After a long while, the UFC caravan is coming back to the UK with its 304 edition. Saturday, 27th of July is reserved for some massive showdowns at Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. The main stage is reserved for local fighters. As such, Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall will have their chance to defend titles in front of the home crowd.
While Leon and Tom are in charge of the main and co-main event, other fighters are there to make this a full, and one of the best UFC events in recent memory. Among local heroes, the fans will have an opportunity to see Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann fighting. The home for all of this fighting on British soil is Co-op Live Arena, and its 23 seated positions will have an opportunity to host a UFC event for the first time in its history.
What the crowd might not like, is the fact that the UFC 304 is scheduled to be an overnight event for the USA audience to have a go at the fights in primetime. For the fans of MMA in Europe, the main and co-main events are scheduled for Sunday morning. If you can recall, a similar situation happened in 2016 when Michael Bisping defended his title.
So, for all of you fans of Edwards and Aspinall, the night between Saturday and Sunday will be a long one, as fights will happen on early Sunday morning. Nonetheless, their respective bouts against Belal Muhammad and Curtis Blaydes will attract the attention of fans, not only in the arena but all across the world and we can’t hide the excitement any longer.
What Time is UFC 304?
As we already said, as far as TV products are concerned it is catered to the views of American audiences. On the ground, in Manchester, Co-op Live Arena will open its doors at 10 pm. If everything goes as planned, the first bout will start one hour later. For those eager to only witness the main card, it is expected to start at 3 am.
UFC 304 has 14 fights on its card and this includes both the preliminary bouts and the main card. During one of the pre-UFC 304 interviews, Leon Edwards stated that he would rest up until 4 am, as he is not expecting his appearance before 5 am on Sunday. If we look at the previous main card of an event in the UK, Bisping entered the octagon at 04:46 local time for his title defense way back in 2016. As far as the co-main event is concerned, Aspinall vs. Blaydes should be on the cards before 4:30 am. Now that we have a sense of the UFC 304 timeline, let us take a look at the entire undercard.
UFC 304 Manchester Undercard
UFC 304, as a long-awaited United Kingdom MMA event of the highest order, has plenty to offer in terms of fighting. Fans all over the world are eagerly expecting it to start, and it’s already looking way better than UFC 303 which was full of delays, cancellations, and last-second appearances. The 304 edition is looking good so far, and this is who is on the undercard:
Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad
The main card is a rematch between Edwards and Muhammad. The two fought a few years ago which was interrupted due to an eye poke. In the meantime, Edwards has risen to the top and is the defending champion. The welterweight title is on the line this time around. If we’re lucky enough, we could witness 5 rounds of 5 minutes of high-end MMA.
Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes
For many fans all over the world, this fight is one of the most popular UFC picks you’ll find for the upcoming event. The heavyweight division always attracts much attention. The defending champion, Aspinall, is the hot favorite. The heavyweight interim title is on the table, and Tom is heavily favored to defend it. 5 rounds are on the table, but taking into account Tom’s fighting style no one is hoping for 25 minutes of fighting.
Bobby Green vs. Paddy Pimblett
This lightweight bout is one of those that’s covered in the media a lot. The reason is simple, these two lads took their feud to the media and made a show before the fight. This comes as no surprise as both are well-known as trash-talkers. As a lightweight bout, these two lads will have an opportunity to go at each other for 3 rounds of 5 minutes each. Their fighting styles are probably going to end the duel before the final bell, but we have plenty to look for here.
Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape
When you have an undefeated fighter in the octagon the eyes of the public will always be on him. Muhammad Mokaev hasn’t suffered a defeat in the UFC nor in his MMA career so far. Due to his high-end wrestling and submission prowess, he is one tough man to take down. Manel Kape has a storied Rizin career and a solid 4-win UFC streak after a shaky start to his career at the biggest stage. While Mokaev is undefeated, Kape is a slight favorite in this one according to expert UFC picks and predictions.
Arnold Allen v Giga Chikadze
Allen vs. Chikadze is not a fight that has casual fans drooling, but it should. Both fighters are amazing in the octagon and promise a good fight. Allen is heavily favored to win, having the home advantage and being a better fighter in a recent year or two. Giga, on the other side, wants to get his career back on track. After suffering his first defeat in the UC he has battled some injuries and personal problems in the last two years causing him not to fight up until recently. His return to the rings was crowned with a win and he expects another one despite having Arnold Allen across him.
