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Last night (Sat., July 27, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ventured forth to the Co-Op Live in Manchester, England for UFC 304. The first visit back to Manchester in many years brought with it a pair of title fights, provided you buy into the idea that Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes was a real title fight (whatever that means). Elsewhere on the card, top English talents like Paddy Pimblett, Arnold Allen, and Muhammad Mokaev were on display, making for a fun night in the UK.

Despite the fights taking place at a brutal local hour, the crowd remained pretty hype too! Let’s take a look back over at UFC 304’s best performances and techniques:

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Muhammad Grinds His Way To Gold

Belal Muhammad really lived up to his pre-fight promises.

He took the fight to Leon Edwards from the first bell. There was no waiting around to get high kicked at range. Instead, he pressed with good combinations and surprisingly fast jabs to work Edwards to the fence, where his double leg proved wildly powerful. Time and time again, he was able to run through the former champion with powerful double legs, including one spike in the second round that could have easily put “Rocky” to sleep.

Once on the mat, the fight wasn’t all that fun, but Muhammad did what was necessary to control Edwards. He even advanced position and took the back several times. It was a clear-cut, dominant win for Muhammad, and he never looked to be in too much trouble at any point in the 25-minute contest.

On the flip side, this was a poor showing from Edwards. For a couple minutes in the first round, Edwards looked like his usual sniper self, ripping left kicks, knees, and combinations. Outside of that small period, however, Edwards routinely let himself be walked into the fence and just couldn’t seem to wake up for more than brief moments. The flurry of elbows in the final 30 seconds of the fight was nice, but it was far too little and far too late.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Too Fast, Too Powerful

If somebody goes back and counts the strikes landed in the first 45 seconds of Curtis Blaydes vs. Tom Aspinall, “Razor” was probably ahead. He landed a couple stiff shots and was active with his hands, but the simple difference in hand speed and power was monumental.

When Aspinall did land, everyone felt it. A seriously powerful jab floored Blaydes in an instant, and there’s no recovering when a hyper athletic, 260-pound beast is wailing away. The referee was forced to intervene at just the 60-second mark, and thus, Aspinall secured the first defense of his interim title.

How can Jon Jones argue that he should fight anyone else with a straight face?

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Pimblett Brings Manchester Back To Life

UFC 304 really needed Paddy Pimblett vs. Bobby Green to deliver. Specifically, the fatigued Manchester crowd desperately needed some entertainment after seven straight fights going to a decision. Some of those fights were good, sure, but by 5 A.M. the fans were getting a little desperate.

Love him or hate him, Pimblett delivered. His walkout woke the crowd back up, then his actual performance was surprisingly … great? Pimblett, looking a weight class bigger than Green, established range really well with his footwork and kicks. He didn’t walk into straight shots or give Green an easy target. Which Green tried to press him, Pimblett kept his composure and showed counters to back him off.

“King” tried to adjust with a takedown attempt … and immediately landed in two submissions! Pimblett’s guard has always been one of his best assets, and that dangerous submission game was on display here. Green hasn’t been submitted since 2009 and has fought plenty of black belts in the last 15 years, so it’s quite a feather in Pimblett’s cap.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Allen Pressures The Kicker

Arnold Allen put on a textbook display of how to fight an excellent kicker.

It’s not easy to pressure a man like Giga Chikadze. The guy fires his shin like its a shotgun, and he reacts to aggression with combinations of power punches. Actually, his jab looked especially sharp in this match up too. Allen was forced to walk through all of the above in pursuit of the pocket, and subsequently, he took a good bit of damage in the first five minutes.

It paid off, however. It’s exhausting to run around the outside of the Octagon and blast power kicks. When Chikadze’s feet started slowing just a bit, he was more willing to exchange with Allen. That’s where Allen’s piston of a left hand shined through, busting the nose of Chikadze and slowly shifting the momentum into the “Almighty” corner.

By the third, Allen was straight up teeing off on Chikadze, who didn’t look nearly as crisp or threatening. Given another round or two, the Englishman may have been able to force a finish. As it stands, he scores a much-needed win and proves that he’s still a top-tier Featherweight contender.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Manel Kape vs. Muhmmad Mokaev

was awful. I’ve seen worse fights (barely), but I cannot remember one more annoying. All the pre-fight antics and build up for an absolute nothingburger? Pitiful. Honestly, all of the televised ESPN “Prelims” were somewhat underwhelming compared to the earliest portion of the card, but this was particularly bad.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Additional Thoughts

• Modestas Bukauskas defeats Marcin Prachnio via third-round arm triangle choke: This was a really fun fight! Bukauskas consistently demonstrated that he was the better, more technical fighter, but Prachnio never gave up and kept trying to force a chance in momentum. The Polish striker landed some heavy kicks — including a sneaky close-range high kick! — but Bukauskas won the majority of the exchanges with some heavy shots upstairs, and he proved himself the better grappler repeatedly. Really, the final exchange was a good microcosm of the whole fight: Prachnio sprinted towards Bukauskas to land some wild shots, but he still couldn’t stop the Lithuanian from taking him down and scoring a strangle moments later. Since returning to the UFC, Bukauskas is 3-1 and could be knocking on the door of the Top 15.
• Sam Patterson defeats Kiefer Crosbie via first-round arm triangle choke (highlights): This was a rout. Crosbie looked small for 170-pounds, and he didn’t find much success in denying Patterson’s takedowns. Once on top, Patterson advanced position and attacked the neck quickly, giving a nice demonstration of how to finish an arm-triangle choke properly.
• Mick Parkin defeats Lukasz Brzeski via first-round knockout (highlights): Parkin got the night started off right! In his fourth straight UFC win, Parkin boxed up Brzeski, sticking him with hard jabs then building combinations and catching his opponent’s head high up. A training partner of Aspinall, Parkin has genuinely fast hands for a Heavyweight, and his boxing helps him stand out from the Heavyweight pack. Perhaps he’s ready for a ranked opponent next?

