UFC 304 delivered unforgettable moments and significant shifts in the MMA landscape. The UFC returned to Manchester, England the event featured vintage performances from Belal Muhammad and Tom Aspinall .
Belal Muhammad shocked the MMA world by dethroning Leon Edwards in a rematch years in the making. Muhammad’s wrestling skill and improved boxing were on full display as he controlled the fight, taking Edwards down with ease and using his striking to set up these takedowns effectively. Despite a late surge from Edwards in the fifth round, where he managed to reverse positions and land significant ground-and-pound, it was too little too late. Muhammad secured a unanimous decision victory with scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46.
Reflecting on his victory, Muhammad relished the moment: “It sounds like all the people booing have a lot of tears in their eyes. We’ve got a real champion in Chicago now.”
Edwards, who was visibly slower and seemed affected by the unusually late start time of the main card, acknowledged his fatigue but congratulated Muhammad on his victory. He expressed his desire to fight again before the year ends, aiming for a bout in November or December.
Tom Aspinall continued his impressive run in the heavyweight division with a swift first-round knockout of Curtis Blaydes. The interim heavyweight champion needed just 60 seconds to finish Blaydes, showcasing his striking power with a massive right hand followed by ground-and-pound to secure the TKO. This victory marked Aspinall’s third consecutive first-round finish, setting him up for a potential showdown with the legendary Jon Jones.
Post-fight, Aspinall wasted no time calling out Jones: “Jon’s the undisputed champion, but I’m the best in the world, if that makes any sense. We know what Jon’s doing. Jon was there, crossing his fingers and toes tonight hoping I’d lose to Curtis… Let’s not bullsh*t about it.”
Paddy Pimblett also made headlines with a spectacular first-round submission victory over Bobby “King” Green. Pimblett expertly transitioned from a guillotine to a triangle choke, putting Green to sleep at 3:22 of the first round. This performance earned Pimblett the largest bonus of the night, a $200,000 fight-night bonus, and solidified his place in the UFC lightweight rankings.
Additional bonuses of $100K each went to Tom Aspinall and Mick Parkin for their outstanding performances.
UFC 304 Results
• Main Event: Belal Muhammad defeats Leon Edwards by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
• Co-Main Event: Tom Aspinall defeats Curtis Blaydes by TKO (strikes) at 1:00 of Round
• Paddy Pimblett defeats King Green by submission (triangle choke) at 3:22 of Round 1
• Gregory Rodrigues defeats Christian Leroy Duncan by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Arnold Allen defeats Giga Chikadze by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Nathaniel Wood defeats Daniel Pineda by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28)
• Bruna Brasil defeats Molly McCann by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Jake Hadley defeats Caolan Loughran by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Muhammad Mokaev defeats Manel Kape by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
• Oban Elliott defeats Preston Parsons by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Modestas Bukauskas defeats Marcin Prachnio by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:12 of Round 3
• Sam Patterson defeats Kiefer Crosbie by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 2:50 of Round 1
• Mick Parkin defeats Lukasz Brzeski by KO (strikes) at 3:23 of Round 1
• Shauna Bannon defeats Alice Ardelean by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
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