UFC 304: Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad 2 Full Prelim Fight Card Predictions

UFC 304 takes place this Saturday night.

Drew Beaupre | Jul 24, 2024

Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

The UFC returns to Manchester, England this Saturday night for UFC 304, and MMA KO’s Drew Beaupré is here to provide predictions for all 9 fights from the preliminary and early preliminary portions of the card.

UFC 304 Preview: Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad, Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes

Preliminary Card

Nathaniel Wood vs. Daniel Pineda

UFC 304: Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad 2 Full Prelim Fight Card Predictions

Jul 22, 2023; London, UNITED KINGDOM; Nathaniel Wood (red gloves) fights Andre Fili (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports / Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

Coming off a loss to Muhammad Naimov that ended his three-fight win streak following a move up to featherweight, Wood is heavily-favored to get the job done against Pineda in Manchester. “The Prospect” can’t get too comfortable against an opponent that has finished every one of his 28 pro wins, but this matchup represents a chance for Wood to get a big win in his home country.

(Pick: Wood)

Molly McCann vs. Bruna Brasil

Jul 22, 2023; London, UNITED KINGDOM; Molly McCann (red gloves) prior to the fight against Julija Stoliarenko (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports / Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

McCann returned to the win column with the first submission of her career when she rematched Diana Belbiţă in February, and now “Meatball” faces an opponent in Brasil that has gone 1-2 through her first three UFC bouts. Brasil will carry a height and reach advantage into the matchup, but the more-experienced McCann should get the job done in front of the fans in Manchester.

(Pick: McCann)

Jake Hadley vs. Caolán Loughran

May 11, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Charles Johnson (red gloves) fights Jake Hadley (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Le-USA TODAY Sports

Originally booked to face Ramon Taveras before the latter fighter withdrew due to injury, Loughran will now square off with a fellow ex-Cage Warriors champion in Hadley. “White Kong” already has five UFC appearances under his belt, but moving up to bantamweight for a short-notice fight with Loughran doesn’t bode well for Hadley’s chances to snap his current two-fight skid.

(Pick: Loughran)

Modestas Bukauskas vs. Marcin Prachnio

Nov 4, 2023; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Modestas Bukauskas (blue gloves) reacts after a loss to Vitor Petrino (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at Ibirapuera Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason da Silva-USA TODAY Sports / Jason da Silva-USA TODAY Sports

The only light heavyweight matchup scheduled for UFC 304 is a huge fight for both men involved. Bukauskas triumphantly returned to the UFC with back-to-back wins before he was knocked out by Vitor Petrino last November, and if he can rebound from that result when he takes on Prachnio it could put the Polish fighter’s spot on the UFC roster in serious jeopardy.

(Pick: Bukauskas)

UFC 304 News: Watch Leon Edwards Hit Outrageous Trick Shot Ahead of Title Fight

Early Preliminary Card

Oban Elliot vs. Preston Parsons

Feb 17, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Oban Elliott moves in with a hit against Val Woodburn during UFC 298 at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

One of the lower-profile matchups on UFC 304 but certainly one that fans should pay attention to, Parsons will try to push his UFC record over .500 when he takes on Elliot. “The Welsh Gangster” has the momentum of a six-fight win streak behind him, but Parsons’ four UFC appearances have seen him gain experience against an overall higher-level of competition.

(Pick: Parsons)

Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape

Sep 9, 2023; Sydney, NSW, AUSTRALIA; Manel Kape (red gloves) fights Felipe Dos Santos (blue gloves) during UFC 293 at Qudos Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasmin Frank-USA TODAY Sports / Jasmin Frank-USA TODAY Sports

Bouncing this matchup from the PPV main card was a questionable move, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s arguably the most-intriguing fight scheduled for UFC 304. I’m interested to see how Mokaev deals with Kape’s power, but I’ll side with “The Punisher” to utilize his edge in the grappling and extend his unbeaten record.

(Pick: Mokaev)

Sam Patterson vs. Kiefer Crosbie

Jan 20, 2024; Toronto, Canada, USA; Yohan Lainesse (red glove) fights Sam Patterson (blue gloves) during UFC 297 at ScotiaBank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Patterson rebounded from an ugly knockout-loss in his UFC debut when he submitted Yohan Lainesse at UFC 297, while Crosbie enters the night looking for his first UFC victory. “The Future” has finished all but one of his pro victories, and I expect that he’ll add another win to his record in Manchester this weekend.

(Pick: Patterson)

Mick Parkin vs. Łukasz Brzeski

Jul 22, 2023; London, UNITED KINGDOM; Mick Parkin (red gloves) fights Jamal Pogues (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports / Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

Parkin enters the night after adding three UFC wins to his unbeaten record, and he’ll face a fighter in Brzeski that’s coming off an upset-victory over Valter Walker. The Polish heavyweight was on a three-fight losing streak prior to that win, and Parkin should get the job done in a fight that may see the 28-year-old score his first UFC finish.

(Pick: Parkin)

Shauna Bannon vs. Alice Ardelean

Jul 22, 2023; London, UNITED KINGDOM; Shauna Bannon (red gloves) fights Bruna Brasil (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports / Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

Bannon was originally slated to face Ravena Oliveira at UFC 304, but now she’ll try to pick up her first UFC victory against promotional debutant Ardelean. Much has already been written and said about the choice to sign Ardelean to the UFC roster, and while I hope she defies some of that criticism I expect Bannon to kick off the card with her first UFC win.

(Pick: Bannon)

Tom Aspinall Touts UFC 304 as ‘Best Heavyweight’ Fight, Moves on from Jon Jones

MMA KO will be providing comprehensive coverage for UFC 304 all throughout fight week, so be sure to check back on our homepage for an event preview, betting guide, and main card predictions as well as live results and highlights from all the action on fight night.