For complete UFC 304: “Edwards vs. Muhammad” results and play-by-play, click HERE!

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Reminder: We will deliver live round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of UFC 304’s entire five-fight pay-per-view (PPV) main card RIGHT HERE, beginning at 10 p.m. ET.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heads to Manchester, England, and the newly constructed Co-op live, for UFC 304 mixed martial arts (MMA) event TONIGHT (Sat., July 27, 2024), streamed LIVE on ESPN+ PPV. UFC 304 sees the UK’s Leon Edwards in the main event slot. He will be defending his Welterweight title against Belal Muhammad, who he fought to a “No Contest” (due to an eye poke) in 2021. The co-main has another Brit, with Tom Aspinall performing the unusual duty of defending an interim title. Curtis Blaydes — who beat Aspinall (due to a knee injury) in 2022 — will be vying for that Heavyweight belt.

UFC 304’s “Prelims” are pretty stacked this night, for a change. Londoner Nathaniel Wood will take on veteran Daniel Pineda in the featured “Prelims” bout. This portion of the card will also include fan favorite (and potential champ?) Molly McCann fighting Bruna Brasil. Meanwhile, UFC 304‘s early “Prelims” include potential Flyweight contenders Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape.

So, before UFC 304’s PPV action began live at 10 p.m. ET this evening, MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of the entire UFC 304 “Prelims” undercard below, beginning with the first fight at 6:15 p.m. ET on ESPN+ (ESPN2 will simulcast the undercard action at 8 p.m. ET). We will then cover UFC 304’s PPV main card in a separate thread right here, beginning at 10 p.m. ET.

UFC 304 START TIME AND DATE

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 304 fight card below, starting with the ESPN+ early “Prelims” undercard bouts that air at 6:15 p.m. ET , followed by the late “Prelims”on ESPN2/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET. UFC 304’s PPV main card started at 10 p.m ET. on ESPN+ PPV, with play-by-play updates here. You can bet on all the UFC 304 action with our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook right here.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps, and post-fight analysis following “Edwards vs. Belal 2.” Without further delay, see below for the updated UFC 304 results. (Note: This will go from the top down; therefore, the newest information will at the top of the stream).

UFC 304 QUICK RESULTS

170 lbs.: Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad
265 lbs.: Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes
155 lbs.: Bobby Green vs. Paddy Pimblett
185 lbs.: Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Gregory Rodrigues
145 lbs.: Arnold Allen vs. Giga Chikadze
145 lbs.: Nathaniel Wood vs. Daniel Pineda
115 lbs.: Molly McCann vs. Bruna Brasil — Brasil def. Molly McCann via (30-27, 30-27. 29-28)
135 lbs.: Caolan Loughran vs. Jake Hadley — Hadley def. Loughran via (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
125 lbs.: Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape — Mokaev def. Kape via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27))
170 lbs.: Oban Elliott vs. Preston Parsons — Elliott def. Parsons via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
205 lbs.: Modestas Bukauskas vs. Marcin Prachnio — Bukauskas def. Prachnio via submission (arm triangle choke), round 3 (3:12)
170 lbs.: Sam Patterson vs. Kiefer Crosbie — Patterson def. Crosbie via submission (arm triangle choke), round 1 (2:50) — HIGHLIGHTS!
265 lbs.: Mick Parkin vs. Lukasz Brzeski — Parkin def. Brzeski via TKO (punches), round 1 (3:23) — HIGHLIGHTS!
115 lbs.: Shauna Bannon vs. Alice Ardelean — Bannon def. Ardelean via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

UFC 304 ‘PRELIMS’ PLAY-BY-PLAY UPDATES

Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 304 news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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UFC 304 results, live streaming pay-per-view (PPV) updates for ESPN’s main card. Checkout what happens as Leon Edwards defends his Welterweight crown against Belal Muhammad and so much more.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is in Merry Old England, Manchester’s Co-Op live to be specific, with UFC 304 mixed martial arts (MMA) event TONIGHT (Sat., July 27, 2024), streamed LIVE on ESPN+ PPV. The UK fans will have plenty to root for in the main and co-main events (which might make up for the 4 a.m local start time there). They have Leon Edwards in the headliner defending his Welterweight title against Belal Muhammad (no love lost between this two, by the way). Before that, Tom Aspinall (who has been doing some unusual training for this) will defend his interim Heavyweight belt against Curtis Blaydes. These are both rematches of fights with weird endings. Hopefully there are no eye pokes or ACL injuries this night.

There are top Brits among the rest of the main card fights, too. Paddy Pimblett will be searching for the best win of his career when he faces the heavy hitting King Green (that’s Bobby Green to Pimblett). Arnold Allen and Giga Chikadze will be hoping to regain some momentum at Featherweight. And there could be a fire fight on our hands when Christian Leroy Duncan meets Gregory Rodrigues.

