Needing a win to keep himself in the upper echelon of featherweight contenders, Arnold Allen delivered in style, nearly sweeping the scorecards in a win over Melquizael Costa in the UFC Vegas 117 main event.
Costa found success early with kicks to the body and scoring control on the ground. Allen, however, responded with his takedowns and boxing, landing strong combinations.
Allen’s boxing became key, working Costa over with the jab while putting together strong combinations and limiting Costa’s offense. Costa worked the body and looked for submission attempts on the ground, but they were no match for the pressure and defense of Allen, limiting Costa’s attack.
Allen’s positional pressure continued in the championship rounds, going on to take all three scorecards.
Told ya 👀 That was an Arnold Allen masterclass 👊 Melky a tough lad to take that beating and not go down but Almighty just too good 🔥 #UFCVegas117https://t.co/QZ4b2dwFyj
Allen started his MMA career 19-1. He entered this fight, however, having dropped three of his last four. He most recently dropped a decision to Jean Silva at UFC 325.
Costa sees a six-fight win streak snapped. He entered this bout off a finish of Dan Ige at UFC Houston in February.
MMA News updates UFC Vegas 117 results and highlights live as the action unfolds from the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main event will feature a featherweight bout between Arnold Allen and Melquizael Costa. MMANews has you covered with all the results and highlights!
Arnold Allen vs. Melquizael Costa – Featherweight Main Event
Allen started his professional MMA career 19-1, quickly rising in the UFC’s featherweight ranks. Allen, however, is just 1-3 in the four fights he’s had since 2023. Allen returned to the Octagon for the first time in over a year this past January at UFC 325, losing to Jean Silva.
Costa made his UFC debut in 2023, losing two of his first three fights. Since then, however, Costa has built his name, entering tonight on a six-fight win streak. Costa most recently fought at UFC Houston in February, finishing Dan Ige.
The UFC Vegas 117 co-main event will also be fought at featherweight, as Doo-ho Choi takes on Daniel Santos.
Choi is 2-0-1 in his last three; however, this will mark his first fight since UFC 310 in December 2024, where he finished Nate Landwehr. After dropping his UFC debut, meanwhile, Santos enters this fight on a four-fight win streak. Santos most recently fought at UFC 320, finishing Joo-sang Yoo.
If you can’t watch the action, check here for all the latest results and highlights from UFC Vegas 117!
Arnold Allen and Melquizael Costa headlined Friday’s UFC Vegas 117 weigh-ins ahead of Saturday’s event at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, streaming on Paramount+.
Allen came in at 145 pounds with Costa at 145.5 for their featherweight main event. Dooho Choi and Daniel Santos also made weight for the featherweight co-feature.
Full UFC Fight Night 276 weigh-in results:
Main Card (Paramount+, 8 p.m. ET)
Arnold Allen (145) vs. Melquizael Costa (145.5)
Dooho Choi (146) vs. Daniel Santos (145)
Juan Diaz (135.5) vs. Malcolm Wellmaker (135.5)
Modestas Bukauskas (213.5) vs. Christian Edwards (214.5) — 215-pound contract weight
Timmy Cuamba (—) vs. Bernardo Sopaj (136)
Preliminary Card (Paramount+, 5 p.m. ET)
Nikolay Veretennikov (170.5) vs. Khaos Williams (170.5)
Ivan Erslan (205.5) vs. Tuco Tokkos (205.5)
Thomas Gantt (156) vs. Trey Ogden (155)
Jacqueline Cavalcanti (135.5) vs. Ketlen Vieira (136)
The UFC returns to the Meta Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 16 with a featherweight main event between Arnold Allen and Melquizael Costa, running in direct counter-programming competition with MVP’s Rousey vs. Carano card on Netflix. The main card streams on Paramount+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET, with prelims from 5 p.m. ET.
Allen, ranked seventh at featherweight, enters the main event in the most difficult position of his UFC career. The 31-year-old has lost three of his last four fights, his only win in that stretch coming against Giga Chikadze in 2024. An extended 2025 absence due to injury was followed by a unanimous decision loss to Jean Silva at UFC 324 in January. A loss on Saturday would push Allen toward the edge of contention.
Costa presents the most dangerous possible version of that challenge. The Brazilian is ranked twelfth and riding a six-fight winning streak with four finishes, the most recent being a spinning back kick TKO of Dan Ige in February, the first time Ige had ever been finished inside the Octagon.
Dooho Choi returns in the co-main event against Daniel Santos in a featherweight matchup that has been rescheduled multiple times, having originally been booked for UFC Perth in September before Choi withdrew, then moved to UFC 328 before being pushed to this card. Malcolm Wellmaker, the standout bantamweight prospect from last year’s Contender Series, faces DWCS signee Juan Diaz in the main card’s most forward-looking fight.
Main card on Paramount+ at 8 p.m. ET: Arnold Allen vs. Melquizael Costa at featherweight over five rounds, Dooho Choi vs. Daniel Santos at featherweight, Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Juan Diaz at bantamweight, Modestas Bukauskas vs. Rodolfo Bellato at light heavyweight, and Timmy Cuamba vs. Bernardo Sopaj at bantamweight.
Preliminary card on Paramount+ at 5 p.m. ET: Jeremiah Wells vs. Nicolas Dalby at welterweight, Tuco Tokkos vs. Ivan Erslan at light heavyweight, Trey Ogden vs. Thomas Gantt at lightweight, Ketlen Vieira vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti at women’s bantamweight, Cody Brundage vs. Andre Petroski at middleweight, Alice Ardelean vs. Polyana Viana at women’s strawweight, Daniel Barez vs. Luis Gurule at flyweight, and Shauna Bannon vs. Nicolle Caliari at women’s strawweight.
Arnold Allen and Jean Silva put on a clinic to open up the first UFC main card of 2026, with Silva getting the win at UFC 324.
Allen kept his distance in the opening round, working his striking from the outside and controlling the action, slowly picking things up as the round went on. Silva landed a strong right hand and high kick in the closing seconds of the round, seemingly doing damage. He received a shove from Allen after the horn for his trouble.
Silva scored a takedown on Allen early in the second, landing a strong left hand and high kick as Allen got back to his feet. The two had a back-and-forth exchange, with Silva getting a small cut under one of his eyes. Allen did damage with inside shots, including knees, but the two continued to answer one another.
Allen looked to pressure in round three and utilize grappling control, but Silva out-landed him in terms of significant strikes during the frame and took the decision.
Jean Silva Gets Decision In Back-And-Forth Battle With Arnold Allen At UFC 324
This is UFC matchmaking at it’s finest. What an awesome fight 🔥 #UFC324
Yair Rodríguez revealed in a recent interview with MMA Junkie that despite his hopes of returning before the end of the year, it looks like the UFC has plans for him in the first quarter of 2025. “El Pantera” last competed in February where he was submitted by Brian Ortega in Mexico City.
According to Rodríguez, there could be plans for the Octagon to go back to the same place one year later which opens up discussions about who he could possibly face in and around February. UFC 312 is set for the same month in Sydney, Australia which Alexander Volkanovski hopes to be a part of so it could end up being a big month for the featherweight division.
We also have Aljamain Sterling and Movsar Evloev being rescheduled for UFC 310 and that leaves a couple names that Rodríguez is yet to meet inside the Octagon who could make sense for this time frame.
Whilst in attendance in Abu Dhabi for UFC fight week, the Mexican star named two potential options that have come up in previous conversations.
“I always look to be fighting somebody that is in front of me or somebody that push me to fight for the title again. Names that have been mentioned to me in the past is Diego Lopes, who’s attending the event as well, and Arnold Allen and we’ll see how that goes. I’m just waiting to hear back from the UFC and whatever they want, I’m here to fight.”
UFC fans have watched Max Holloway grow up in the promotion and evolve into the elite level competitor that we now see today. The incredible success that he has achieved hasn’t been without some adjustments along the way and a former opponent of his found that out first hand.
At UFC 308 this Saturday, Holloway will challenge Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title in his return to 145-pounds. “Blessed” has faced his fair share of heavy hitters in the past but seeing how he deals with the boxing and power of the champion is a massive factor in this fight.
When top-10 ranked featherweight Arnold Allen faced Holloway over five rounds in April last year, the Brit was surprised by the way that the former champion fought him.
