ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MAY 10: UFC CEO Dana White (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The UFC’s return to the UK is coming into form.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 13: (L-R) Leon Edwards of Jamaica accidentally pokes the eye of Bulal
The fight ended in a no contest after Edwards accidentally poked Muhammad in the eye, and the latter couldn’t continue. Muhammad has been campaigning for this fight for more than a year, and he’s finally getting his wish.
Edwards, who is based in England but originally from Jamaica, will have tons of fan support as he attempts to defend his title for a third time.
Muhammad hasn’t fought since May 2023, but he’s on an impressive nine-fight win streak. Muhammad doesn’t have the most crowd-pleasing style, and he rarely gets finishes (just six of his 23 professional wins have come by KO or submission), but he gets the job done in the Octagon.
In the co-main event, another UK fan favorite will fight. UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall will defend his title against Curtis Blaydes in another rematch.
Tom Aspinall injures his knee during his main event bout against Curtis Blaydes at ESPN Fight Night
Aspinall took the only defeat of his UFC career to Blaydes when he suffered a serious knee injury in the first 15 seconds of the opening round of their July 2022 meeting. Since then, Aspinall has won two straight fights via first-round finish over Marcin Tybura and Sergei Pavlovich.
The win over Pavlovich earned Aspinall the interim title. Aspinall had been chasing a fight with UFC heavyweight champion and arguable GOAT of MMA, Jon Jones. However, Bones is still recovering from an injury and remains committed to fighting Stipe Miocic later this year.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 23: Curtis Blaydes poses for a portrait after his victory during the UFC
Blaydes earned a shot at the interim title by securing a second-round TKO win over the hard-charging Jailton Almeida in his last fight. Almeida had dominated Blaydes in the first round with superior wrestling.
However, Almeida shot a lazy takedown attempt in the opening minutes of the second round, and Blaydes advantageously pounded him out with hammerfists to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Here is the confirmed main card for the promotion’s return to Manchester.
The event will take place at the Co-Op Live arena in Manchester.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 14: A general view of the Co-op Live arena as Elbow performs the
The arena is a state-of-the-art entertainment venue designed for sporting events and concerts. It has a seating capacity of around 23,500, making it one of the largest indoor arenas in Europe.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 14: A general view of the Co-op Live arena as Elbow performs the
The venue opened on May 14 with an Elbow concert.
More details will follow on the rest of the UFC 304 card, which should also feature more fighters from the UK in action.
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