The “Prelims” included Nathaniel Wood vs. Daniel Pineda, Molly McCann vs. Bruna Brasil and Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape. You can check out everything that happened on UFC 304’s “Prelims” here.

UFC 304 START TIME AND DATE

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 304 fight card below, starting with the ESPN+ early “Prelims” undercard bouts which air at 6:15 p.m. ET right here, followed by the late “Prelims” on ESPN2/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET. UFC 304’s PPV main card started at 10 p.m ET on ESPN+ PPV. You can bet on all the UFC 304 action with our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook right here.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps, and post-fight analysis following “Edwards vs. Belal 2.” Without further delay, see below for the updated UFC 304 results. (Note: This will go from the top down; therefore, the newest information will at the top of the stream).

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

UFC 304 QUICK RESULTS

170 lbs.: Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad
265 lbs.: Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes
155 lbs.: Bobby Green vs. Paddy Pimblett
185 lbs.: Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Gregory Rodrigues
145 lbs.: Arnold Allen vs. Giga Chikadze
145 lbs.: Nathaniel Wood vs. Daniel Pineda
115 lbs.: Molly McCann vs. Bruna Brasil
135 lbs.: Caolan Loughran vs. Jake Hadley
205 lbs.: Modestas Bukauskas vs. Marcin Prachnio
170 lbs.: Oban Elliott vs. Preston Parsons
125 lbs.: Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape
170 lbs.: Sam Patterson vs. Kiefer Crosbie
265 lbs.: Mick Parkin vs. Lukasz Brzeski
115 lbs.: Shauna Bannon vs. Alice Ardelean

UFC 304 PPV MAIN CARD PLAY-BY-PLAY UPDATES

Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 304 news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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Paddy Pimblett isn’t going anywhere after all.

The rising lightweight star has officially signed a new UFC contract ahead of his main card scrap with Bobby Green later tonight (Sat., July 27, 2024) at UFC 304 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Co-op Live in Manchester, England. Pimblett was entering this weekend with one fight left on his current deal.

“The Baddy” announced his UFC re-signing during a recent episode of UFC 304 “Embedded.” Check it out below:

“New contract signed,” said Pimblett. “I’m not going nowhere.”

Pimblett, who enters his third-straight PPV main card appearance later tonight at UFC 304, is one of the biggest English stars on the roster today. He may have encountered a few obstacles throughout his UFC career, but “The Baddy” is 5-0 inside of the Octagon and looks to be getting more and more confident each time he competes.

This weekend will be a huge test for the 29-year-old as he goes up against “King” in Manchester. Green is one of the savviest veterans in the lightweight division today and a guy who always delivers in big-time spots. It’s going to be up to Pimblett to shut him down early, find the finish, and prove why UFC made a good decision re-signing him.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 304 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN2/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 304: “Edwards vs. Muhammad 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 304 fight card and PPV lineup click here.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to the pay-per-view (PPV) market later TONIGHT (Sat., July 27, 2024) on ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Co-op Live in Manchester, England. Headlining UFC 304 is a Welterweight title fight between division kingpin, Leon Edwards, and top-ranked contender, Belal Muhammad. In UFC 304’s co-main event, interim Heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, will defend the strap against Curtis Blaydes, with the winner earning an undisputed title shot next.

What’s Hot:

It took awhile, but Muhammad finally earned his much-desired title fight and rematch against Edwards. The two initially threw down in March 2021, with the fight resulting in a “No Contest” after Muhammad suffered an inadvertent eye poke that left him rendered unable to continue. Three years later, he gets his chance to dethrone “Rocky.” Muhammad is unbeaten in his last 10 fights, while Edwards is perhaps the hottest fighter in the game — next to Alex Pereira — unbeaten in his last 12 fights. But, he’s done so in a subtle manner, not competing for 1.5 years. Now, he is out to remind everyone the reason(s) he is truly one of the best fighters in the world regardless of division.

Muhammad isn’t a pushover, not by a long shot, and their first fight was actually pretty competitive. The problem with “Remember The Name,” however, is that he simply doesn’t have a ton of finishes on his resume, racking up just two during his win streak. To some fight fans, that isn’t appealing, and if you don’t have the fans backing the spotlight will shine elsewhere. That said, Muhammad can turn it all around for himself if he can pull off the huge upset against “Rocky.” To do that, though, he will have to be on his “A” game because Edwards hasn’t shown any glaring weakness in his arsenal. In fact, he has shown to be one of the best in the world and sometimes doesn’t get the credit he truly deserves. If he can take out Muhammad rather convincingly, it will be the start to a potential run that can one day have him compared to the all-time greats Welterweight UFC champions.

What’s Not:

A Middleweight fight between Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Gregory Rodrigues somehow managed to get a spot on UFC 304’s PPV main card and it has me a bit perplexed. Sure, Duncan is 3-1 inside the Octagon and on a two-fight win streak, while “Robo Cop” is 4-1 in his last five inside the Octagon. But, if I’m paying big bucks for a PPV card, I don’t expect to see these two names in the middle of the main card. If it were a “Fight Night” event, I understand, but this a major PPV card. If the point is to sell, you won’t do it with these two names. Manel Kape vs. Muhammad Mokaev seemed like a better fit.

Original Card Vs. Actual Card:

Hecher Sosa withdrew from his scheduled fight against Caolan Loughran for reasons that were not revealed. He was hastily replaced by Jake Hadley, who missed weight by 1.5 pounds, resulting in a 20 percent fine that will go to Loughran. “The Don” is coming off his first UFC win, defeating Angel Pacheco in March of this year. As for Hadley, he is trying to earn a much-needed win after dropping back-to-back fights to Cody Durden and Charles Johnson.