Rather than bringing his usual brand of forward pressure and high output, the BMF titleholder was happy to counter strike and showed a different side to his game. We saw the same thing in his last fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 where aside from the final few seconds, Holloway didn’t need to put himself in harm’s way to be effective.
Allen highlighted this during his breakdown video for the main event on October 26. “Almighty” spoke about some of the changes that he has noticed from “Blessed” in recent times.
“Max Holloway kind of reinvigorated his style since fighting me. He made some adjustments. He started breaking distance, coming in and out, kicking more, being a little bit smarter like not taking so many shots. Not being in the pocket and just trying to out-will you. I do think one of things when I fought him that we or I didn’t respect enough is his fight IQ.”
Allen also spoke about how Holloway is still able to pressure his opponents without constantly being in their faces. This ability to control the distance without trading with “El Matador” could be a massive factor in his attempt to reclaim the featherweight gold.
“One of the things I really like that he’s done since making some adjustments is he disengages but he keeps the pressure on and there’s definitely an art to it. He’ll leave the danger but he’s still in the range for pressure, it’s hard to explain.”
Featherweight contender Arnold Allen returned to the win column at UFC 304, where winning rounds two and three against Giga Chikadze secured him a unanimous decision across all three scorecards.
The fight was a high-level striking contest between the two men in Manchester where Allen was able to show that he can stand with the best strikers at 145-pounds.
Despite everything appearing to be civil between them ahead of fight night, a social media post from Chikadze appeared to stir up some drama.
The Georgian fighter posted on X and accused his opponent of sending spies to his training room.
You can send as many spies as you want in my training room but tmrw night no one will help you in the octagon! #UFC304@ufc
Arnold Allen Addresses ‘Weird’ Spying Allegations And Says He Wouldn’t Need Them
In a recent interview with InsideFighting, Allen spoke about Chikadze’s claims and explained how he believes that his opponent was paranoid.
“Yeah, I don’t know. That guy’s a strange guy man, paranoid I think, I don’t know. I ain’t got no spies and he was like saying there’s English people everywhere and I’m just like what the f*** do you mean there’s English people everywhere? Mate, you’re in Manchester. I was really, I was kind of taken aback. I was confused. I was just like I don’t know what you’re talking about, so yeah, weird. Weird, weird, weird but like, I ain’t got no spies.”
The #5-ranked contender did go on to explain that some fighters that he knew were, at one point, in the same room as Chikadze, as referenced in the social media post.
Allen broke down what actually played out and said that due to Chikadze’s signature style, he wouldn’t need spies to predict his approach because he is such a specialist striker.
“No one was coming and reporting things and telling me anything. A couple of my teammates were working out in the room, in their workout room, and he had someone from his team come and ask them to leave and they did and they didn’t tell me anything. They were just like, ‘Oh yeah he recognized us from like you train at this gym and then they asked us to leave,’ and they left and they didn’t tell me anything so, other than that they got asked to leave. Weird but also like, if I need spies for anyone, he’s the last guy I need spies for. You know what I mean? It’s like I know exactly what you’re going to do. Unless you’re in the back room drilling double legs, I’m not going to be surprised by anything.”
Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 31, 2024, we’re taking a look at:
Anik says fans are biased against Muhammad
Allen labels Olympic Games as corrupt
UFC veteran says Mokaev didn’t have a leg to stand on
Jon Anik Says Fans Criticism Of UFC 304 Main Event Is Out Of Dislike For Belal Muhammad
Whilst the majority of each round was spent with either Muhammad or Leon Edwards holding the other in a dominant position with little action, the momentum of the fight did swing back and forth at points.
Anik said that to make it clear, he is a huge fan of both men because whilst he may be friends with the new champion, his career will always be tied to “Rocky” and his title reign.
On the Anik & Florian Podcast recap of this past weekend’s event, he said that some were looking for a way to criticize Muhammad rather than praise him.
“So I’m not sure what exactly we are looking for, I think a lot of people just watch Belal Muhammad with a tainted eye and that’s why I tweet, “cry”, right. I am a Leon Edwards fan as anyone knows, ‘Shabba Madda Pot’ is my favorite song.
“My most significant call of my career is Leon Edwards, the favorite moment of my professional career is when Leon hugged me after the fact, six months later. But, it is time to put respect on the name Belal Muhammad.”
Arnold Allen Criticizes The Paris Olympic Games Amidst Multiple Controversies
The Paris Olympic Games are in full swing but this particular instalment has been defined by controversy from the very start.
In a recent series of posts on social media, UFC featherweight contender Arnold Allen voiced his opinions on how the event has become unwatchable over time.
He may have been planning to spend some time this summer watching the games after returning to the win column this past weekend at UFC 304 but “Almighty” has had to tap out.
Allen referred to Dutch volleyball player Steven van de Velde who qualified for this year’s games despite being convicted of child rape in 2016.
Always loved watching the olympics when I was younger, it was always corrupt but now it’s beyond a joke, how can anyone support that shit
Matt Brown Says The UFC Made The Right Call Regarding Muhammad Mokaev’s Contract Status
UFC veteran Matt Brown weighed in with his thoughts on the recent UFC departure of undefeated flyweight contender Muhammad Mokaev.
Like many, he admitted that he was surprised at first given the ability and potential that “The Punisher” brings to the table.
Brown was also able to identify why the UFC would want to walk away from resigning the fighter, if he’s causing issues behind the scenes.
Crucially, he pointed out how Mokaev isn’t in a position where the juice is worth the squeeze given his profile in the sport and performances, compared to other controversial fighters on the roster.
During the latest episode of MMA Fighting’s The Fighter vs. The Writer, “The Immortal” said that he understands the promotion’s call after what went down on fight week.
“I’d probably cut him, too, to be honest,” Brown said. “It is surprising that they would do that, being that his ceiling is pretty freaking high. I’ve watched him fight before. The dude has really, really high ceiling. Young guy with a lot of skills, a lot of talent. But when you’re up and coming like that, you can’t just do that. I think the UFC has shown that before. When you’re an up and comer, you can’t be ruffling too many feathers. Obviously like some but you can’t be doing stupid sh*t like that.
“Once you’re Jon Jones and you’re putting all those asses in the seats, yeah you get away with some sh*t. Because you’re in business with the UFC. You’re a partner essentially,” Brown continued. “Whereas how many people tune in to watch Muhammad Mokaev? When he goes and fights in PFL, how many people are going to tune in and watch Muhammad Mokaev? So there are double standards or triple standards or whatever. There is different standards for every fighter. He’s not at that level to be getting away with sh*t like that. I don’t know the story but that (sucker-punch) sounds like a cowardly b*tch move, and I wouldn’t want to be in business with someone like that either.”
And in the aftermath of UFC 304, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.
Men’s Pound-For-Pound: In addition to reaching the mountaintop at 170 pounds, Belal Muhammad’s title-winning triumph over Leon Edwards this past weekend has seen him join the P4P rankings. The newly crowned welterweight champion has debuted at #6, with his defeated opponent dropping three spots to #7. Muhammad’s arrival has resulted in the removal of former bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling.
Also on a climb is the other man who left the Co-op Live with gold in his possession, Tom Aspinall. The interim heavyweight kingpin’s rapid knockout of Curtis Blaydes has seen him rise by two places to #9, jumping above Max Holloway (#10), Dricus Du Plessis (#11), and Alexandre Pantoja (#12).
The new welterweight king extended his unbeaten streak at #UFC304👑
He now has the 4th longest active unbeaten streak in the UFC 😤
Flyweight: After some controversial antics and a lackluster victory at UFC 304, Muhammad Mokaev evidently didn’t do enough to convince the promotion he was worth re-signing. As a result of his departure, “The Punisher” has been quickly removed from the 125-pound rankings. That’s paved the way for Cody Durden to return at #15.
The man he beat at UFC 304, Manel Kape, has fallen by one position to #9, with both Steve Erceg (#7) and Matheus Nicolau (#8) receiving two-spot boosts to jump above “Starboy.”
Bantamweight: No changes.
Featherweight: Arnold Allen’s decision win over Giga Chikadze in the early hours of Sunday morning was enough to secure his return to the top five at 145 pounds. “Almighty” has moved up by one spot to share the #5 place with former opponent Movsar Evloev.
Lightweight: Paddy Pimblett was among the biggest winners to emerge from UFC 304, putting King Green to sleep with a triangle choke to record his first success over ranked opposition. As expected, the result has pushed “The Baddy” into contention, with the Liverpool native replacing Green at #15.
