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Leon Edwards defends his UFC welterweight title against Belal Muhammad in the main event of UFC 304 on Saturday in Manchester, England. The other bout of the tournament also sees English titleholder Tom Aspinall defend his interim heavyweight title against Curtis Blaydes.
Edwards (22-3, 1 NC) is undefeated in his last 13 fights, most recently a decision win over Colby Covington in December in his second defense of his 170-pound title. Edwards is No. 3 in ESPN’s men’s welterweight rankings. Muhammad (23-3, 1 NC) is undefeated in 10 straight fights. His last win was more than a year ago by decision over Gilbert Burns in May 2023. Muhammad is No. 3 in ESPN’s middleweight rankings.
Aspinall (14-3), ranked No. 1 in the ESPN heavyweight rankings, has won back-to-back fights, most recently a first-round knockout of Sergei Pavlovich in November that earned him the interim title. Third-ranked Blaydes (18-4, 1 NC) won a second-round knockout of Gelton Almeida in March.
What are the stories behind the best fights at UFC 304? How do the experts break them down? What do the fighters have to say? Here’s the fight card, how to watch it, and a rundown of all the essentials at UFC 304.
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How to watch battles
Watch the PPV and all other fights on ESPN+: Get ESPN+ here.
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There’s also FightCenter, Which provides live updates for every UFC card.
UFC 304 Fight Card
(c) = Defending Champion | (c) = Temporary Defending Champion
Edwards and Aspinall lead English MMA’s golden generation
Two decades after the first UFC event in England, the country finds itself filled with two champions in middleweight king Leon Edwards and interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall — both of whom will fight Saturday at UFC 304 in Manchester (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV). Plus, England’s future is bright with the next wave of prospects poised to become stars, including Paddy Pimblett and Dakota Ditcheva, among others. Through it all, their inspiration and opportunity can once again be drawn from an Englishman who pulled off a surprise while dealing with his father’s failing health.
Now, it can be said that the region has become one of the strongest regions in the world in terms of developing talent in the sport of mixed martial arts.
Hill and Okamoto: Inside the Making of England’s Golden Generation of MMA
Can Edwards and Aspinall find success at home?
With two title fights, a raucous crowd and high stakes on a 14-fight card, UFC 304 looks set to be a drama-filled affair in Manchester, England. (10 p.m. ET on ESPN PPV)
Englishmen Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall will be looking to defend their welterweight and interim heavyweight titles respectively against worthy contenders Belal Muhammad and Curtis Blades. Both bouts will be rematches, although the previous two bouts have provided plenty of insight into the outcome of Saturday’s celebrations.
Add to that the 13 fighters representing the UK in the Co-op Live Arena and it’s a very exciting experience for fight fans. But questions remain: can the British stars shine on the biggest stage? How will the odd timing – a 3am start for the main event – affect the fighters? And what does the ramifications of the big fights mean for other big stars in the sport?
UFC 304 Events Ranking
Betting experts and coaches dive into UFC 304
Andreas Hill spoke with ESPN analyst and former UFC middleweight champion Alain Jouban to get his take on the UFC main event. ESPN betting expert Ian Parker adds insight and analysis on the main event and other interesting bets he likes in the tournament.
Hill vs Parker: Expert Picks & Best Bets for UFC 304
Our data model covers UFC 304 title fights.
What does the analysis say about upcoming title fights like the two that took place at UFC 304? Should a fighter like Belal Muhammad be considered the favorite against a striker like Leon Edwards? Will a rematch help or hurt reigning champion Tom Aspinall?
Using predictive models independent of betting lines, we examined how each champion’s matchup would look from a favorability perspective. Essentially, is this a good matchup for the champion or the challenger? The inputs take into account each fighter’s in-ring performance metrics and factor in factors about the fighter outside the cage. The higher the score, the more favorable the matchup is for the current champion.
These results do not indicate how to bet on the match. Rather, they assess the relative advantage, from the most dangerous matchup to the best matchup.
Cohen vs Parker: Predictions for UFC Title Fight
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