UFC 304
{{Short description|2024 mixed martial event in Manchester, England}}
{{Infobox MMA event
|name= UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad 2
|image= UFC_304_poster.jpg
|promotion= Ultimate Fighting Championship
|date= {{start date|2024|7|27}}
|venue= Co-op Live
|city= Manchester, England
|previousevent= UFC on ESPN: Lemos vs. Jandiroba
|followingevent= UFC on ABC: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov
}}
UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad 2 was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 27, 2024, at the Co-op Live in Manchester, England.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/4/24/24138996/ufc-304-will-return-to-manchester-this-summer|title=UFC 304 announced for Manchester this summer|publisher=mmafighting.com|author=Guillherme Cruz|date=2024-04-24|access-date=2024-04-24}}
Background
File:The Co-Op Live Arena (geograph 7796386).jpg arena, which opened in April 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/c80z4epzd13o.amp|title=UFC 304 confirmed for Manchester in July|publisher=bbc.com|author=Staff|date=2024-04-24|access-date=2024-04-24}}]]
The event marked the promotion's fifth visit to Manchester and first since UFC 204 in October 2016. Despite the event taking place in Manchester, the event was held based on Pacific Daylight Time (PDT, UTC-7) (Las Vegas) time with preliminary fights starting at 23.00 British Summer Time (15.00 PDT), and the main card starting 03.00 BST, which is the standard start time for UFC pay-per-view events of 19.00 PDT, which drew massive criticism from fans and fighters. Fans believed the matches should have started earlier (19.00 BST, or 11.00 PDT) for the UK audience.{{Cite web|author=Mathew Riddle|date=2024-05-01|title=Aspinall: UFC 304 Start Time 'Absolutely Terrible'|url=https://www.si.com/fannation/mma/ufc/ufc-304-tom-aspinall-start-time|access-date=2024-07-28|publisher=si.com}}
A UFC Welterweight Championship bout between current champion Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad headlined the event.{{Cite web|author=Mike Bohn|date=2024-05-16|title=UFC 304 official with Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad headliner and more in Manchester|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2024/05/ufc-304-manchester-england-edwards-muhammad-heavyweight|access-date=2024-05-16|publisher=mmajunkie.usatoday.com}} The pair previously fought at UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Muhammad in March 2021, where the fight was declared a no contest following an accidental eye poke which left Muhammad unable to continue.{{Cite web|date=2021-03-14|title=UFC Fight Night 187 results: Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad ends in nasty accidental eye poke|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/03/ufc-fight-night-187-results-leon-edwards-vs-belal-muhammad-eye-poke-no-contest|access-date=2024-05-16|publisher=mmajunkie.usatoday.com|author=Nolan King}}
An interim UFC Heavyweight Championship bout between the title holder Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes co-headlined the event.{{Cite web|date=2024-05-16|title=Interim heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes set for UFC 304 co-main event|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2024/05/ufc-304-tom-aspinall-vs-curtis-blaydes-interim-heavyweight-title-co-main-event-manchester-england|access-date=2024-05-16|publisher=mmajunkie.usatoday.com|author=Staff}} They previously met at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Aspinall in July 2022 in which Blaydes won after Aspinall injured his knee fifteen seconds into the bout keeping him out of competition for a year.{{Cite web|url=https://cagesidepress.com/2022/07/23/ufc-london-curtis-blaydes-vs-tom-aspinall/|title=UFC London: Aspinall suffers knee injury 15 seconds in, Blaydes takes TKO decision|publisher=cagesidepress.com|author=Eddie Law|date=2022-07-23|access-date=2024-05-16}}
A middleweight bout between Christian Leroy Duncan and Robert Bryczek was scheduled for this event.{{Cite web|author=Bryson Hester|date=2024-05-23|title=UFC 304 adds Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Robert Bryczek|url=https://cagesidepress.com/2024/05/23/ufc-304-adds-christian-leroy-duncan-vs-robert-bryczek/|access-date=2024-05-24|publisher=cagesidepress.com}} However, Bryczek withdrew from the fight for unknown reasons and was replaced by former LFA Middleweight Champion Gregory Rodrigues.{{Cite news|title=UFC 304: savage middleweight strikers clash at Manchester PPV|url=https://www.si.com/fannation/mma/news/ufc-304-savage-middleweight-strikers-clash-at-manchester-ppv|publisher=si.com|author=Mathew Riddle|access-date=2024-06-28}}
A women's strawweight bout between Ravena Oliveira and Shauna Bannon was scheduled for this event.{{Cite web|author=Parviz Iskenderov|date=2024-05-14|title=UFC 304: Molly McCann faces Bruna Brasil, Shauna Bannon meets Ravena Oliveira|url=https://www.fightmag.com/ufc-304-molly-mccann-faces-bruna-brasil-shauna-bannon-meets-ravena-oliveira/|access-date=2024-05-15|publisher=fightmag.com}} However, Oliveira withdrew from the bout due to an injury and was replaced with promotional newcomer Alice Ardelean.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mmamania.com/2024/7/15/24198823/tiktok-star-alice-ardelean-added-to-ufc-304-in-manchester|title=TikTok star Alice Ardelean added to UFC 304 fight card in Manchester|publisher=mmamania.com|author=Ryan Harkness|date=2024-07-15|access-date=2024-07-15}}