Welterweight: With Muhammad surging to the throne in Manchester, Edwards has slipped back to the #1 position as the leader in the chasing pack. That’s also left former champ Kamaru Usman one place worse off at #2.
Middleweight: No changes.
Light Heavyweight: No changes.
Heavyweight: After falling short in his first UFC title shot, Blaydes has been relegated to #5 in the heavyweight pecking order, with Sergei Pavlovich replacing him at #4 a month on from his defeat to Alexander Volkov in Saudi Arabia.
On Saturday night, the mixed martial arts leader returned for its latest pay-per-view event, UFC 304.
For the past week, the promotion has been back in the United Kingdom. Why, then, was I still stating up until 7 AM, UFC? Dana White? Anybody? Pre-warning, I planned to do my best not to selfishly write that as a negative for my fellow Brits and I. Was I successful? No comment.
Regardless of the disappointing timings, nothing was disappointing about the lineup the UFC brought with it across the pond, topped by title defenses for welterweight kingpin Leon Edwards and interim heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall.
Before Belal Muhammad and Curtis Blaydes looked to bring shouts of ‘and new’ to the Octagon, Paddy Pimblett had his first opportunity at cracking the lightweight rankings against King Green, Arnold Allen attempted to snap his losing skid at the expense of Giga Chikadze, and Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape vied for potential number one contender status at 125 pounds.
Elsewhere, notable British names like Christian Leroy Duncan, Molly McCann, Nathaniel Wood, and Mick Parkin all looked to leave Manchester’s Co-op Live arena with victories. But did they come together to form an entertaining night of fights?
Let’s find out with all the positives and negatives from UFC 304.
I can’t remember the last time a fight at a UFC PPV event pitted two opponents against one another who quite clearly aren’t up to the standard that should be required for someone to compete on the sport’s biggest stage.
Excuse me, I should have said “couldn’t remember,” past tense. I now can remember: Shauna Bannon vs Alice Ardelean.
The Irishwoman arrived in the UFC as a promising prospect last year off the back of a win under the Invicta FC banner. But she flopped on debut, struggling to land any meaningful offense in a decision defeat to Bruna Brasil. Saturday’s opening bout gave her the opportunity to erase the memory of that result with a strong sophomore performance. In that sense, she didn’t exactly succeed.
“Mama B” was tasked with facing a late-notice replacement opponent in Ardelean. The Romanian’s signing raised eyebrows, with most acknowledging her fairly underwhelming record and skillset while suggesting a social media following was the leading cause of her UFC arrival.
The fight was ultimately a close one with about as much quality as the kind of food the fans inside the Co-op Live would have picked up from Manchester kebab shops in the early hours.
Ardelean is certainly not at the level the UFC should require. And given her struggles en route to a lackluster decision win, it’s hard to say that Bannon is.
With an 11 PM start time, the last thing the UK fans needed was a dud to start.
When these two entered the cage, it was perhaps still too early for an in-cage alarm to be required. But Parkin, in particular, sent one ringing around Manchester with a thunderous…forearm?!
Regular readers will know my feeling on the heavyweight division (and the UFC’s habit of placing the likes of Shamil Gaziev in main event spots this year). With that, it’s always a relief to see them early on a card. The home favorite on Saturday night, however, brought feelings of relief for a different reason.
Rather than the feared three-round heavyweight slog, Parkin needed less than four minutes to dispatch Łukasz Brzeski for UFC 304’s first finish. The damage was initially done by a clean overhand right that had “The Bull” on skates. While he survived the onslaught that followed for a time, his panicky evasive manoeuvers ultimately saw his head meet the forearm of Parkin, who had thrown a left hook.
Patterson subsequently gave us the triad of fight results, following Bannon’s decision and Parkin’s knockout with a submission victory over Kiefer Crosbie. Like his compatriot’s work beforehand, “The Future” needed just one round to have his hand raised, locking his Irish opponent in an arm-triangle choke for the quick tap.
The Englishman was highly touted prior to a disappointing debut in London last year. But having now won consecutive fights via first-round submissions, Patterson is well and truly back on the radar as one of the welterweight division’s most promising up-and-comers.
Negative – Wolf Tickets
To those who bought into Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape’s “bitter feud” and expected them to do away with their habit of putting on dull affairs at UFC 304, I’m afraid to say you were conned.
It took just a minute into the fight to see what was happening. After a hotel “brawl,” some “hold me back” energy at the ceremonial weigh-ins, and the apparent attempt to get at each other in the cage pre-fight, Mokaev and Kape stayed at range feinting.
The rest of the fight was predictable from there. And while some have turned their nose up at the scorecards, the rounds were so lackluster and absent of effective offense that I’m not sure there could be any logical fury over whatever the judges were to come out with.
But, we did have a real reason for fury in round two: Mike Beltran.
After getting Kape to the mat for the first time in round two, Mokaev displayed some of the most egregious cheating in recent memory by yanking “Starboy’s” shorts down and giving the cageside guests a view of his backside.
To not take a point is frankly diabolical. Congratulations, Mike, you can shout loud. Would you like a certificate? Why not do something actual consequential and take a point for such a blatant foul?
Not only was no point taken, Beltran wasn’t even going to pause the fight and take the position away from Mokaev until Kape practically spelled it out to him.
Whether it’s eye pokes, fence grabs, or de-clothing your foe, rules do not exist in mixed martial arts. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, why wouldn’t you cheat when such incompetence comes out of the third men inside the Octagon?
Positive – Bruna’s Brutal Body Blows
It was always going to take something special to write a Molly McCann loss in the positive section, but Bruna Brasil gave it to us on Saturday night. In fact, she gave it to us multiple times.
So, what was special, I hear you ask? Bruna’s body shots, that’s what.
The focus pre-fight was all on McCann and how she appeared to have reinvented herself as a strawweight when she submitted Diana Belbiță in her divisional debut this past February. Because of that, an accomplished striker in Brasil was a ridiculously big underdog given the holes we’ve seen in “Meatball’s” game.
But the Brazilian made a mockery of the betting lines in a round one that verged on a 10-8. “The Special One” delivered a relentless attack to the home fighter’s body, drawing out major reactions with a few vicious knees and kicks to the midsection.
While she found less success in rounds two and three en route to a comfortable decision, Brasil’s violent assault of McCann’s body early was enough to leave a lasting impression. And with two wins on UK soil under the UFC banner, perhaps England is her good luck charm.
Just as the early hours began to take their toll and the crowd inside the Co-op Live faded, Paddy Pimblett arrived to wake them up.
It’s been a difficult period for “The Baddy,” who has had his momentum stalled by injuries and a controversial win over Jared Gordon back in late 2022. His subsequent performance against Tony Ferguson did little to stifle his detractors given “El Cucuy’s” age and losing skid.
With that, Pimblett vowed to get the fans back on his side by running through King (still feels odd to write) Green at UFC 304 — a claim not many took seriously. While a win was never going to be a massive shock, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone predicting one-way traffic and a quick finish.
But that is exactly what we got in Manchester, with a composed Pimblett picking Green apart on the feet in the opening exchanges before punishing the American’s bizarre decision to shoot for a takedown.
After Green slipped out of a guillotine, Pimblett locked in a tight triangle choke, adding in an armbar to the equation just as the ranked contender lost consciousness, sending the home fans into a frenzy.
If Pimblett’s three UFC fights in the UK have taught us anything, it’s that he can always be counted on to create an atmosphere. And his latest triumph has certainly taught his doubters that they were wrong to dismiss his chances of earning a number next to his name on MMA’s biggest stage.
If it wasn’t already clear after he starched Sergei Pavlovich in 69 seconds last November to win the “interim” gold, it sure is now after he stopped Curtis Blaydes in just 60. Aspinall’s first clean shot sat “Razor” down, and the American wasn’t unable to show enough defense on the floor to avoid Marc Goddard’s intervention.
With the win, Aspinall not only defended his title but also made the most of his chance to right the wrong from 2022 when a freak knee injury opposite Blaydes handed him his only Octagon setback to date.
So, what’s next for Aspinall? Well, if it’s not a unification fight with Jones, both the former two-time light heavyweight kingpin and the UFC should get significant backlash from the community.
And if Jones does indeed fight Stipe Miocic in a “legacy fight” that will do nothing for his legacy before retiring, his deliberate avoidance of Aspinall will mark a sizable stain on the back end of his career.