Injuries:

Ravena Oliveira suffered an undisclosed injury that forced her out of her scheduled women’s Bantamweight bout against Shauna Bannon. As a result, she was replaced by UFC newcomer (and TikTok star), Alice Ardelean.

New Blood:

Ardelean — who is best known for her TikTok’s — got an unexpected call up to the big leagues to make her UFC debut on just a few weeks notice. She will take on Shauna Bannon, putting up her five-fight win streak on the line. It’s a win streak she started in 2016, shortly after suffering a submission loss to Weili Zhang on the regional circuit. As for Bannon, she came up short in her own UFC debut, losing to Bruna Brasil, snapping her five-fight win streak. Much was made about Ardelean getting the nod, now she has a chance to prove her doubters wrong on the big stage.

How The ‘Prelims’ Look:

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape have been at each others’ throats all fight week (literally), since the two men have a hatred that runs deep. They allegedly got into a fist fight earlier this year at UFC’s Performance Institute in Las Vegas, Nevada, and they have been going at it ever since. Earlier this week, they got into yet another brawl when they crossed paths at the fighter hotel. During weigh ins, Mokaev threw a water bottle at Kape, but now it’s time to make it official. Mokaev currently sits at No. 6 on the official rankings and has won all six of his UFC fights, bringing his record to 12-0-1. One more win puts him into the Top 5 and closer to a title shot. As for Kape, after losing his first two fights under UFC’s banner, he turned it around by winning four straight, good enough to put him at No. 8. The former Rizin Bantamweight champion is now eyeing a jump into the Top 5, and a win over Mokaev gets him there. This fight belongs on the main card!

Nathaniel Wood’s three-fight win streak and momentum was snapped after he ran into Muhammad Naimov at UFC 294. It was a huge blow to the British brawler’s hopes of cracking the Top 15, which is something that seemed to be a given for him early on in his UFC career. But, six years in, he has yet to accomplish that feat. Now, he is out to get back into the win column when he battles Daniel Pineda, who is coming off a loss to Alex Caceres. Pineda is a scrappy opponent who, if given the chance, can ruin an opponent’s night in a hurry because all of his 28 wins have come via stoppage.

In Welterweight action, Oban Elliott will take on Preston Parsons. Currently on a six-fight win streak, Elliott won his UFC debut, defeating Valentine Woodburn via unanimous decision. Parson, meanwhile, has alternated wins and losses to the tune of a 2-2 record under the UFC banner. In another 170-pound tilt, Sam Patterson — who is 1-1 under the UFC banner — will take on Kiefer Crosbie, who came up short in his UFC debut by losing to Kevin Jousset with just 11 seconds remaining in the first round back in Sept. 2023.

Molly McCann got back into the win column after picking up a much-needed win over Diana Belbita earlier this year, snapping her two-fight losing streak. McCann has all of the energy in the world, but she can’t seem to control it to her advantage inside the cage (or use it, for that matter). She tends to get a bit overzealous, allowing her foes to use it against her. Her foe, Bruna Brasil, is just 1-2 inside the Octagon, but a win over “Meatball” will be the biggest of her career.

Undefeated Heavyweight prospect (9-0, 3-0 UFC), Mick Parkin, returns to the cage to face off against Lukasz Brzeski. Parkin has five knockouts in his resume, but he has yet to secure one inside the Octagon. That said, Parkin does have heavy hands, and he has shown to have a pretty complete game. As far as Brzeski is concerned, he scored his first win under the UFC banner by defeating Valter Walker via unanimous decision. Prior to that, he had lost all three of his fights inside the Octagon.

Kicking off the event is the long Light Heavyweight matchup as Modestas Bukauskas battles Marcin Prachnio. Bukauskas saw his four-fight win streak go out the window in his most recent fight, losing to Vitor Petrino via knockout in Nov. 2023. Prachnio, meanwhile, has been fighting for the promotion for six years now, but he failed to make much noise, racking up a 4-5 record in the span.

Who Needs A Win Badly:

Arnold Allen had, at one point, won 12 straight, including his first 10 fights inside the Octagon. Along the way, he earned big wins over the likes of Dan Hooker and Calvin Kattar, earning him a big fight against Max Holloway. A win would have earned him a title fight more than likely, instead a loss snapped his win streak that took him eight years to build. After that, he suffered his second straight defeat after running into Movsar Evloev. Now, he is eyeing a potential third straight loss when he goes up against Giga Chikadze, who has won 10 of his last 11 fights. Another loss won’t get Allen cut, but he needs it for his confidence moving forward.

Interest Level: 7/10

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

The co-main event features another rematch as Aspinall will face off against Blaydes, putting his interim Heavyweight title on the line in the process. The two men initially threw down back in July 2022 with the fight ending in rather anti-climactic fashion after Aspinall suffered a devastating knee injury seconds into the bout. Since then, he has undergone surgery, came back with a vengeance by securing a first-round knockout win over Marcin Tybura one year later, and followed it up with another first round knockout win over Sergei Pavlovich to win the interim strap. While he was determined to wait for a potential big-money title fight against Jon Jones, that’s a long time to be on the sidelines since “Bones” is in talks to fight Stipe Miocic sometime later this year. For now, he will look to get a win over Blaydes while keeping his interim strap intact.

