get a finish."

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