Fight the man, Jones.
Negative – Silly
I hate to conclude things with a complaint, but seriously, what was the UFC thinking?
At my desk, I was struggling to stay awake for a hefty chunk of the UFC 304 main card. I can’t even imagine feeling like that while in attendance at the Co-op Live, and it’s no wonder the atmosphere was absent for much of it.
Of course, Paddy Pimblett’s entrance and the memorable wins for him and Tom Aspinall brought out the kind of cheers and reaction expected of a UK crowd. But just before that, Christian Leroy Duncan and Gregory Rodrigues fought out an entertaining and bloody battle amid complete silence.
Post-event, Dana White had the nerve to criticize fighters for not being motivated by the $100,000 bonuses, stating he’ll never raise them under pressure at press conferences ever again. How about never making athletes compete at 3, 4, and 5 AM again? Maybe that had something to do with it?
The likes of Edwards had to compete in the early hours because the idea of American fans watching an event at 4 PM instead of 10 PM was apparently too crazy to entertain. Do better, UFC.
What this guy said 👇
Whose dumb idea was it to have a UFC card at 4 AM in England? Why couldn't they have just pushed this main card up to 7 PM EST United States time? No wonder the crowd is exhausted #UFC304
UFC 304 is almost upon us, and many in the mixed martial arts community have been posting some late takes on the event.
The promotion hosts its latest pay-per-view card from the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England, tonight, where a fiery fight week across the pond will culminate in championship stakes inside the Octagon.
Headlining UFC 304, welterweight kingpin Leon Edwards will attempt to get the better of challenger Belal Muhammad at the second time of trying. After having his early success rendered null when an eye poke left “Remember the Name” unable to continue back in 2021, “Rocky” will look to pick up where he left off and make Muhammad the third victim of his title reign.
The co-main event, meanwhile, will see another home champ in action as Tom Aspinall puts his interim heavyweight gold on the line. Like Edwards in the headliner, Aspinall will be facing a familiar foe in the form of Curtis Blaydes. The Manchester native has redemption on his mind after a knee injury sent him to defeat opposite “Razor” after just 15 seconds two years ago.
Also on the lineup, Paddy Pimblett makes his return to the cage on home soil to compete for a spot in the lightweight rankings against King Green, Arnold Allen looks to bounce back from his first career losing skid opposite Giga Chikadze, and flyweight standouts Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape vie for a potential shot at Alexandre Pantoja’s belt.
To prepare yourself for tonight’s event, catch up on the latest betting odds here, look back on the faceoffs from Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins here, and follow along with the results and highlights here, live from 6 PM ET.
MMA Community Gives Final Thoughts On UFC 304: ‘There Is Something About English Fight Cards…’
UFC 304 will get underway shortly, meaning the buildup and time for talking is almost over.
The MMA community is sure to be locked in and engaged in hot discussion over the events that unfold in the coming hours, but throughout today, plenty have been getting in their late predictions and final thoughts on the momentous occasion.
Muhammad beating Edwards tonight in an all-time snooze fest decision.
— Silva and Gold Sports Talk (@silvagoldsports) July 27, 2024
Notice how Dana White hasn't been asked any questions about him fucking over UFC fans in the UK by putting on a UK card and having the main event at 5 am. He has the media on strings. #UFC304
For Blaydes and Tom, I like Tom but I like Blaydes more. I think he’s been overlooked & disrespected in general in his career, & being the older man I want him to capitalize on this chance. Tom WILL have his spotlight. Rooting for the veteran fighter/American, slightly.#UFC304
Topping the lineup will be reigning UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards, who is tasked with getting the better of Belal Muhammad at the second time of trying if he’s to successfully defend his title on home soil once again.
Before they go to battle, the co-main event will see another English champ in action as interim heavyweight kingpin Tom Aspinall runs it back with Curtis Blaydes. Their second clash comes two years on from an injury rendering the Brit unable to continue after just 15 seconds at the London-held UFC Fight Night in July 2022.
Also set to make the walk on Saturday night will be the likes of lightweight prospect Paddy Pimblett and his teammate Molly McCann, another home favorite in Arnold Allen, and the undefeated Muhammad Mokaev.
Ahead of the event, you can get some help from the group of experts at MMA News by checking out their predictions for the UFC 304 main card here.
UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad 2 Betting Odds
Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC 304 (as of 7/27), courtesy of DraftKings.
Main Card:
Leon Edwards (-265) vs. Belal Muhammad (+215)
Tom Aspinall (-395) vs. Curtis Blaydes (+310)
King Green (-115) vs. Paddy Pimblett (-105)
Christian Leroy Duncan (-135) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (+114)
Arnold Allen (-238) vs. Giga Chikadze (+195)
Preliminary Card:
Nathaniel Wood (-380) vs. Daniel Pineda (+300)
Molly McCann (-345) vs. Bruna Brasil (+275)
Caolán Loughran (-225) vs. Jake Hadley (+185)
Modestas Bukauskas (-155) vs. Marcin Prachnio (+130)
After recording a successful defenses at the expense of Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington in 2023, “Rocky” will look to settle unfinished business with Belal Muhammad after their 2021 UFC Fight Night headliner ended in a no contest.
Title stakes also come in the co-main event, which will see Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall back in action. He defends the strap he captured with a brutal knockout of Sergei Pavlovich last November in a rematch against Curtis Blaydes.
Elsewhere on the UFC 304 card, Paddy Pimblett gets his first shot at the lightweight rankings opposite King Green, flyweight standouts Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape attempt to stake their claim for a shot at Alexandre Pantoja’s gold, and Arnold Allen plans to get back on track in the featherweight division at the expense of Giga Chikadze.
Ahead of the event, 27 out of the 28 fighters successfully made weight, with Jake Hadley’s one-pound miss of the bantamweight limit marking the sole indiscretion on the scale.
Nevertheless, every fight has remained intact, and all that remained on Friday was for the athletes to face off one final time at the UFC 304 ceremonial weigh-ins!
Check out a stream via the official UFC YouTube channel below, followed by all the faceoffs!
And the mixed martial arts leader has brought a lineup worthy of the occasion with it across the pond, with two title fights and a host of major undercard bouts set to go down.
Elsewhere on the card, Liverpool native Paddy Pimblett gets his first crack at the rankings opposite King Green, Arnold Allen looks to snap his losing skid at the expense of Giga Chikadze, and top flyweights Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape settle their bad blood in a potential title eliminator at 125 pounds.
UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad 2 Weigh-In Results
UFC 304 takes place Saturday, July 27, at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6 PM ET/3 PM PT.
See above for a live stream of the UFC 304 Weigh-In Show, and check out the full results below!
Main Card:
Welterweight Championship Main Event: Leon Edwards (170lbs) vs. Belal Muhammad (169lbs)
Interim Heavyweight Championship Co-Main Event: Tom Aspinall (251lbs) vs. Curtis Blaydes (256lbs)
Lightweight: King Green (154.5lbs) vs. Paddy Pimblett (156lbs)
Middleweight: Christian Leroy Duncan (185lbs) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (185lbs)
Featherweight: Arnold Allen (145lbs) vs. Giga Chikadze (146lbs)
Preliminary Card:
Featherweight: Nathaniel Wood (145lbs) vs. Daniel Pineda (146lbs)
Women’s Strawweight: Molly McCann (116lbs) vs. Bruna Brasil (116lbs)
Bantamweight: Caolán Loughran (136lbs) vs. Jake Hadley (137lbs)*
Light Heavyweight: Modestas Bukauskas (204lbs) vs. Marcin Prachnio (205lbs)
Early Preliminary Card:
Welterweight: Oban Elliott (170lbs) vs. Preston Parsons (169lbs)
Flyweight: Muhammad Mokaev (126lbs) vs. Manel Kape (125.5lbs)
Welterweight: Sam Patterson (170lbs) vs. Kiefer Crosbie (171lbs)
Heavyweight: Mick Parkin (264lbs) vs. Łukasz Brzeski (235lbs)
Women’s Strawweight: Shauna Bannon (115lbs) vs. Alice Ardelean (116lbs)
*Jake Hadley missed the bantamweight limit by one pound, fined 20 percent of his purse
The main event will see UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards run it back with Belal Muhammad in defense of his title on home soil. The rematch comes over three years on from their UFC Fight Night headliner in 2021 ending in a no contest.