As for Blaydes, he has gone 1-1 since his initial clash with Aspinall, losing to Sergei Pavlovich before bouncing back with a big knockout win over Jailton Almeida. He obviously wasn’t happy with how his first fight against Aspinall went down, and now is out to secure his first taste of UFC gold, all while stealing Aspinall’s title unification bout. Blaydes has the wrestling advantage here easy, but the towering Brit has some of the fastest hands when it comes to big men. This one could be tricky to predict.

One of the more intriguing non-title fights of the evening is the return of Paddy Pimblett against King Green, who is currently holding down the No. 15 spot. With a record of 3-1 in his last four fights inside the Octagon, King wants to jump up the ladder and get closer to a title shot, which is a long way away. Still, taking out “The Baddy” is a huge step in the right direction. But, it won’t be an easy task because Pimblett — who is currently un-ranked — is out to crash the Top 15 for the first time in his UFC career. He has always talked a good game — even if it’s not against his opponents — and so far he has backed it up, going perfect (5-0) inside the Octagon, improving his win streak to seven in a row. But, a win over Green is what will get him over the hump and into the Top 15 … maybe even the Top 10. This will undoubtedly be “The Baddy’s” biggest test to date, now it’s time to see if he can deliver seeing as how Green has a built-in advantage.

Enjoy the fights!

Full UFC 304 Fight Card:

UFC 304 Main Event On ESPN+ PPV:

170 lbs.: UFC Welterweight champion Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad 2

UFC 304 Co-Main Event On ESPN+ PPV:

265 lbs.: UFC Interim Heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes 2

UFC 304 Main Card On ESPN+ PPV (10 p.m. ET):

155 lbs.: Bobby Green vs. Paddy Pimblett
185 lbs.: Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Gregory Rodrigues
145 lbs.: Arnold Allen vs. Giga Chikadze

UFC 304 ‘Prelims’ Card On ESPN2, ESPN+ (8 p.m. ET):

125 lbs.: Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape
145 lbs.: Nathaniel Wood vs. Daniel Pineda
115 lbs.: Bruna Brasil vs. Molly McCann
135 lbs.: Caolan Loughran vs. Jake Hadley

UFC 304 Early ‘Prelims’ Card On ESPN+ (6 p.m. ET):

265 lbs.: Mick Parkin vs. Lukasz Brzeski
170 lbs.: Oban Elliott vs. Preston Parsons
170 lbs.: Sam Patterson vs. Kiefer Crosbie
135 lbs.: Shauna Bannon vs. Alice Ardelean
205 lbs.: Modestas Bukauskas vs. Marcin Prachnio

*Fight card, bout order and number of fights remain subject to change.*

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 304 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN2/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 304: “Edwards vs. Muhammad 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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Well, this is (still) odd …

UFC 304 goes down this weekend (Sat., July 27, 2024) from inside Co-op Live in Manchester, England, and is headlined by two big title fights. UFC Welterweight champion, Leon Edwards, defends his title for the third time as he takes on No. 2-ranked Belal Muhammad. In the pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event, interim Heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, defends against Curtis Blaydes.

Buried on the “Prelims” is a clear No. 1 contender fight for the next Flyweight title as No. 6-seeded Muhammad Mokaev takes on No. 8-ranked Manel Kape. As of last week, Mokaev vs. Kape was scheduled to take place on UFC 304’s PPV main card; however, the pivotal 125-pound clash was demoted earlier this week.

And it might be because of this … or this.

“I think they don’t like my style,” Mokaev told MMA on SiriusXM. “But, that’s why I have something I have to prove this fight. I need to show everything. Sometimes, I try to play safe, but it looks boring to the casual [fan]. I’m undefeated and I’ve won by unanimous decision against all the prime guys in the UFC.

“They have to understand this,” he finished.

In the same interview, Mokaev revealed that he is on the last fight of his UFC contract and hopes to renegotiate after UFC 304.

He’s not doing himself any favors.

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 304 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 304: “Edwards vs. Belal 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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We are just over 24 hours away from one of the most loaded events of the year as UFC 304 gets underway tomorrow night (Sat., July 27, 2024) live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Co-op Live in Manchester, England. It will feature two title fights and some of the fastest-rising contenders on the roster.

Leading the way will be a main event rematch pitting reigning UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards against streaking contender Belal Muhammad. Edwards is riding a 12-fight win streak and coming off two-straight title defenses, while “Remember The Name” has won his last nine trips to the cage. It is a massive matchup between two of the very best fighters in the world today.

Adding to the mix will be a co-headliner pitting interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall against veteran contender Curtis Blaydes. These two met back in 2022, but Aspinall ended up blowing out his knee in the opening seconds of the fight. This is a rematch two years in the making and a clash of the two best heavyweights in the world not named Jon Jones.

On Friday, UFC 304 fighters stepped on stage for final staredowns and one last chance to strike fear into their opponent. Some of them required instant security, while others were cordial. Check out the action below:

Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad 2

Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes 2

Paddy Pimblett vs. Bobby Green

Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 304 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN2/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 304: “Edwards vs. Muhammad 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 304 fight card and PPV lineup click here.

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UFC 304 is scheduled for this Sat. night (July 27, 2024) at Co-op Live in Manchester, England, and since the good ol’ U.S. of A. won the Revolutionary War, we get to call the shots. That means local fans (and UFC 304 fighters) will be pulling an all nighter to accommodate the pay-per-view (PPV) start time of 10 p.m. ET here in the states.

