Paddy Pimblett is not a fan of UFC 304’s early start time in the United Kingdom.
A sizable deal has been made about UFC’s upcoming pay-per-view (PPV) event and its timing. In America, nothing changes, as the event will kick off at its traditional 6:00 P.M. EST start time. However, the event will be held in Manchester, England, which means the very first fight of the night won’t be until 11:00 P.M. local time.
With the main card not starting until 3:00 A.M., that means Pimblett’s fight with King Green won’t start until roughly 4:00 A.M., and he doesn’t find that too fair.
“I’ll be fighting at about 4:00 A.M. It’s f*cking ridiculous,” Pimblett told Best Online Poker Sites. “In America, the main card starts at like 8:00 P.M., so I’d normally fight at about 9:00 or 10:00. It’s an advantage for the American fighters. It’s an advantage for Bobby Green, Belal Muhammad, and Curtis Blaydes because obviously, they’re coming over on their time. It’s not like they’re going to be jet-lagged. They’re going to just do the same but we’ve got to f*ck about with time frames and sh*t. It’s ridiculous.
“It really annoys me because the U.K. fans stay up every week to watch cards,” he continued. “It’s not even like they (American UFC fans) have to put a shift in because they’re eight hours behind. They can just take the day off work and base up like that while the sun’s out, have a f*cking barbecue. Instead, we’ve gotta sit up till f*cking 4:00, 5:00, 6:00 in the morning is, it’s a f*cking joke.”
A win over Green would land Pimblett in the top 15 of UFC’s Lightweight rankings with Green currently slotted in at No. 15. “The Baddy” is currently 5-0 in UFC (21-3 overall).
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.
Manel Kape and Muhammad Mokaev really do not like each other.
Tensions continued to escalate between the two UFC 304 flyweights on Wednesday when footage emerged of a brawl at the event’s host hotel in Manchester. MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck confirmed with sources with knowledge of the situation that the clip circulating on social media was indeed a melee between Kape and Mokaev, which can be watched below.
WE GOT A HOTEL SCRAP BETWEEN KAPE AND MOKAEV #UFC304 pic.twitter.com/dflmDHanKc
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) July 24, 2024
Afterward, both Kape and Mokaev addressed the situation on their Instagram Stories.
Kape posted a photo of Mokaev with a cut above his left brow that read “my bitch forever,” while Mokaev circled a screenshot of Kape’s face during the melee with the caption “Help.”
Manel Kape, Instagram Muhammad Mokaev, Instagram
Kape and Mokaev are set to collide with actual money on the line this Saturday in a three-round flyweight bout on the preliminary card of UFC 304, with the winner potentially being elevated into title contention for UFC champion Alexandre Pantoja’s flyweight belt.
In early July, fellow UFC fighter Jean Silva claimed he witnessed Kape attack Mokaev outside the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, however Kape recently told MMA Fighting that the story was merely made up as a way to “spice up the fight.”
UFC 304 takes place July 27 at the Co-op Live in Manchester, England.
Amid links to a title defense return at UFC 307 at the beginning of October, undisputed featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria has hinted that his long-rumored fight with former champion, Max Holloway is close to being finalized.
Topuria, the current undisputed featherweight champion, last featured in the main event of UFC 298 back in February, laying waste to dominant former gold holder and common-opponent, Alexander Volkanovski with a blistering second round knockout win in Anaheim.
Himself landing spoils last time out – albeit symbolic, Hawaiian star, Holloway scored a buzzer-beating fifth round KO win over Justin Gaethje to win the BMF championship in highlight-reel fashion on the main card of UFC 300 back in April.
Ilia Topuria hints at UFC 307 return
And expected to return at UFC 307 at the beginning of October at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah – as part of a flagship double feature for the promotion that month, Topuria has teased a pairing with Holloway is on the cusp of completion.
Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – USA TODAY Sports
“It seems that the UFC has forced him to say,” Ilia Topuria posted on his official X account. “El Matador is back. Congratulations to all @ufc fans.”
It seems that the UFC has forced him to say yes. El Matador is back. Congratulations to all @ufc fans.
— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) July 24, 2024
And subsequently, Holloway would post photos of himself deep into training camp for an expected return, claiming he was waiting to make his comeback in a championship setting.
“Patiently waiting,” Max Holloway posted on his X account. “#BlessedExpress”
Expected to feature a pair of championship fights in their return to Utah, the promotion are working on an undisputed bantamweight title pairing between the incumbent gold holder, Raquel Pennington, and former titleholder, Julianna Pena for that same card at the Delta Center.
With his knockout win over Volkanovski earlier this year – who thrice beat the above-mentioned, Holloway in featherweight title fights, Topuria improved to 15-0 in professional mixed martial arts.
Who wins in a featherweight title fight: Ilia Topuria or Max Holloway?
