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

The wait is nearly over for a huge UFC card in Manchester, England.

Drew Beaupre | Jul 23, 2024

Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

The UFC heads to Manchester, England this weekend for a huge UFC 304 card that takes place at Co-op Live on Saturday night (July 27).

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

The Main Event

The main event will see Leon Edwards attempt to defend his welterweight belt for the third time when he takes on #2-ranked Belal Muhammad.

One of the most unforgettable moments in UFC history 🤯@Leon_EdwardsMMA returns at #UFC304 looking for his 3rd straight welterweight title defense! pic.twitter.com/fiqiPWJVxZ
— UFC (@ufc) July 22, 2024

The UFC 304 headliner is a rematch of the 2021 meeting between Edwards and Muhammad, which disappointingly ended early in the second round after an unintentional eye poke left “Remember the Name” unable to continue.

Coming into #UFC304 on a 10 fight unbeaten streak 🔥@BullyB170 gets his long awaited shot at the welterweight throne Saturday night!

[ Live on ESPN+ PPV | 10pmET/7pmPT ] pic.twitter.com/jMIfS9ZaeS
— UFC (@ufc) July 22, 2024

The Co-Main Event

The night’s co-main event will see Tom Aspinall put his interim heavyweight title on the line in another huge rematch against perennial top heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes.

He's an absolute showstopper in the Octagon 🤩@AspinallMMA defends his interim heavyweight title in front of the home crowd at #UFC304! pic.twitter.com/mB22RPiGvN
— UFC (@ufc) July 22, 2024

Aspinall and Blaydes previously headlined a UFC London card in 2022, but Aspinall suffered a knee injury just 15 seconds into the fight and that result remains the lone blemish on the 31-year-old’s UFC record.

You can't sleep on the power of @RazorBlaydes265 😮‍💨

He plans to leave #UFC304 with the interim heavyweight title! pic.twitter.com/Fwb6pcNvFs
— UFC (@ufc) July 23, 2024

UFC 304: Belal Muhammad Lauds Khabib Nurmagomedov for ‘Breaking Down’ Leon Edwards

Fights You Don’t Want To Miss

Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape

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

Mar 18, 2023; London, UNITED KINGDOM; Muhammad Mokaev (red gloves) fights Jafel Filho (blue gloves) during UFC 286 at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports / Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

There are no guarantees when it comes to UFC title shots, but the winner of this fight would have a strong case to challenge current UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja. Mokaev has made good on the massive hype around him by extending his unbeaten record to 11-0 since he joined the UFC in 2022, while Kape is on an impressive four-fight win streak but has been plagued by fight cancellations during his time with the UFC.

Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Gregory Rodrigues

Mar 18, 2023; London, UNITED KINGDOM; Christian Leroy Duncan (red gloves) fights Dusko Todorovic (blue gloves) during UFC 286 at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports / Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

This middleweight matchup could be a strong contender for Fight of the Night at UFC 304. Both men are coming off back-to-back knockout-wins in their two most recent outings, and although it will be interesting to see if Rodrigues chooses to test Duncan’s grappling there’s a good chance this turns into a firefight on the feet.

Fighters to Watch

Paddy Pimblett

Dec 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Tony Ferguson (red gloves) fights Paddy Pimblett (blue gloves) during UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Love him or hate him, Pimblett has firmly established himself as a major name in the UFC and has gone 5-0 since debuting for the promotion in 2021. “The Baddy” will face the stiffest test of his career at UFC 304 in the form of King Green, but if Pimblett can get by the longtime lightweight veteran he should secure a spot in the division’s Top 15.

Mick Parkin

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

Heavyweight prospects are hard to come by, but Parkin has impressed fans by adding three wins to his unbeaten record after he secured a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022. The 28-year-old has the chance to improve to 10-0 when he takes on Łukasz Brzeski, and perhaps Parkin will be able to secure his first UFC finish in front of the fans in his home country on Saturday night.

Arnold Allen

Jan 20, 2024; Toronto, Canada, USA; Arnold Allen (red glove) fights Movsar Evloev (blue gloves) during UFC 297 at ScotiaBank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Still sitting at #6 in the UFC featherweight rankings, Allen heads into UFC 304 on the first two-fight skid of his career. Those losses did come to former UFC Featherweight Champion and current “BMF” titleholder Max Holloway and the unbeaten Movsar Evloev, but if Allen wants to keep his title hopes alive he’ll need to get back on track against Giga Chikadze after the Georgian successfully returned to action against Alex Caceres last year.

UFC 304 News: Custom Shorts Revealed for Champ Leon Edwards and Paddy Pimblett

MMA Knockout will be providing comprehensive coverage for UFC 304 all throughout fight week, so be sure to check back on our home page for live results and highlights from all the action on fight night.

Main Card (ESPN+ PPV, 10:00 p.m. ET)

• Main Event: Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad 2 – For the UFC Welterweight Championship
• Co-Main Event: Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes 2 – For the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship
• King Green vs. Paddy Pimblett
• Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Gregory Rodrigues
• Arnold Allen vs. Giga Chikadze

Preliminary Card (ESPN2, 8:00 p.m. ET)

• Nathanial Wood vs. Daniel Pineda
• Molly McCann vs. Bruna Brasil
• Caolán Loughran vs. Jake Hadley
• Modestas Bukauskas vs. Marcin Prachnio

Early Preliminary Card (ESPN+, 6:00 p.m. ET)

• Oban Elliott vs. Preston Parsons
• Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape
• Sam Patterson vs. Kiefer Crosbie
• Mick Parkin vs. Łukasz Brzeski
• Shauna Bannon vs. Alice Ardelean