Nathaniel Wood v Daniel Pineda
While not a high-end bout, Wood vs. Pineda will offer a fun fight for fans of the featherweight division. Pineda is on the back end of his career, and a win here would be a statement to his career. But, Wood is a much better and younger fighter who raked up some wins in recent times making him a hot favorite to resolve this one in his favor quickly. Both fighters rely on tenacity and endurance, so we could expect a unanimous decision to be the judge of this match. The latest UFC betting markets have Wood as the hot favorite, but if you’re looking for the biggest surprise at UFC 304 you shouldn’t look past this bout.
All Eyes on The Main Events
All the bouts we’ve listed above will have their crowd, but let’s not fool ourselves here, the eyes of the MMA world will be focused on the Edwards vs. Muhammad and Aspinall vs. Blaydes fights. For one, the reason is Leon Edwards who is seen as one of the premium fighters in the welterweight division. Some argue he’s the best. This match is his third title defense since 2022, and so far he has put behind Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman.
The only stain on his spotless career is the last fight between him and Belal which ended prematurely due to an eye poke. This little occurrence is the reason why fans are so eager to witness their rematch. Muhammad Belal is on a sweet little run of four-straight wins of his own, and he will be looking to dethrone Edwards. Bella will be relying on his stamina, managing to stand tall for 15 of his fights.
Aspinall, on the other hand, finds himself fighting for an interim title, where many expected him to be looking for an undisputed title. But, here we are, and we’re sure the knockout machine Tom will be looking to put the challenger Curtis Blaydes behind him. Every fight that Aspinall has is a great preparation for his long-awaited bout vs. Jon Jones. Some argue that Jones is avoiding this duel, but it is bound to happen anytime soon.
One of the reasons why betting outlets such as Stake are seeing Aspinall as the hot favorite is the fact he will be looking to exact revenge on Blaydes who managed to beat him the last time around but only due to a knee injury Tom suffered. This time, the title is on the table, and both fighters will be looking to make a statement. With two KOs in his last two fights, Aspinall will be looking to end this one before the final bell, which is something that Blaydes should have on his mind. As far as the heavyweight division is concerned, the 27th of July can’t come fast enough.
Which Bets to Use at UFC 304?
If you’re a true fan of MMA, when there’s an event such as UFC 304 you ought to put some money forth and cover your favorites. With 14 looming fights, it’s easier than ever to make a fine parlay, be excited for the matches, and make some cash in the process.
The most common bet when we talk about MMA is to try and guess the match winner. Betting on the winner makes cheering for a fighter all that much more exciting. This is a simple bet, and if you have your favorites just cover them directly.
Another nice bet, that many KO lovers practice, is the popular 1×2 bet. With this one, while the odds are lower than with a straight winner, you are betting on either of the fighters to win. In the case of a draw, you’d be losing your money. While an interesting compromise to betting, it’s still less fun than guessing a winner.
While we’re at the fun part of MMA, one could also bet on the winning method. There are plenty of ways one can win a UFC match. Guessing the winner and the method of winning pays rather well in the world of online betting. So, if you pick Aspinall to win by a KO it elevates his odds a lot. But, if he wins by a submission you will still lose your bet despite him winning.
This type of betting goes even further as you can bet on more than one method of winning. So, having Edwards for example to win by either TKO or submission still pays better than his straight-out win. Also, when you bet on heavy hitters and fighters who look to take control from the start, you can always bet on the winner and exact rounds.
Winner and exact round is a nice little bet when you aim for an early conclusion to a fight. But, it can also be a strategic bet where you aim for a win in one of the latter rounds. For main events that have five rounds, this bet when done the right way can bring a lot of money flow your way.
Many people are fans of slugfest bouts and want every match to be fought up until the last round. If you’re one of those people please take a bet on any fight will it go the distance? You can bet for it to go, or that it will end prematurely. This one is not a lot of fun, but if you don’t have favorites it can be quite a pastime while watching.
UFC 304 Recap
UFC 304 is an MMA event scheduled for 27th July in Manchester. It marks the return of UFC fighting to this city after eight years. The card will be headlined by Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad and Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes. It has 14 scheduled matches and it starts at 11 pm local time. Are you looking forward to UFC 304?