Also competing with gold on the line will be Manchester’s own Tom Aspinall, who makes a rare defense of an interim title. After capturing the heavyweight belt at the expense of Sergei Pavlovich last November, the Brit will share the cage again with Curtis Blaydes, against whom a serious knee injury saw him suffer his first UFC loss back in 2022.
Elsewhere on the main card, Paddy Pimblett will be back in action for the first time since outpointing Tony Ferguson last December and English featherweight Arnold Allen meets the striking challenge of Georgia’s Giga Chikadze. And earlier in the night, top flyweights Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape are set to battle for a potential title shot.
UFC 304: MMA News Staff Predictions
Ahead of Saturday’s UFC 304 event, Kyle Dimond, Ryan Jarrell, Thomas Albano, and Tyriece Simon have provided their picks for the five major matchups set for Saturday night.
Below, you can check out the current leaderboard through three cards.
Thomas Albano (12-2)
Tyriece Simon (11-3)
Ryan Jarrell (9-5)
Kyle Dimond (8-6)
Andrew Starc (5-4)
And with that, it’s time for the team’s predictions for UFC 304.
Featherweight: Arnold Allen vs. Giga Chikadze
Images: UFC/Zuffa LLC
Kyle Dimond: Chikadze is an incredibly dangerous striker but I’m not overly sold yet on his ability to compete with the best in this weight class. Allen, on the other hand, has been tested at that same level, and while he didn’t get his hand raised against Max Holloway or Movsar Evloev, he showed that he’s not far off.
The Brit has more weapons at his disposal and this will likely be key for him in this fight. Allen is a well-polished jack of all trades, but striking with Chikadze is never going to be his best route to victory. “Almighty” is disciplined enough on the feet to avoid getting caught with something massive, and through mixing in his takedowns across 15 minutes, he’ll return to the win column on home soil. (Prediction: Arnold Allen)
Ryan Jarrell: I love watching Chikadze fight. He has a fan-friendly style and can end the fight at any moment with his precise striking. But stylistically, this is a bad matchup for him. Allen is five years younger and much closer to his prime years than the Georgian is. I expect “Almighty” to dictate where the fights takes place and win a decision. (Prediction: Arnold Allen)
Thomas Albano: It’s sad that this fight is not getting the attention that it should, because it is a solid opener for a UK pay-per-view. Allen may be coming off back-to-back losses, but those were his first two defeats in the UFC, and they weren’t bad considering the guys who beat him were Holloway and Evolev. Chikadze, meanwhile, has won all but one of his fights in the Octagon, with three of his last four victories coming from highlight finishes. And his one loss? Calvin Kattar – a solid name at 145 pounds.
Considering both of these guys like to strike and bring powerful pressure, this one should be a fun way to get some early heat going for the main show. Overall, I think Allen is slightly better all-around, and I feel the younger fighter, a TriStar product, will use all of the skills in his toolbox to score a solid decision win. (Prediction: Arnold Allen)
Tyriece Simon: This matchup is my prediction to be the Fight of the Night. Both like to keep the fight on their feet and put on entertaining performances for the fans. Allen comes into the fight on a losing streak, but it was against top competition in Holloway and Evloev. I think “Almighty” will rebound against Chikadze and get back on track in the featherweight division.
The Georgian kickboxer has been out of action for nearly a year and could experience ring rust earlier in the fight. Allen also has notable grappling ability with a 50 percent takedown accuracy. The Brit could give Chikadze issues if he mixes the threat of a takedown and striking to keep his opponent guessing, which Calvin Kattar was able to do. I think Allen will use this game plan to outpace his opponent to win a decision in his home country. (Prediction: Arnold Allen)
Consensus: 4-0 Arnold Allen
Flyweight: Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape
Images: UFC/Zuffa LLC
Kyle Dimond: The fight to potentially decide who the next flyweight title challenger should never be this low on any card. The fight is quite simple in my mind: if Mokaev takes him down and keeps him there, he wins. At the same time, I don’t see a world in which Kape loses the striking battle. I’m not confident that “Starboy” will be able to sharpshoot his way to a win here and can see Mokaev doing everything he can to grab ahold of him. Similar to the Alex Perez fight, I think “The Punisher” stays undefeated in a bit of a cagey contest (apologies for the pun) that goes the distance. (Prediction: Muhammad Mokaev)
Ryan Jarrell: We are going to find out just how good Mokaev is in this fight. One worry I do have when it comes to Kape is his inactivity. He hasn’t been as active as his undefeated opponent has been, and I wonder if that will play a factor in the fight. Mokaev is 6-0 in the UFC and 11-0 overall. He is a very dangerous fighter on the ground, and if the fight hits the mat, I think Kape is in big trouble.
Ultimately, I expect “The Punisher” to avoid the big shots from the dangerous striker and get this fight to the ground in each and every round while cruising to a somewhat boring decision victory. (Prediction: Muhammad Mokaev)
Thomas Albano: It’s awful to see how far this fight has fallen, and it makes you question what is going on behind the scenes. These two are amazing flyweight competitors, and recent events have seen the two of them get into it at the fighter hotel. My prayer at this point is that this is just a random UFC decision to boost prelims and not a weight or contractual concern.
This feels like a traditional grappler vs. striker matchup. Some people on social media have been laying it in on Mokaev, saying he’ll just sit on Kape for 15 minutes and then complain about not being next in line for a title shot. But when you have the wrestling and submission grappling background like he does, and with him knowing that he needs a big performance to convince UFC brass to give him Alexandre Pantoja next, you bet he’s going to look to take Kape down, do damage and find the tap-out as often as possible.
It’s sad various issues have prevented us from seeing all that we could of Kape in the Octagon. His punches helped lead him to a title in RIZIN, and he has the ability to test Mokaev’s chin in this one. But it feels like “The Punisher” will be ready for what Kape is going to bring from his hands – or that “Starboy” may be underestimating the grappling abilities of Mokaev, likely leading to a submission for the Brit. (Prediction: Muhammad Mokaev)
Tyriece Simon: I’m really excited about this fight, as the winner could be next in line for a title opportunity. Mokaev has leaned on his grappling ability to dominate his opponents for most of his UFC career. I believe he will have the same game plan against Kape. “Starboy” has good takedown defense, but I think he’ll have difficulty dealing with Mokaev’s grappling. Another problem can be how the weight cut will affect the former Rizin bantamweight champion. He has missed weight in the past, including a recent issue that led to his rematch against Matheus Nicolau being canceled earlier this year.
If he successfully makes weight for his fight against Mokaev, I believe Kape’s cardio might be affected by the multiple takedowns he’ll have to defend. I have “The Punisher” dominating the Angola-born Portuguese flyweight en route to either a finish or a decision victory. (Prediction: Muhammad Mokaev)
Consensus: 4-0 Muhammad Mokaev
Lightweight: King Green vs. Paddy Pimblett
Images: UFC/Zuffa LLC
Kyle Dimond: This, along with the co-main event, is the toughest one to call for me. Pimblett has the size, power, and finishing ability to bully Green early on and overwhelm him. The issue with this is that Green is an excellent matador, and we’ve seen him time and time again just dance his way around the Octagon and light opponents up with his fast hands. “The Baddy” can be caught, but for me, it’s whether he’s able to smother Green quick enough to avoid getting tagged repeatedly. Pimblett has to make this ugly. I can see him getting his hand raised via submission in round two, but not without blood coming out of his nose first. (Prediction: Paddy Pimblett)
Ryan Jarrell: The trash talk leading into this fight will be so much fun. I expect the fight to deliver as well. We are going to find out a lot about Pimblett in the contest. Green is a tough matchup and his unusual striking could be problematic for “The Baddy.” The last person to submit Green was David Mitchell in 2009. It would be a huge feather in Pimblett’s cap to do it at UFC 304.
I don’t expect the Liverpool native to get the submission, but his best chance to win this fight is to take it to the ground and keep Green on his back. I think Pimblett will do it enough to win a close decision over the American. (Prediction: Paddy Pimblett)
Thomas Albano: After turning away a former UFC lightweight champion who is a shell of his former self in Ferguson, Pimblett now gets another step up in competition when he takes on Green. The veteran may be past his prime, but the fact he is still winning fights and staying competitive with notable contenders at 155 pounds should give him nothing short of praise. And after a controversial win over Jared Gordon in December 2022, and not seeing him again until a win (by decision, not finish, mind you) against Ferguson in December 2023, Pimblett is going to need a big performance on the British stage.