A bantamweight bout between Ramon Taveras and Caolán Loughran was scheduled for this event.{{Cite web|author=Ian O'Neill|date=2024-04-17|title=Caolan Loughran vs. Ramon Tavares set for UFC 304|url=https://severemma.com/2024/05/caolan-loughran-vs-ramon-tavares-set-for-ufc-304/|access-date=2024-04-17|publisher=severemma.com}} However, Taveras had to withdraw from the bout due to an injury and was reportedly replaced by Hecher Sosa.{{Cite web|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2024/07/ufc-304-ramon-taveras-vs-caolan-loughran-manchester-injury|title=Ramon Taveras withdraws from UFC 304 vs. Caolan Loughran: 'It sucks that it came to this'|publisher=mmajunkie.usatoday.com|author=Nolan King|date=2024-07-17|access-date=2024-07-17}}{{Cite web|title=New Spanish partner for Topuria: Hecher joins the UFC|url=https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/nuevo-companero-espanol-para-topuria-hecher-da-el-salto-a-la-ufc-n/?omnil=resrelrecomv|date=2024-07-18|access-date=2024-07-18|publisher=as.com|author=Daniel Manso}} {{in lang|es}} It was later reported that Sosa would not be competing at the event as Loughran would face Jake Hadley instead.{{Cite web|title=Hecher Sosa's dream on pause: "It was very close!"|url=https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/el-sueno-de-hecher-sosa-en-pausa-falto-muy-poco-n/|date=2024-07-18|access-date=2024-07-19|publisher=as.com|author=Cristina Parra}} {{in lang|es}}{{Cite web|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/ufc-bellator-pfl-news-matchup-roundup-fight-bookings-schedule-july-22-2024|title=Matchup Roundup: New UFC, PFL, Bellator fights announced in the past week (July 15-21)|publisher=mmajunkie.usatoday.com|author=Nolan King|date=2024-07-22|access-date=2024-07-22}} At the weigh-ins, Hadley weighed in at 137 pounds, half a pound over the bantamweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight and Hadley was fined 20 percent of his purse which went to Loughran.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/7/26/24206946/ufc-304-weigh-in-results-2-title-bouts-official-1-fighter-misses|title=UFC 304 weigh-in results: 2 title bouts official, 1 fighter misses|publisher=mmafighting.com|author=Alexander K. Lee|date=2024-07-26|access-date=2024-07-26}}
The event originally featured $50,000 fight night bonuses, which were raised to $100,000 before the event.{{Cite web|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2024/07/ufc-304-bonuses-100k-king-green-dana-white-manchester|title=Dana White increases UFC 304 performance bonuses to six figures after King Green's plea|publisher=mmajunkie.usatoday.com|author=Nolan King, Ken Hathaway and Abbey Subhan|date=2024-07-25|access-date=2024-07-28}}
Results
{{MMAevent}}
{{MMAevent card|Main card}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Welterweight
|def.
|Leon Edwards (c)
|Decision (unanimous) (48–47, 48–47, 49–46)
|5
|5:00
|For the UFC Welterweight Championship.
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Heavyweight
|Tom Aspinall (ic)
|def.
|KO (punches)
|1
|1:00
|For the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship.
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Lightweight
|def.
|Technical Submission (triangle choke)
|1
|3:22
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Middleweight
|def.
|Christian Leroy Duncan
|Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Featherweight
|def.
|Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent card|Preliminary card (ESPN 2 / ESPN+)|header=no}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Featherweight
|def.
|Decision (unanimous) (29–27, 29–27, 29–28)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Women's Strawweight
|Bruna Brasil
|def.
|Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Catchweight (137 lb)
|Jake Hadley
|def.
|Caolán Loughran
|Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Flyweight
|def.
|Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 30–27)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent card|Early preliminary card (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass)|header=no}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Welterweight
|Oban Elliott
|def.
|Preston Parsons
|Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 30–27, 30–27)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Light Heavyweight
|def.
|Submission (arm-triangle choke)
|3
|3:12
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Welterweight
|Sam Patterson
|def.
|Kiefer Crosbie
|Submission (arm-triangle choke)
|1
|2:50
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Heavyweight
|def.
|Łukasz Brzeski
|KO (punches)
|1
|3:23
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Women's Strawweight
|Shauna Bannon
|def.
|Alice Ardelean
|Decision (split) (28–29, 29–28, 30–27)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent end|notes=yes}}
Bonus awards
The following fighters received bonuses.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bjpenn.com/mma-news/ufc-304/ufc-304-bonus-report-paddy-pimblett-takes-home-200k/|title=UFC 304 Bonus Report: Paddy Pimblett takes home $200k|publisher=bjpenn.com|author=Chris Taylor|date=2024-07-27|access-date=2024-07-27}}
- Fight of the Night: No bonus awarded.
- Performance of the Night ($200,000): Paddy Pimblett
- Performance of the Night ($100,000): Tom Aspinall and Mick Parkin
See also
{{Portal|Martial Arts}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{UFC Events}}
{{2024 in mixed martial arts}}
Category:Ultimate Fighting Championship flagship events
Category:Mixed martial arts in the United Kingdom
Category:International sports competitions in Manchester