Sorry, Curtis.

UFC 304 will be headlined by the welterweight title fight pitting reigning 170-pound champion, Leon Edwards, against No. 2-ranked contender Belal Muhammad. In the UFC 304 co-main event, Tom Aspinall defends the interim heavyweight title opposite Curtis Blaydes; which like the main event, is a rematch from a prior contest that ended prematurely.

Local hero Paddy Pimblett also competes at UFC 304 against “King” Green.

Before we take a closer look at the UFC 304 PPV main card, which also features the middleweight collision between Christian Leroy Duncan and Gregory Rodrigues, as well as the featherweight fracas pitting Arnold Allen against Giga Chikadze, get a complete breakdown of all the UFC 304 odds and betting lines HERE.

Let’s talk shop.

170 lbs.: UFC Welterweight Champion Leon “Rocky” Edwards (22-3, 1 NC) vs. Belal “Remember the Name” Muhammad (23-3, 1 NC)

Leon Edwards is appearing in his fourth straight title fight and third straight title defense against … another wrestler. I can’t blame the matchmakers for that, it just happens to be the way the 170-pound division shakes out. You can argue that Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington are the best of the bunch, at least in terms of wrestling, and Belal Muhammad is not far behind, statistically speaking. He doesn’t share their collegiate credentials but “Remember the Name” has 34 takedowns in his UFC career and sports the second best takedown defense (93.3%) in the history of the division. Edwards already disposed of Usman (twice) and Covington despite being the betting underdog and will finally hold the favorite line at -260 against +210 for Muhammad. Edwards has gone 13 straight fights without a loss and does an outstanding job of mixing his wrestling with his striking. He’s also got championship cardio and comes from a strong gym at Team Renegade in Birmingham.

Simply put, he’s the total package.

Muhammad has been equally impressive over the last several years, shaking off a decision loss to Geoff Neal in early 2019 to rack up nine wins with one “No Contest” — the infamous eye poke of doom against Edwards at UFC Vegas 21. The one knock against Muhammad during that span is his inability to finish fights, going to the judges’ scorecards in 17 of his 23 wins. That said, his destruction of Sean Brady at UFC 280 proved that opponents need to remember the hands, as well as the name. To be fair, Edwards has not exactly been a finishing machine himself, going the distance in six of his last seven fights. I don’t think it’s a tremendous reach to suggest we’re in for another decision at UFC 304 and that will make wrestling even more important, simply because takedowns are weighed so heavily when scoring fights. Edwards has solid takedown defense and will be fighting from the southpaw stance, while also boasting a three-inch advantage in height along with a two-inch advantage in reach. That could pose a problem for Muhammad, who may get pieced up looking to get in close for the takedown.

Muhammad has been labeled boring on more than one occasion but regardless of whether or not you like his style, it’s effective and wins fights. I’m not sure it wins this one, however, because Edwards has proven he can withstand the division’s best wrestlers and let’s face it, he’s a much better striker than Muhammad. “Remember the Name” will certainly have his moments throughout the fight, I just don’t think they’ll be impressive enough to sway the cageside judges.

Prediction: Edwards def. Muhammad by decision

265 lbs.: UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Tom “Honey Badger” Aspinall (14-3) vs. Curtis “Razor” Blaydes (18-4, 1 NC)

UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall will do something rarely seen these days and that’s defend the substitute strap. Probably because the promotion is trying to sell tickets in Manchester and Aspinall is one of the most popular MMA fighters in the UK. It also helps that UFC CEO Dana White is hellbent on booking Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic for the promotion’s return to Madison Square Garden in November, so Aspinall would have been out of action for well over a year without the UFC 304 co-main event. “Honey Badger” was able to capture the interim title by clocking and dropping Russian monster Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295, a win that lost a little bit of its luster when Pavlovich followed that up with a lopsided loss to Alexander Volkov, especially considering how easily he was outboxed. That doesn’t take anything away from Aspinall, who continues to terrorize the heavyweight division with both his size and his skills. The hard-hitting Brit will coast in at -355, leaving Curtis Blaydes the +280 underdog for their five-round affair.

That seems a little high when you consider that Blaydes will test Aspinall in ways that no other heavyweight has, because no other heavyweight boasts “Razor’s” wrestling credentials. You can argue that Aspinall has 100-percent takedown defense — which sounds great on paper — but he’s only seen two takedown attempts in eight fights with UFC. The counter to that is Blaydes was knocked out by four heavy hitters inside the Octagon, including Pavlovich and aging “Beast” Derrick Lewis. In addition, Blaydes is not a competent striker, at least when talking about Top 5 title contenders (Blaydes is ranked three spots below Aspinall at No. 4). Wrestling is a much different experience when you have a 6’4”, 250-pound heavyweight barreling down on you at top speed. Is that enough to pick “Razor” for the upset? Probably not, but I don’t think Aspinall can just settle for cruise control, either.

At 31, Aspinall is competing in his athletic prime and appears to be firing on all cylinders. With a full camp and the hometown crowd in his corner, I don’t see a path to victory for Blaydes. He can certainly grind things to a halt with his wrestling, but the idea that “Razor” can go 25 minutes without eating a solid shot from Aspinall seems remote. If and when said shot does land, Blaydes is likely to fold up faster than George Jetson’s briefcase.

