The 3 stars of ‘UFC Fight Night 84: Silva vs. Bisping' in London

The UFC plans to stage at least 40 events in 2016, and during that time, hundreds of fighters will enter and exit the octagon.

While pre-fight hype is an enjoyable aspect of the sport, it’s ultimately the in-cage performances that speak most to fans. For the majority of fighters, the opportunity to present their skills to the world only comes along a few times per year.

A total of 26 fighters got the chance on Saturday as part of UFC Fight Night 84 at The O2 in London. Now that the event is in the books, it’s time to commence MMAjunkie’s “Three Stars” ceremony.

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Third Star: Teemu Packalen

Teemu Packalen (8-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) scored the lone submission victory at UFC Fight Night 84. And in terms of UFC lightweight competition, it was a fairly historic one.

The Finnish fighter needed just 24 seconds to rock Thibault Gouti (11-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) with a big strike then proceed to lock up a rear-naked choke for the third fastest submission victory in the history of the UFC’s 155-pound division.

It was a “Performance of the Night” worthy stoppage that will surely make Packalen’s first UFC victory an unforgettable one.

Second Star: Scott Askham

The most gruesome moment at UFC Fight Night 84 was provided by Scott Askham (14-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) when the English-born middleweight landed a brutal second-round head kick knockout against Chris Dempsey (11-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC).

Dempsey had been knocked out in both of his prior UFC losses so Askham knew there was an opening for a finish if he could time the proper strike. That blow came in the second round when he teed up a perfectly placed kick on an already hurt opponent that sent Dempsey crashing the mat in highlight-reel fashion.

Askham was also awarded a $50,000 bonus for his effort and managed to keep his UFC career going on his home turf.

First Star: Michael Bisping

It’s time for Michael Bisping (28-7 MMA, 18-7 UFC) to get the title shot he’s worked so hard and so long for.

After beating former UFC champ Anderson Silva (33-7 MMA, 16-3 UFC) by unanimous decision, “The Count” has the second most wins in UFC history and the most victories in middleweight history. He’s riding a three-fight winning streak and the win over Silva was undoubtedly the most significant of his career.

Bisping’s victory didn’t come without punishment. He was nearly knocked out in a controversial moment at the end of the third round and encountered several other moments during the five-round fight where “The Spider” had him in trouble.

The longtime UFC veteran showed tremendous resolve, though, and battled back from every shaky moment to outpoint Silva for what will go down as one of his career-defining victories.

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 84, check out the UFC Events section of the site.