Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 304: Edwards vs Muhammad 2
Setting The Stage For What Should Be An Epic Night In Manchester On Saturday
By E. Spencer Kyte, on X: @SpencerKyte
The last time the UFC was in Manchester, a British champion headlined before a raucous crowd, with Michael Bisping closing out the show at Manchester Arena by successfully defending his middleweight title against long-time rival Dan Henderson in the main event of UFC 204.
Just shy of eight years later, the UFC makes its return to home of Oasis and Premier League powerhouses Manchester City and Manchester United with a pay-per-view fight card at Co-op Live, where a pair of British champions will look to follow in Bisping’s footsteps by defending their titles on home soil.
With a loaded undercard featuring several top emerging names from the United Kingdom and Ireland, Saturday’s pay-per-view promises to be an electric night of action inside the Octagon.
Here’s a closer look at what’s on tap.
Welterweight Championship Main Event: Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad
Rivals Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad face off for a second time in the UFC 304 main event, this time with the welterweight title hanging in the balance.
Birmingham’s Edwards defends his title on British soil for the second time, entering this weekend’s headlining bout on an outstanding 13-fight unbeaten streak, where the only result that is not a victory is the no contest verdict from his initial encounter with Muhammad in March 2021. Last time out, “Rocky” routed Colby Covington at UFC 296, successfully defending his title with 49-46 scores across the board.
Muhammad has been patiently waiting for his championship opportunity since extending his winning streak to five and unbeaten run to double digits with a unanimous decision win over Gilbert Burns at UFC 288 last May. The Chicagoland native is a master at weaponizing his pace and conditioning, and will look to bring the fight to Edwards from the outset.
These two met in a short-notice clash three-plus years ago at the UFC APEX, with Muhammad stepping in for Khamzat Chimaev. After Edwards controlled the first with his striking, including stinging Muhammad at one point, an inadvertent eye poke rendered this weekend’s challenger unable to continue, creating animus between the two that lingers to this day. Saturday night, they’ll finally resolve things.
Interim Heavyweight Champion Co-Main Event: Tom Aspinall vs Curtis Blaydes
The main event isn’t the only high-profile rematch on the slate, as the penultimate pairing for the interim heavyweight strap between Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes is also a do-over of a bout that ended prematurely.
Aspinall claimed the interim title last November in New York, stepping in with Sergei Pavlovich and putting the big Russian down in the opening frame. Now 7-1 inside the Octagon with all of his victories coming inside the distance, his only setback came when he suffered a non-contact knee injury in his first meeting with Blaydes in London in the summer of ’22.
A fixture in the top tier of the heavyweight division for the last several years, Blaydes followed his win over Aspinall with a loss to Pavlovich but rebounded in March with a second-round stoppage win over streaking Brazilian Jailton Almeida. Sporting a 13-4 record with one no contest over his 18-fight UFC run, this is Blaydes’ first championship opportunity.
Their initial meeting, which headlined the second of the promotion’s twin trips across the pond in 2022, was highly anticipated and the rematch is, as well. Aspinall presents as one of the most well-rounded talents in the division, while Blaydes has shared the Octagon with virtually every standout to pass through the heavyweight ranks over the last decade, so this one should be riveting from start to finish.
Other Main Card Matchups
King Green vs Paddy Pimblett
King Green gets the opportunity he lobbied for after UFC 300, venturing across the Atlantic to face Paddy Pimblett on British soil in this weekend’s featured main card pairing.
The 37-year-old Green collected a unanimous decision win over Jim Miller at the UFC’s tricentennial in April, moving to 3-1 over his last four outings in the process. After Pimblett had mentioned him as a potential opponent earlier in the year, the Inland Empire representative laid down the gauntlet, eager to be a veteran test for the mop-topped fan favorite from Liverpool.
“Paddy the Baddy” is a perfect 5-0 since arriving in the UFC, running his overall winning streak to seven in the process. There have been moments of dominance and a couple close, competitive battles, but each time out, the beloved Scouser has emerged victorious and provided excitement at every turn, starting with his world-class walkout.
Will Green prove to be too much of a technician and craftsman for Pimblett to deal with or will the wildly popular lightweight from Liverpool keep rolling and register the biggest UFC win of his career?
Christian Leroy Duncan vs Gregory Rodrigues
Middleweight prospect Christian Leroy Duncan looks to add to his recent run of success, but faces his toughest test to date when he steps in on Saturday opposite Gregory “Robocop” Rodrigues.
Gloucester’s Duncan has collected consecutive stoppage wins following the first loss of his career, most recently showing out against Claudio Ribeiro at the start of March. Rodrigues enters with a 6-2 mark under the UFC banner, having earned consecutive stoppage victories over Denis Tiuliulin and Hawaiian veteran Brad Tavares.
Arnold Allen vs Giga Chikadze
The main card opens in the featherweight division, with Suffolk man Arnold Allen welcoming Giga Chikadze to his home country for a punch-up at Co-op Live.
Allen earned victories in each of his first 10 UFC appearances, climbing into the Top 5 in the 145-pound weight class in the process. But consecutive losses to Max Holloway and Movsar Evloev sent “The Almighty” into this one in need of a bounce-back effort in order to stabilize his standing in the ultra-competitive division.