Prediction: Aspinall def. Blaydes by knockout

155 lbs.: Bobby “King” Green (32-15-1, 1 NC) vs. Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett (21-3)

Paddy Pimblett started off with a bang, racking up four wins in just 15 months under the UFC umbrella, which includes three fights in 2022. Then “The Baddy” competed just once in 2023 and has yet to fight at all in 2024, with a sizable portion of that layoff being attributed to an ankle injury suffered at UFC 282. Now the scouser is back in his hometown against a ranked opponent, though I’m not sure Bobby Green is a tremendous leap over previous foes like Jared Gordon and Tony Ferguson because “King” has 15 losses on his record and has been finished seven times. He also turns 38 in September, making him nearly nine years older than Pimblett with a lot more miles on the tires. That said, Green remains a -120 betting favorite on the moneyline against +100 for Pimblett, who may have been gifted a decision win over Gordon before outpointing a shopworn Tony Ferguson.

It hasn’t been all wine and roses for Green, either, though his finish against Grant Dawson proved the newly-crowned “King” can still hit the long ball, giving him double-digit knockouts in the twilight of his career. Considering how often Pimblett gets into trouble with his brawl-for-all offense, this kinda feels like Green’s fight to lose. I also like that he’s coming off a decision victory over Jim Miller at UFC 300, a composed performance on the big stage that could give him some extra momentum heading into enemy territory. Like so many other fights on this card, we have a pair of lightweights who love to bang but can also mix it up on the ground, though something tells me their respective (and sizable) egos will keep this fight on the feet. I do wish this fight was five rounds atop a “Fight Night” event because I think we would be more likely to get a finish.

Green is not without his issues, one of which is consistency, but I have yet to be impressed by anything Pimblett has done inside the Octagon and his level of competition has been mediocre, at best. Assuming Green doesn’t make a careless mistake, he should be in control of this fight from start to finish, though be on the lookout for a late rally from “The Baddy” just to give us something to argue about on Sunday morning.

Prediction: Green def. Pimblett by decision

185 lbs.: Christian Leroy “CLD” Duncan (10-1) vs. Gregory “Robocop” Rodrigues (15-5)

Christian Leroy Duncan has just four fights under the UFC banner and has yet to break into the Top 15 of the middleweight division. At 28 years old, Duncan is an exciting young-ish prospect with an impressive highlight reel, which includes his back-to-back technical knockout wins over Denis Tiuliulin and Claudio Ribeiro. I’m not sure those performances were enough to warrant a spot on a PPV main card, but Duncan hails from Gloucester and this is an English event, so there you go. It also helps that he’s fighting a violent knockout artist so regardless of name value, this contest is likely to end with smelling salts. I think that’s what I like most about this matchup, it pits Duncan against an opponent who is equally dangerous in the pocket. “CLD” made his debut at UFC 286 in London and admitted to feeding off the crowd, something that will once again come into play at UFC 304. That may have contributed to his -135 betting line against +115 for Gregory Rodrigues.

The power-punching Brazilian has been in eight fights under the UFC banner with six of them ending by way of knockout. “Robocop” already has three post-fight performance bonuses to his credit, worth a cool $ 50,000 apiece and will undoubtedly be looking for a fourth against Duncan. For tomorrow night’s contest, Rodrigues will have a one-inch advantage in height but give up a whopping four inches in reach. Probably not a statistic to be proud of when facing an aggressive middleweight hellbent on throwing bombs. Fortunately for Rodrigues, he’s a competent offensive wrestler with double-digit takedowns to his credit — and Duncan lost the only fight in which he was taken down (Armen Petrosyan). Whether or not “Robocop” can rattle off a few takedowns before getting creamed remains to be seen, but I have a feeling he’ll also be looking for the one-hitter quitter.

This is a difficult fight to predict because it’s really just two guys swinging for the fences until somebody gets slumped. We haven’t seen enough from Duncan to make him the runaway favorite and Rodrigues has served his fair share of heads on a platter. I think with all else being equal, I’m leaning toward the younger, more dynamic “CLD” who will likely be supercharged by the Manchester united. A first-round finish would not surprise me.

Prediction: Duncan def. Rodrigues by knockout

145 lbs.: “Almighty” Arnold Allen (19-3) vs. Giga “Ninja” Chikadze (15-3)

Arnold Allen is sitting just outside the featherweight Top 5, ranked No. 6 in the division after dropping back-to-back fights to Max Holloway and Movsar Evloev. The former is one of the greatest 145-pound champions in history and the latter is undefeated in his professional MMA career at 18-0, so I’m not sure we can get too crazy over those defeats — both of which came by way of decision. Those performances did, however, prove Allen was not yet ready to challenge for a world title and if the 30 year-old Englishman wants to establish himself as a future contender, he’s going to need a big performance this weekend in Manchester. “Almighty” is one of those new-school combatants who can do everything — and do it well — mixing up takedowns and strikes as the situation calls for it. His transitions will likely determine his success at UFC 304 against a dangerous striker with something to prove.

Giga Chikadze seemed to be in cruise control by the end of 2021, racking up three straight knockouts over some pretty tough competition. That includes his destruction of fellow striker Edson Barboza at UFC Vegas 35, a performance that landed “Ninja” in the Top 10 of the division. Unfortunately, the hard-hitting Georgian fell in love with himself and started comparing his fights to The Matrix movies, which led to an absolute brutal beating and subsequent head injury against Boston boxer Calvin Kattar, along with a lengthy medical suspension from Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Chikadze would battle injuries before eventually returning against Alex Caceres at UFC Singapore, picking up a unanimous decision victory while holding steady at No. 10 in the featherweight rankings. “Ninja” was a regular on the kickboxing circuit and frequently competed for Glory World Series, hovering around the .500 mark before transitioning to MMA where he employs much of the same style.