Since winning the UFC welterweight title in stunning fashion at UFC 278, Leon Edwards has become the face of UK MMA.
“Rocky” has become a star in this past of the world but his next title challenger doesn’t believe that his supporters are really fans of him.
Belal Muhammad will look to spoil the night at UFC 304 in Manchester by dethroning Edwards in the main event which will take place in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Whilst the fans in attendance are sure to leave the Co-op Live Arena disappointed if the final bout of the evening doesn’t go the way of the Brit, Muhammad believes that they were only backing Edwards in the first place because he holds the gold.
Belal Muhammad Doesn’t Think UK Fans Actually Care About Leon Edwards
In a fight week interview with Kaz Crossley for Title Sports Network, Muhammad doubled down on his theory that Edwards doesn’t have real ride or die fans.
He questioned why people back “Rocky” when he doesn’t go out of his way to build his profile and brand by putting himself out there more.
“Yeah I don’t think Leon has any fans if I’m being honest. Like how can you be a fan of the guy? He’s not loud, he doesn’t talk, he doesn’t tweet, he doesn’t promote himself, he just has the belt.”
Muhammad then spoke about why he believes Edwards only gets support from the UK fans because he is the welterweight champion.
The #2-ranked contender at 170-pounds made reference to Edwards’ fight with Gunnar Nelson in 2019 where he was booed in London due to his beef with one half of the main event on that night, Liverpool’s Darren Till.
“100%. Yeah, I don’t think they’re, you weren’t even riding for Leon before he got the belt. They were booing him. Like before that, they didn’t care about him, they wanted Darren Till to win the belt before him so I don’t think they really care about Leon Edwards. They’re just like, ‘Ah man, Leon got it, all right well let’s go cheer for him right now since it’s going to be at our house anyway, we’ll go watch him.’”
Read also: Daniel Cormier Believes Leon Edwards & Belal Muhammad Are Underestimating Each Other Ahead Of UFC 304: ‘Both Of These Guys Are Much Better…’
Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Suggests UK Fans Only Support Leon Edwards Because He’s A British Champion: ‘How Can You Be A Fan Of The Guy?’ at MMA News.
When NFL All-Pro linebacker Shawne Merriman first became interested in MMA, he was just a fan of the sport after attending a UFC event headlined by Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell in 2005.
It wasn’t long after that he got connected to Couture through FOX Sports football insider Jay Glazer, who also regularly trained MMA in his spare time. Merriman decided that rather than just staying a fan, he’d actually learn more about the sport by doing it, which he then incorporated into his offseason training routine.
It’s safe to say after that experience, he fell in love with MMA.
“It was probably the most humbling shit that happened to me in my life,” Merriman told MMA Fighting. “I’m bigger than [Randy Couture] is, I’m stronger than he is, I’m more explosive, more athletic — somehow he found a way to just throw me around. I was getting tired pummeling! We didn’t even get into the actual workout. I was gassed.
“I try to tell people, especially when a lot of athletes get into this, that it’s a game changer. I believe I came out in that 2006 year and led the league in sacks. I was just so much better with my hands, my endurance, opening my hips up, being able to turn the corner on some of these big offensive tackles. Everybody is doing it now, but back then, everybody looked at me like I was crazy.”
After his NFL career ended, Merriman turned his passion for MMA into a business by starting his own promotion called Lights Out Xtreme Fighting — based on his nickname on the football field — back in 2019. On Saturday, Merriman promotes his 18th event with a card in Long Beach, Calif.
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Merriman also recently launched his own streaming app, Lights Out Sports, that showcases his MMA promotion among many other sports and games as he continues to expand his business interests.
With nearly two decades spent studying MMA and an NFL career that spanned eight seasons and included three Pro Bowl appearances, Merriman has a vast understanding of both sports. That’s why he’s keeping his eye on football rather than wrestling, kickboxing, or Brazilian jiu-jitsu when it comes to the next great prospect to make waves in MMA.
“I think the next heavyweight champion, like the great next champion after Jon Jones and a lot of these guys depart, there’s going to be a strong safety, a linebacker, a defensive end that says, ‘You know what? This is what I want to do.’ They’re going to take it serious,” Merriman told MMA Fighting.
“I do believe you’re going to get a guy that’s three years, four years, five years in, get cut, get traded, bad coaching staff, get benched and he says, ‘Screw it, I’m done playing this game, I’m about to go whoop somebody’s ass.’ That mentality along with that athleticism with the guy being on the field, that is what’s going to drive the next heavyweight champion, I believe.”
While there are plenty of fighters with a history playing football, it’s been a rare instance that a high-level NFL pro makes the transition.
The most recent example was former Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowler Greg Hardy, who earned a spot on the UFC roster with only three fights on his MMA résumé. While he did find some success early on, Hardy ultimately flamed out with a 4-5 record and one no contest before leaving the promotion.