Last August, Chikadze returned from an extended layoff with a unanimous decision win over Alex Caceres in Singapore. He was slated to face Josh Emmett at UFC 296 in December, but an undisclosed injury forced him from the card, leaving him in search of momentum once again as he travels to Manchester to face off with Allen.
Allen is 11-1 on British soil, while Chikadze is 3-0 in international appearances under the UFC banner. Something has got to give this weekend when these two standouts step in and share the Octagon.
Preliminary Card Matchups
Nathaniel Wood vs Daniel Pineda
The prelims wrap with a crackerjack pairing in the featherweight division as Nathaniel Wood faces off with Daniel Pineda.
Wood has gone 3-1 since moving to the 145-pound ranks, earning decision wins over Charles Rosa, Charles Jourdain, and Andre Fili before landing on the wrong side of the cards in a competitive battle with Muhammad Naimov last October in Abu Dhabi. The soon-to-be 39-year-old Pineda is allergic to boring fights, and has gone 2-2 with one no contest during his most recent five-fight run with the promotion.
Molly McCann vs Bruna Brasil
Molly McCann and Bruna Brasil share the Octagon in a strawweight contest that is sure to have the fans on their feet on Saturday evening.
“Meatball” made her first start in the 115-pound weight class back in February, earning a Performance of the Night bonus for her first-round submission win over Diana Belbita. After earning a victory over Shauna Bannon in London last July, Brasil returns to England looking to return to the win column after dropping a decision to Loma Lookboonmee last time out.
Jake Hadley vs Caolan Loughran
Ireland’s Caolan Loughran looks for a second straight win, while Jake Hadley makes the trip in from the West Midlands and up to bantamweight to face off with “The Don” in Manchester.
The 27-year-old Loughran, who trains at Team Kaoban in Liverpool, registered his first UFC victory last time out, getting the better of Angel Pacheco in March. Hadley steps in for Ramon Taveras, bumping up a division in hopes of halting a two-fight skid.
Modestas Bukauskas vs Marcin Prachnio
In the light heavyweight division, former Cage Warriors champ Modestas Bukauskas squares off with Marcin Prachnio.
After earning victories in each of his first two fights since returning to the UFC, Bukauskas makes his first start of 2024 looking to bounce back from a second-round knockout loss last time out. Poland’s Prachnio seeks his second straight win and fifth win in his last seven fights on Saturday, angling to build off his February win over Devin Clark.
Oban Elliott vs Preston Parsons
Oban Elliott and Preston Parsons meet in a welterweight clash between fighters aiming to collect a second consecutive UFC victory.
A member of the DWCS Class of ’23, Elliott out-worked Val Woodburn in his promotional debut in February, posting a unanimous decision win to move to 10-2 overall. Jacksonville’s Parsons picked up his second UFC win in January, out-hustling Matthew Semelsberger to bring his record level at 2-2 inside the Octagon.
Muhammad Mokaev vs Manel Kape
Elite flyweights Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape clash in what could be a title eliminator.
One of the most highly regarded prospects to hit the UFC in years, Mokaev has impressed each time out, registering six wins in as many starts, with four stoppages. The 23-year-old is 12-0 with one no contest overall, and collected a dominant decision win over former title challenger Alex Perez last time out in March.
Kape is a phenomenal talent with an elite combination of speed and power, and after an uneven start to his UFC tenure, he’s posted four straight victories to emerge as a legitimate contender in the flyweight ranks. If there is one knock on the Portuguese standout, however, it’s been his lack of consistency — in staying healthy, in making weight, and in fighting to the best of his abilities.
Flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja successfully defended his title in May at UFC 301 and will be looking get back in the Octagon before the year is out, and without a clearly established No. 1 contender in place, the winner of this one could have a very good case for challenging “The Cannibal” for championship gold in the back half of the year.
Sam Patterson vs Kiefer Crosbie
It’s England versus Ireland in the welterweight division as Sam Patterson and Kiefer Crosbie go head-to-head at Co-op Live.
Patterson transferred to the 170-pound ranks last time out after dropping his debut at lightweight, locking up a first-round submission win over Yohan Lainesse. Crosbie was called into the Octagon for the first time last September in Sydney, where he landed on the wrong side of things against debuting City Kickboxing man Kevin Jousset.
Mick Parkin vs Lukasz Brzeski
Unbeaten heavyweight prospect Mick Parkin looks to add another win to his resume as he faces off with fellow DWCS alum Lukasz Brzeski this weekend.
Parkin has gone 3-0 to begin his UFC career, pushing his record to 9-0 overall in the process. After dropping his first three bouts in the promotion, Brzeski finally broke into the win column last time out with a decision win over the debuting Valter Walker.
Shauna Bannon vs Alice Ardelean
Shauna Bannon looks to bounce back following her debut loss when she welcomes newcomer Alice Ardelean to the Octagon for the first time this weekend.
Bannon garnered five straight wins on the regional circuit to get a call to the UFC, but couldn’t get into gear in her loss to Brasil last July. Ardelean tags in for Ravena Oliveira, arriving on a five-fight winning streak.
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