UFC 304 heads to Manchester’s new Co-op Live arena this weekend with a card jam-packed with UK talent.
The main and co-main event of UFC will see two British champions defend their titles in Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall.
Thirteen of the fights on the card have British interest with Paddy Pimblett, Arnold Allen and Molly McCann all featuring.
UFC Tips
- Leon Edwards & Tom Aspinall to win @ 4/5
- Paddy Pimblett to win @ 21/20
- Arnold Allen to win by decision @ 1/1
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The belts to stay in the UK
Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall both feature in rematches of fights with unsatisfactory endings.
Edwards’ eye poke on Belal Muhammad in their first encounter in 2021 saw the fight ruled a no-contest.
The 32-year-old went on to win the Welterweight title against Kamaru Usman 15 months later and next makes the third defence of his belt.
Edwards has the takedown defence to be able to stifle Muhammad’s best wrestling efforts and has a significant advantage on the feet with his supreme kickboxing and distance management.
Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall injured his knee 15 seconds into his first encounter with Curtis Blaydes in July 2022.
Two years on and the 31-year-old is now the interim heavyweight champion, having knocked out Sergei Pavlovich in the first round at UFC 295 last November.
Aspinall is a strong grappler and should be able to thwart the American’s best efforts in that department.
On the feet the Greater Manchester-born fighter has power in his hands, boosted by his superior speed for a heavyweight. With five of his seven UFC wins having come by first-round KO/TKO, he could deliver another quick victory in front of his home fans.
A double on the headliners getting their jobs done looks a solid bet.
Paddy to be king?
Paddy Pimblett makes another step up the lightweight ladder this weekend as he faces veteran King Green.
The 29-year-old has a 5-0 record in the UFC and put in a dominant performance over Tony Ferguson at UFC 296 in December.
The Liverpool fighter has two submission wins and one KO/TKO from his UFC wins, but his last two fights have gone to a decision.
King Green produced a dominant performance over fellow veteran Jim Miller at UFC 300 in April, having bounced back from a nasty knockout against Jalin Turner last December.
The 37-year-old is 5-4 1 NC in his last 10 fights and remains dangerous with two knockout wins in that run as well as a submission of common opponent Tony Ferguson.
For all those who write off Pimblett, he is a 21-3 professional who possesses a solid chin having never been stopped on his feet.
This one could be carnage, but Pimblett relishes these types of fights and could well produce another win and move into the top 15 of the division.
Allen has keys to victory
The supremely talented Arnold Allen looks to return to the win column this weekend after back-to-back losses.
The 30-year-old was riding a 12-fight winning streak when he ran into former champion Max Holloway last April, losing by unanimous decision.
Allen then lost a controversial decision to Movsar Evloev at UFC 297 in January.
Ranked at number 6 in the division and with a 10-2 record in the UFC, Allen next looks to fend off number 10-ranked Giga Chikadze.
The 35-year-old has a fan-friendly kickboxing style and brings an 8-1 UFC record, having been seen out last when beating Alex Caceres last August.
Allen has a more of an evolved MMA style than the Georgian and will be able to offensively wrestle if needed, which could prove to be the difference in this one.
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