If you are an MMA fan living around Manchester, get ready for the ultimate meet-up bout in Manchester on July 27, 2024. The UFC has made its fifth trip to Manchester and the bout will take place at Co-op Live Arena. This promotion has yet to name the main event, but there are speculations as to who will be in the ring.
According to the UFC president, Dana White, this will be a pay-per-view event. He added to say that Coo-op Live is the largest indoor arena in the UK and that the UFC 304 will be the first-ever sporting event happening here. He said that there will be two champions from the UK and that the fans will be dying to see them fight it out for glory in the arena.
Probable Main Opponents
As we said earlier, the UFC has not officially released the names of the players fighting it out in the arena. However, there are a few probable cases based on the utterances of its president.
According to Dave Lovell, the head coach for reigning UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, his champion is almost sure to be on the card. He also added that the most probable opponent would be Belal Muhammad.
This will be a much-awaited rematch between the MMA champions. It was rumoured that Muhammad 2 has been chasing Edwards for a rematch for more than a year. This is a great opportunity to get even with Rocky. The last time these two men met was in March 2021. Unfortunately, the bout ended in no contest after Edwards accidentally poked the opponent in the eye.
Sportsbooks around the world will be offering good odds for this bout. You can place a bet on any of the Australian bookmakers that accept a $20 minimum deposit. Check a few markets and pick the best offers for your prediction.
How Have Opponents Been Fairing?
Since the bout in March, Edwards beat Diaz and snatched the title from Kamaru Usman. The title match was said to be one of the most spectacular fights in UFC history. A rematch was later done, and Edwards carried the win. In December 2016, Edwards successfully defended the title against Colby Covington.
On the other hand, Muhammad has also been successful. Three months after the no-contest match, he won a fight against Demiam Maia by a unanimous decision. Later on, he defeated Stephen Thompson (also called Wonderboy) in December 2021. He then beat Vicente Luque in April 2022. The other wins he made were against Sean Brandy in October 2022 and Gilbert Burns in May 2023.
Based on the statements of the CEO concerning the geographical standpoint, the fight between the two makes sense. As for Edwards, despite being born in Kingston, Jamaica, he fights out of Birmingham, England. Therefore, his fight with Muhammad was a well-deserved home fight for fighters.
Tom Aspinall is also Likely In
Tom Aspinall, the UFC interim heavyweight champion, is also likely to be part of the co-main event. He is a native of Salford, England. Everyone is asking whom he might be facing in the ring. Unofficial sources claim that the champion has agreed to fight Ciryl Gane. However, the Frenchman has not yet agreed to join the fight. We believe the UFC would be glad to make this fight work.
In the event that Gane does not sign the contract, Aspinall is likely to have a rematch with Curtis Blaydes. During the initial match, Aspinall suffered a severe knee injury just 15 seconds into this bout. This was his only loss of his UFC career against the opponent.
Given that Aspinall would not continue with the match, Blaydes got an easy win. Therefore, Aspinall would be looking for an appropriate fight to have the transitional tag removed from his heavyweight championship. Other popular fighters that may make it to the list include Paddy Pimblett, Michael Venom Page, Arnold Allen and Ian Machado Garry.
Where to Buy the Tickets
Tickets for this card will go on sale on Friday, June 7, at 10 a.m. (UK time) via Ticketmaster. However, members of the UFC Fight Club will have a chance to purchase early tickets on Wednesday, June 5, at 9:00 a.m. There is also a chance for fans to enjoy early tickets if they register their interest in the event.
The registration for the interest will be happening on the UFC’s Manchester website. Those who will do so will get access to a special pre-sale that starts on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at 10 a.m. They will also get the latest updates on the event.
The Event’s Timings Draws Criticism
The timings for the event have been listed by UFC as 11 p.m. BST for the preliminary events and 3 a.m. BST for the main card. Many believe that the UFC has done so to cater to US viewers. However, these timings have drawn criticism from UK fans.
Many of them believe that 3 a.m. for the main card is ridiculous. They say that they have to wait for this time when the event is in the USA and should not have to do the same while the event is at home. Unfortunately, the times are not likely to change.