That being said, Merriman still credits Hardy for making the transition, but he also knows it was really an anomaly compared to the larger number of players he expects to eventually test themselves in MMA over the next few years.
Why exactly is he predicting a mass exodus of NFL pros suddenly deciding to fight MMA?
“Because the money’s there,” Merriman said. “That was the issue. Even the times when I was thinking about fighting and I had offers to fight, the money just wasn’t there when I retired. I would have got right into MMA, I would have taken a fight almost immediately. I would have trained for a year or two but then I would have started to fight, but the money wasn’t there at the time. The money is there now.”
Merriman says he talks to NFL players who have already shown interest in eventually crossing over to fighting. He promises many of the NFL athletes thinking about that move are household names and not just a practice squad player who couldn’t cut it.
He believes carrying that name value sets up an NFL player for more financial success to start a fighting career than the average prospect.
“You’ve got to think this whole business, because I’m in it, is about selling tickets, pay-per-views, getting eyeballs,” Merriman said. “You’re an NFL guy with a name behind him that people know. He went to Texas Tech or Florida State and he actually had some success in the NFL, he’s going to make a lot more because he’s going to draw a different crowd. He’s not going to climb that same ladder that most fighters will because he actually has a name and can sell tickets and pay-per-views.
“It makes a lot more sense for a mid-to-upper tier guy that people know. I’m not saying it’s going to be a superstar, a five- and six-time Pro Bowler, but a guy with Pro Bowl potential, a guy that’s a standout on his team that football fans know. If he starts to climb the ladder the right way, there’s a lot of money that’s waiting on him three, four, five fights in.”
Merriman isn’t going to set a deadline on when a known NFL pro decides to test themselves in MMA as more than just a bucket list item to cross off, but he fully expects it to happen sooner than later.
“If I was betting on the sport, which I can’t but if I was, I think it would happen in the next couple of years,” Merriman said. “I don’t think it’s going to be too far out. I see guys training. I still go to all the gyms. I’ve been around long enough that I know these managers, I know these coaches, I know the gyms, I’ll pop in a couple days and get on the mat, do a couple rounds of sparring just to stay in shape. I just love being around it, but I see some of these guys who are curious, just popping in the gym and working. These are the guys who are known.
“There’s one or two guys that slip through the cracks that take it really, really serious, willing to put that time and that work in, that’s going to become a light heavyweight or heavyweight champion one day.”
Leon Edwards may be one of the best mixed martial artists on the planet, but that hasn’t stopped him from being a talent in other sports.
‘Rocky’ cemented himself as the best welterweight on earth after capturing the title two years ago. Since then, the Brit has managed to defend his throne twice and is now approaching his third defense this weekend.
Leon Edwards has been running through the streets of England in preparation for his headlining bout at UFC 304. It was during one of those runs that Edwards produced a moment of pure magic.
While jogging, the 32-year-old approached a group playing basketball. The UFC star was urged to try his luck by members of the group, and what followed was a full court kick that somehow perfectly landed in the basket.
Edwards turned to the camera and shouted his iconic ‘Headshot, Dead’ quote before the video comes to an end.
There has been a lot of speculation online whether the trick shot was real or not. Viewers are divided about the full court shot, but with these two different angles, we’ll let you judge for yourself.
Check it out below.
Fan’s POV: pic.twitter.com/cswEqb6p8R
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) July 22, 2024
Related: Nate Diaz calls for UFC title shot
Leon Edwards returns to the octagon on Saturday when he faces the surging Belal Muhammad for the second time.
The two met earlier in their careers, and although Edwards was taking the initiative in the fight, it was cut short due to an illegal blow.
Over three years later, the welterweights will feature in the main event of the aforementioned UFC 304 event in a battle for 170 lbs gold.
If he gets through the threat of Belal Muhammad, Leon Edwards will have a number of options at his disposal. One man available for the champion is Nate Diaz, who called him out after his recent win over Jorge Masvidal.
!["I think Belal is deluded. I feel like everything he's said, he's never done it his whole career. He did one interview where [he was saying he'll] take me down, let me back up, look at my coaches, take me down, let me back up. This guy's a weirdo. Let him do him" - Leon Edwards](https://external-preview.redd.it/zEDdt3U2r-Sw02YDDWbrS92UvS_PcUxXS0Z0SOP_nH4.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=3f393c03176d9d86f260ce3edc34190fd5195bae "\"I think Belal is deluded. I feel like everything he's said, he's never done it his whole career. He did one interview where [he was saying he'll] take me down, let me back up, look at my coaches, take me down, let me back up. This guy's a weirdo. Let him do him\" - Leon Edwards")
Manel Kape, Instagram 
Muhammad Mokaev, Instagram 
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