The keys to victory for this one should bring us a typical striker vs. grappler battle. Green should look to be himself, landing powerful shots – mixing them up between distance and the pocket – and defending any of Pimblett’s takedown attempts. “The Baddy,” meanwhile, should look to do some damage to make it easier to get the fight to the ground, where he has the best chance of winning. As Pimblett is the younger fighter with better movement and more upward trajectory, I’m going to side with him. But this is going to be a tall order. He needs to be locked in on fight night to put on the kind of showing that can get him back on track toward a spot in the lightweight rankings. (Prediction: Paddy Pimblett)
Tyriece Simon: Pimblett enters the fight confident that he’ll get past Green and join the lightweight rankings. He had an impressive performance over Tony Ferguson at UFC 296 last year, but most agree that “El Cucuy” isn’t the same fighter he once was. Regardless, he showed improvement in his striking and was able to outland the former interim champ. Green presents a different challenge as he has demonstrated that he is still there or thereabouts in his fighting prime and will have an overwhelming advantage on the feet.
Pimblett has had issues absorbing too many strikes and has been stunned in past fights. Green’s speed, punching power, and accuracy will be brutal for the Liverpudlian. The veteran does also boast 74 percent takedown defense accuracy, making the matchup more difficult for Pimblett. I’m unsure if Green will finish “The Baddy,” but he can outwork the fan favorite to a decision. (Prediction: King Green)
Consensus: 3-1 Paddy Pimblett
Interim UFC Heavyweight Title: Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes
Images: UFC/Zuffa LLC
Kyle Dimond: I agree with the “interim” heavyweight champion that Blaydes is the toughest stylistic match-up for him in the heavyweight division. Aspinall will be too quick for him on the feet but the issue with that is the Brit is not a distance striker. He tends to stun heavyweights by reaching them with strikes by exploding into range when they think they’re outside it. To do that against “Razor” puts him in constant danger of running into a big shot or a takedown.
I think this fight will test Aspinall. He will have difficult moments, but he’s a very smart grappler who should be able to keep himself safe if the fight hits the floor. As Blaydes’ gas tank begins to wear, I think Aspinall might build into it and get stronger. Every round starts standing, and as we’ve seen many times, the interim champion only needs a minute to find the winning punch. I expect him to find it in round three. (Prediction: Tom Aspinall)
Ryan Jarrell: Unlike the main event, this is a rematch that I am very excited about. The first fight ended the way that none of us wanted it to. Luckily enough for us, we get a rematch when both fighters are still smack in the middle of their primes. I am a huge fan of Blaydes, but unfortunately for him, he has to face the best heavyweight (in my opinion) of today’s generation. Aspinall is as well rounded as it gets, and I would be extremely surprised if he doesn’t dominate this fight and end it by way of knockout early, if not in the very first round. (Prediction: Tom Aspinall)
Thomas Albano: Like the headliners for this pay-per-view, Aspinall and Blaydes have their own form of unfinished business. We barely got to see any of their first contest, with Aspinall tearing his MCL mere seconds into the fight. Prior to his injury, the Englishman was one of the best prospects rising the ranks the UFC had, and his momentum has not stopped since returning a year ago. Aspinall used his explosive power and finishing ability, turning it into an interim title win at UFC 295. In fact, considering the ongoings of Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic, some might consider Aspinall the true champion of the UFC’s heavyweight division. But before Aspinall can look toward bigger aspirations of being undisputed champion, he has to get through the only man, injury or not, that holds a win over him in the Octagon.
Just like his fellow Chicago-born UFC title challenger at UFC 304 in Belal Muhammad, Blaydes’ wrestling is his key to victory. Though “Razor” holds devastating power like Aspinall, he also has a wrestling pedigree, holding the UFC heavyweight record for most takedowns in a fight. Like some of his previous performances, the finish of Aspinall would best come on the ground. That said, it’s going to be easier said than done against the interim champ, who will look to keep distance and land his powerful punching from there. The power may be just too much for Blaydes in this one, as Aspinall continues to be the face of the UFC’s heavyweight division – whether or not Jones is the undisputed king. (Prediction: Tom Aspinall)
Tyriece Simon: Fans should expect Aspinall to come into this matchup extra motivated to avenge his defeat to Blaydes. Their first fight lasted 15 seconds, with the interim champion injuring his knee after stepping back from landing a leg kick. I believe the fight will give fans more of a decisive winner without any doubt about who the better fighter is. That is why I lean toward Aspinall being victorious in his home country.
I think the Brit has the advantage if the fight stays standing with good head movement and hand speed. Blaydes has not relied on his grappling lately, showing his striking has improved. He also shared that he doesn’t intend to change his gameplan for the rematch, so I expect him to want to stand in front of Aspinall for a knockout. I think Blaydes’ strategy benefits Aspinall for counters that could put the challenger in trouble. If “Razor” utilizes his grappling, it could swing the momentum in his favor. But I think Blaydes will feel confident standing with the interim champion, and I believe Aspinall will catch him for a knockout. (Prediction: Tom Aspinall)
Consensus: 4-0 Tom Aspinall
UFC Welterweight Title: Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad
Images: UFC/Zuffa LLC
Kyle Dimond: Muhammad has been on a great run, but having seen Edwards deal with wrestling specialists in the past, it’s hard to see how he wins this fight. If he is able to land takedowns, I’m not sure he’ll be able to keep “Rocky” down, land damage, and do that for enough rounds to win a decision. The champion has shown that he’s excellent at chipping away at opponents without leaving himself open for being taken down, and when the likes of Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington have closed the gap on him, he’s been more than happy to test his grappling against theirs.
Like many, I’m not expecting a particularly exhilarating fight, but the welterweight title is staying in England by way of a decision. (Prediction: Leon Edwards)
Ryan Jarrell: This is a rematch a lot of people are eagerly anticipating. I am not one of those people. I thoroughly expect Edwards to stuff takedowns and keep this fight where he wants it (on the feet) and cruise to a decision victory. The reigning welterweight champion is the better fighter, and as long as his takedown defense holds up, there is no way he loses this fight. (Prediction: Leon Edwards)
Thomas Albano: For as much as some people may not be a fan of this matchup, it always proves to be interesting when thinking about two guys who come into a bout on the kinds of win streaks like Edwards and Muhammad. “Rocky” hasn’t lost since 2015, winning the welterweight title in the spectacular fashion as he did and turning away Kamaru Usman (in a trilogy fight) and Colby Covington last year. Muhammad, meanwhile, is unbeaten since 2019. The only time neither guy hasn’t come out on top in those spans was when they fought each other to a no contest in 2021. Now, it’s time for unfinished business to be settled.
Though Muhammad’s wrestling hasn’t won him the most fans, it’s won him most of his fights. It’s the key to his success. He should look for the takedown, keep the fight on the ground, and look to overwhelm Edwards with a variety of attacks and keep him pinned to the floor. That, however, will be easier said than done when the champ has made strides in his own grappling abilities over the years. Combine that with Edwards’ kickboxing and he is just the overall more well-rounded fighter. Edwards won the sole round scored when they faced off in 2021, and perhaps that’s how this fight plays out. (Prediction: Leon Edwards)
Tyriece Simon: Edwards and Muhammad are coming into the matchup in phenomenal shape for their long-awaited rematch. In their first fight from 2021, “Rocky” overwhelmed his rival in the first round. I think Edwards has gotten better and has the skillset to give Muhammad a formidable challenge to overcome. Both like to outwork their opponents by mixing up their striking and grappling for dominant decision wins.
The Brit does have the reach advantage to utilize his jab to keep Muhammad on the outside. UFC analytics also shows that Muhammad absorbs more significant strikes than Edwards, which could be a factor as he tries to get on the inside for a takedown attempt. If the challenger gets on the inside, Edwards has good takedown defense, making putting him on the ground difficult. Fans should also expect sharp elbows from the champion if they engage in the clinch position. This fight can lean either way, but I believe Edwards will outpoint Muhammad to retain his title. (Prediction: Leon Edwards)
Consensus: 4-0 Leon Edwards
That’ll do it for our UFC 304 staff picks! What do you think? Do your picks look similar? Let us know in the comments section! Also, you can check out the full UFC 304 card below.