Allen is the -250 betting favorite against +205 for Chikadze, mostly because “Almighty” has more ways to win. There’s always the chance he gets caught by something crafty from his Georgian foe, but Allen has good enough standup to stay competitive on the feet until the desire (or need) arises to take their fight to the floor. “Ninja” is no slouch on the ground and should make this a competitive fight, I just think Allen will spend most of their three-round fight disrupting Chikadze’s rhythm, which in turn will prevent him from settling in and finding his striking range. I don’t expect a finish, but I do think Allen will have a commanding lead by the time this contest goes to the judges’ scorecards.

Prediction: Allen def. Chikadze by decision

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 304 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN2/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 304: “Edwards vs. Muhammad 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 304 fight card and PPV lineup click here.

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LIVE: UFC 304 early weigh ins video results! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just one day away from the upcoming UFC 304 pay-per-view (PPV) event on ESPN+, scheduled for this Sat. night (July 27, 2024) at Co-op Live in Manchester, England. UFC 304 will be headlined by the welterweight title fight featuring reigning 170-pound champion Leon Edwards against No. 2-ranked contender Belal Muhammad, a five-round showdown that follows a stacked UFC 304 main card, also showcasing the interim 265-pound title fight pitting Tom Aspinall (c) in a heavyweight rematch opposite Curtis Blaydes.

But before they can fight, they must first weigh in.

The UFC 304 early (and official) weigh ins will stream LIVE from the promotion’s host hotel in the embedded video above starting promptly at 4 a.m. ET. The festivities are expected to last roughly two hours but could end much earlier depending on how quickly all 28 fighters get to the scale. The promotion will also stage the UFC 304 ceremonial weigh ins complete with fighter staredowns RIGHT HERE live from Co-op Live at 1 p.m. ET. Remember, today’s weigh ins will permit a one-pound allowance in non-title fights, but championship contests must return exact weights, no exceptions.

Complete UFC 304 early weigh ins text results below:

UFC 304 Main Card On ESPN+ PPV:

170 lbs.: UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards () vs. Belal Muhammad 2 ()
265 lbs.: UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall () vs. Curtis Blaydes 2 ()
155 lbs.: Bobby Green () vs. Paddy Pimblett ()
185 lbs.: Christian Leroy Duncan () vs. Gregory Rodrigues ()
145 lbs.: Arnold Allen () vs. Giga Chikadze ()

UFC 304 Prelims Card On ESPN2, ESPN+:

125 lbs.: Muhammad Mokaev () vs. Manel Kape ()
145 lbs.: Nathaniel Wood () vs. Daniel Pineda ()
115 lbs.: Bruna Brasil () vs. Molly McCann ()
135 lbs.: Caolan Loughran () vs. Ramon Taveras ()

UFC 304 Early Prelims Card On ESPN+:

265 lbs.: Mick Parkin () vs. Lukasz Brzeski ()
170 lbs.: Oban Elliott () vs. Preston Parsons ()
170 lbs.: Sam Patterson () vs. Kiefer Crosbie ()
135 lbs.: Shauna Bannon () vs. Alice Ardelean ()
205 lbs.: Modestas Bukauskas () vs. Marcin Prachnio ()

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 304 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN2/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 304: “Edwards vs. Muhammad 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 304 fight card and PPV lineup click here.

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There isn’t a designated back up fighter (that we know of) for UFC 304’s Welterweight title fight main event between the champion, Leon Edwards, and challenger, Belal Muhammad. Luckily for UFC, Alexander Volkanovski is in Manchester, England for the festivities this weekend (Sat., July 27, 2024).

Volkanovski, 35, has been out of action since he lost his Featherweight title to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 in February 2024 (watch highlights). “The Great” has opted to take an extended break after back-to-back knockout losses that first started with Lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, in October 2023, followed by the Topuria outcome.

The Makhachev rematch came on roughly two weeks’ notice for Volkanovski and felt like an opportunity he couldn’t pass up on, as he described at the time. Having fought as high as Welterweight before in his 30-fight career (26-4), Volkanovski doesn’t think he’d have much of a problem saving the day again if needed.

“You never know. The Welterweights? The Heavyweights? Mate, believe it or not, I’d do it,” Volkanovski told The Mac Life. “Good paycheck for that one.

“I’m good mates with Leon, but if you’re gonna save the day, you’re gonna save the day,” he continued. “He’s a great fighter so that’s gonna be a tough fight. This is not disrespectful, stylistically, Belal, he’s gonna be offended by that. I’m not trying to offend you but that’s a fight that I believe I could do. Leon Edwards, obviously, I believe in myself all the time but Leon’s good. He’s very, very threatening in so many areas. I’m not saying Belal’s not, but obviously, Belal’s more strategy, good game plan, and calculated. That’s compliments, but I mean that stuff, you need more than that to beat me. Out-strategizing me is going to be very, very hard.”

Volkanovki’s first career loss came in a Welterweight bout against Corey Nelson on the Australian regional scene in May 2013. Similar to Makhachev, Nelson took out the future UFC legend with a head kick and punches.

On a more realistic note, Volkanovski maintains that his return will be a Featherweight title fight.

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 304 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 304: “Edwards vs. Belal 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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