Main Card:
Welterweight Championship Main Event: Leon Edwards (C) vs. Belal Muhammad
Interim Heavyweight Championship Co-Main Event: Tom Aspinall (IC) vs. Curtis Blaydes
Lightweight: King Green vs. Paddy Pimblett
Middleweight: Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Gregory Rodrigues
Featherweight: Arnold Allen vs. Giga Chikadze
Preliminary Card:
Featherweight: Nathaniel Wood vs. Daniel Pineda
Women’s Strawweight: Molly McCann vs. Bruna Brasil
Bantamweight: Caolán Loughran vs. Jake Hadley
Light Heavyweight: Modestas Bukauskas vs. Marcin Prachnio
Early Preliminary Card:
Welterweight: Oban Elliott vs. Preston Parsons
Flyweight: Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape
Welterweight: Sam Patterson vs. Kiefer Crosbie
Heavyweight: Mick Parkin vs. Łukasz Brzeski
Women’s Strawweight: Shauna Bannon vs. Alice Ardelean
Be sure to keep it right here on MMANews.com tomorrow for all the results, highlights, and updates on UFC 304!
While focused on his own assignment at UFC 304, welterweight champion Leon Edwards recently assessed a few other notable matchups set for July 27.
Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion will head back across the pond toward the end of this month, visiting an English city other than London for the first time since pre-pandemic.
“Rocky” is expecting both him and the interim heavyweight kingpin to emerge with the gold still in their possession. And his support of fellow countrymen goes beyond just his fellow champ…
Edwards Backs Aspinall, Pimblett, Allen To Join Him As Home Winners In Manchester
During a recent interview with talkSPORT MMA, Edwards looked ahead to his upcoming Octagon outing, which comes 16 months on from his previous home fight in England’s capital.
After analyzing his main event showdown with Muhammad for the welterweight gold, “Rocky” had his attention turned to some of the other notable bouts set to play out in Manchester featuring his compatriots.
That included the other champion with whom he’s sharing the poster, interim heavyweight titleholder Aspinall.
“I pick Tom for the win,” Edwards said. “Obviously (Curtis) Blaydes is a solid opponent; great wrestling, good boxing as well. But I feel like Tom is just like, for heavyweight, quite fast and moves well on his feet. So yeah, I favor Tom for the win.”
Edwards’ next pick came with a self-admitted bias, as he backed fellow Team Renegade standout Arnold Allen to bounce back from his widely debated setback against Movsar Evloev this past January in Canada.
“I’ve got Arnold (against Giga Chikadze). He’s my training partner, you know?” Edwards noted. “I know how hard he works in the gym and just how good he is. He’s looking good now in training camp, so I’ve got Arnold.”
“That’s a good one,” Edwards said, pondering more than his previous predictions. “I’ll go Paddy. I’ll go all-British through here. I’ll go Paddy but I feel like Bobby’s a dangerous fight for him. Probably his toughest test.”
Come fight night, Edwards will no doubt be more concerned about his prediction for his own fight against Muhammad coming to fruition.
While his first two defenses against Usman and Covington went to the scorecards, the Jamaican-born Brit is vowing to finish “Remember the Name” before the championship rounds when they run it back later this month.
While the aftermath of the June 29 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the light heavyweight title picture to the 170-pound championship conversation.
At UFC 304, set for the newly built Co-op Live in Manchester, England, on July 27, reigning welterweight kingpin Leon Edwards will make the walk for the first time this year, making his third defense of the gold in a rematch against Belal Muhammad.
There will also be title stakes between familiar opponents in the co-headliner, as interim heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall runs it back with Curtis Blaydes two years on from his devastating knee injury opposite “Razor” just 15 seconds into their UFC Fight Night main event in London.
Pimblett, Mokaev, Allen Set The Stage For Title Headliners At UFC 304
Before Edwards and Aspinall defend their championships on home soil in the main and co-main events, respectively, a number of other high-profile Brits will take to the Octagon looking to make the post of their position on the major card.
That includes up-and-coming lightweight Paddy Pimblett, who gets his toughest test to date in the form of the #15-ranked Bobby Green. After extending his unbeaten UFC record to 5-0 by getting the better of Tony Ferguson, the Liverpool native has the chance to break through into the top 15 against “King,” who most recently outpointed Jim Miller on the milestone UFC 300 card this past April.
Prior to that, Dagestan-born Brit Muhammad Mokaev will look to stake his claim for a first shot at the flyweight gold when he meets former Rizin champion Manel Kape. “The Young Punisher” most recently edged past ex-title challenger Alex Perez at the Apex in March. “Starboy,” meanwhile, hasn’t competed since a victory at UFC 293 in Sydney last September, with a weight miss and injury subsequently scrapping his two scheduled rematches with Matheus Nicolau this year.
Another local favorite will open the main card, with Ipswich native Arnold Allen looking to get back on track. Following a valiant effort in defeat against Max Holloway in Kansas City last April, “Almighty” fell on the wrong side of a tight and debated decision opposite Movsar Evloev at UFC 297 in Toronto, Canada, this past January. To bounce back, Allen must halt the resurgence of striking specialist Giga Chikadze, who most recently returned to winning ways at the expense of Alex Caceres in Singapore last August.
See below for the full UFC 304 card, as it stands.
Main Card:
Leon Edwards (C) vs. Belal Muhammad (welterweight championship main event)
Tom Aspinall (C) vs. Curtis Blaydes (interim heavyweight championship co-main event)
Bobby Green vs. Paddy Pimblett (lightweight)
Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape (flyweight)
Arnold Allen vs. Giga Chikadze (featherweight)
Preliminary Card:
Nathaniel Wood vs. Daniel Pineda (featherweight)
Molly McCann vs. Bruna Brasil (women’s strawweight)
Caolán Loughran vs. Ramon Tavares (bantamweight)
Mick Parkin vs. Łukasz Brzeski (heavyweight)
Early Preliminary Card:
Oban Elliott vs. Preston Parsons (welterweight)
Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Gregory Rodrigues (middleweight)
Sam Patterson vs. Kiefer Crosbie (welterweight)
Shauna Bannon vs. Ravena Oliveira (women’s strawweight)
Modestas Bukauskas vs. Marcin Prachnio (light heavyweight)
Chikadze is a great fight on paper but “Almighty” wants to know what he needs to do to take on some of the bigger names in the weight class.
Allen Uses Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov As An Example For His Featherweight Confusion
In an interview with InsideFighting, Allen spoke about how he doesn’t quite understand what determines which match-ups get put together.
He used the example of Cory Sandhagen fighting down the bantamweight rankings for his next fight against Umar Nurmagomedov on August 3.
Even after the pair were matched last year and the fight didn’t happen, it has been rebooked despite a big gap between them in the top 15.
Allen questioned whether it’s down to who you’re managed by and the influence that some fighters and teams seem to have compared to others. Nurmagomedov, of course, is managed by Ali Abdelaziz if Dominance MMA, a well-known management stable featuring some of the biggest names in the sport such as Islam Makhachev, Kamaru Usman and others.
“You need some of those old guys to fight these guys coming up so this will be my second fight now fighting down the rankings and I get it, I lost the last two, whatever I think, I lost the last two. The one after Holloway I felt like probably fighting someone like Ortega would have made sense but then they’re like ‘ahh, have number #9’ so then okay, whatever, is what it is. It feels like you have to be someone or be with the right management to get the right match-ups that make sense.
“Kind of like Cory Sandhagen fighting Umar, he’s like #9 or #10 and like come on. He’s #2, Sandhagen is #2 and he also already accepted the fight, didn’t happen, none of his fault, he fought anyway so yeah, I don’t get it, it’s confusing. I don’t doubt his ability, he’s very good, I think it’s going to be a good fight, a tough test, I just don’t understand what gets that skip in the queue.”
UFC President Dana White gave out nine post-fight bonus checks following UFC London, but UFC featherweight Arnold Allen stood out most to him.
White had a lot to choose from when it came to deciding who would get the post-fight bonus checks, so he opted to give out bonuses to the nine fighters who picked up finishes. This included Allen, who blitzed Dan Hooker in the opening seconds of the fight en route to a first-round TKO victory.
Arnold Allen vs. Dan Hooker, UFC London
Allen seized his opportunity in the UFC London co-main event slot and has now won 11 in a row in his MMA career. His TKO of Hooker was his first stoppage victory since 2018 when he submitted Mads Burnell.
During his UFC London post-fight press conference, White tabbed Allen as his choice if he was forced to give out just one Performance of the Night bonus check.
“I’d have to go with Arnold,” White said. “He just beat the s**t out of f**ing Hooker, who just moved down a weight class to fight in a lower weight class, and he did it within seconds of the first round, it’s crazy.”
Allen wasn’t the only UK fighter who shocked the masses at UFC London. Tom Aspinall, Paddy Pimblett, and Molly McCann all picked up massive wins on the main card.
Allen picked up four straight unanimous decision wins over Sodiq Yusuff, Nik Lentz, Gilbert Melendez, and Jordan Rinaldi before his stunning performance at UFC London. He used his post-fight interview to call out Calvin Kattar for a fight later this year.
Allen’s performance puts him right in the thick of things in the featherweight title picture. After drawing quite the reaction from his fellow UFC colleagues, he could face a top featherweight contender for his next UFC outing.
Surging featherweight prospect Arnold Allen showed why he’s a future title contender with a spectacular first-round victory over Dan Hooker in the co-main event of UFC London.
Fighting in front of a rapturous hometown crowd at the O2 Arena, Allen swarmed Hooker early with a flurry of strikes. Hooker countered and dazed the Englishman before Allen unloaded on the New Zealander once again until the ref stepped in to award a TKO victory.
It was Allen’s ninth straight victory in the UFC, where he remains undefeated. The #7 ranked featherweight is now 18-1 in his professional MMA career. For Hooker, the loss was his second in a row, having previously lost to Islam Makhachev as a lightweight.
You can catch all the highlights of the co-main event below.
Brilliant job by Arnold Allen to not force the finish there. Gathered himself before putting Dan Hooker away. Big things ahead for Almighty. Must be something to be in that building tonight… #UFCLondon
UFC fan favorite Dan Hooker is looking forward to taking Arnold Allen’s featherweight momentum this weekend at UFC London.
After falling to some of the top names at lightweight, leaving him 1-3 across his last four in the division, Hooker will return to 145 pounds for the first time since 2016 on Saturday.
In his way of a successful return to the weight class will be Arnold Allen. The #7-ranked contender is unbeaten in the UFC at 8-0, a record that includes victories over Nik Lentz and Sodiq Yusuff. The “Almighty” Englishman will be hoping to surge into the title picture by adding the established name of Hooker to his résumé next.
But while Allen’s goal is to take an unblemished 9-0 slate towards the top five, “The Hangman” is looking to nab that win streak from the 28-year-old’s grasp.
Hooker: “I’m Taking That Win Streak”
Despite recording wins over high-level names like Gilbert Burns, Al Iaquinta, and Paul Felder at lightweight, Hooker believes featherweight is the weight he can thrive at. He’s looking to show that, as well as a decade of hard work, when he shares the Octagon with Allen inside London’s O2 Arena on March 19.
And while leaving with a victory over the Ipswich native is the aim, the New Zealander believes a triumph on Saturday will see him exit the Octagon with a whole lot more than a sole success.
“Man, he’s on an eight-fight win streak. I saw one of those things (graphics) pop up, and there’s only Max Holloway ahead of him,” noted Hooker at UFC London media day on Wednesday. “I saw José Aldo’s win streak was only a six-fight win streak. So you have to say, an eight-fight win streak puts him up there. He’s the second-longest win streak in featherweight history. So, that is to be respected. He just hasn’t had that name. The guys that he’s beaten have obviously been world class and incredibly talented, but they just didn’t have that drawing power.
“It’s a win-win situation for the UFC. Either they get a guy on a win streak that beats someone with some name value, or they get a guy with some name value who—I’m taking that win streak. After this, I’m gonna be on a nine-fight win streak. So I’m excited to move on to the future on my nine-fight win streak,” Hooker jested.
It appears the UFC’s long-awaited return to London, England may have hit another roadblock in the form of Britain’s worst storm in decades.
On March 19, MMA’s premier promotion is set to host a card in England’s capital for the first time since 2019. After an attempt to cross the Atlantic proved unsuccessful last September, the UK audience has finally had an event officially confirmed, one that sold out in minutes.
But an extreme weather event may be about to throw a spanner in the works. As Storm Eunice causes havoc across the British Isles and delivers record-breaking gusts, damage is inevitable. What most probably hadn’t banked on, though, was the roof of the O2 Arena being torn off…
While it’s uncertain how serious the damage is and what a potential repair timeline will look like, the storm continues to rage on. With that in mind, it’s unlikely the venue will remain in its current state, with further destruction expected.
It’s impossible to tell at this stage whether UFC London will be affected. However, with WBC Cruiserweight World Champion Lawrence Okolie set to make his second defense against challenger Michel Cieslak next weekend at the O2, we can expect the status of the March 19 UFC Fight Night to become clearer towards the end of the month.
The O2 Is Set To Host A Stacked British Showcase
Having been kept to US-based events and Abu Dhabi-held cards since the COVID-19 pandemic caused havoc in 2020, the UFC has understandably pulled out all the stops ahead of its return to overseas events.
As well as the presence of top UK names and prospects like Tom Aspinall, Arnold Allen, Paddy Pimblett, Paul Craig, and Molly McCann, well-known international fighters like Dan Hooker, Ilia Topuria, Nikita Krylov, Gunnar Nelson, and Alexander Volkov are also set to enter the cage inside London’s O2 Arena.
With a host of exciting matchups set, fans will certainly be hoping any more damage to the host venue as a result of Storm Eunice is limited.
Arnold Allen admits that he believes USADA should come knocking more often.
The English featherweight Arnold Allen is on a roll lately. He has won 10 fights in a row, including all eight he has had in the UFC. He is quickly rising up the featherweight rankings and proving that he has what it takes to fight some of the best at 145 pounds.
Allen is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Sodiq Yusuff last April. Since then, he has been pretty quiet, until recently.
“I feel like I don’t get tested that much to be honest,” Allen said. “There was a lot of time before I hadn’t been tested once in England and then suddenly they start testing and then during COVID there wasn’t much testing. It’s been a bit quiet.”
Allen’s father was a strongman who he admitted did take steroids during his lifting days. Having discussed this brought about the issue of his own drug testing in the UFC.
Since the insertion of the USADA testing back in 2015, several fighters have been caught or suspended for failing to uphold the drug policy. Allen has not had any trouble himself but feels things could be run a little tighter in that department.
“I don’t even remember maybe before Christmas (when asked about the last time he was tested), yeah I don’t know. I’m also traveling every other minute with these drives three times a week so I don’t know how it would work. I put it in the thing, in the app, telling them where I’m at, maybe they’ll come get me at the truck stop, in the showers.”
According to the USADA website, Allen was tested once so far in 2022, unlike Israel Adesanya and Michael Chandler who have each been tested six times this year.
Drug testing in the sport is always a hot-button issue. Recently, Sean Strickland suggested a lifetime ban for those who break the drug policy. Allen, although among the least tested, is open to more thorough protocols.
Do you think the USADA should be testing fighters more often?
Arnold Allen believes his upcoming fight against Dan Hooker at UFC London is a key point in his career.
Allen is currently the seventh-ranked featherweight and is 17-1 as a pro, including being 8-0 in the UFC. However, he still doesn’t have the biggest name in the division, so he knows if he can beat a fan-favorite in Hooker, it would be big.
“I think it will definitely put me in the top-five talks. That’s why I was all for the fight because it definitely puts me up there,” Allen said to The Sun. “If you loom at the guys he’s fought recently at lightweight, the weight above, he’s coming down and I think he was ranked eighth at lightweight. So he’s coming down to fight and a [win] will for sure propel me to those top boys. It’s kind of a funny division, featherweight, at the minute. All those top guys, the top-five or top-six, they’re all kind of tied up with each other anyway.”
As Allen says, the division is a weird one with Alex Volkanovski and Max Holloway likely to have their trilogy if Volkanovski gets past Korean Zombie. After that, there is no clear next contender as Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett are both a fight away, but if the Brit can win this one impressively, he could jump the line.
Arnold Allen, Dan Hooker (Image Credits: Jeff Bottari/Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
However, even with a potential title eliminator bout being next, Arnold Allen says he isn’t experiencing any added stress.
“I’m not feeling the pressure. It’s what I train for; this is what I’ve been doing [for],” Allen said.
“The pressure, if there is pressure, bring it on. It’s what I’m here for.”
UFC London goes down on March 19 and sees Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall as the main event.
Who do you think will win, Arnold Allen or Dan Hooker?
