UFC 304 LIVE results: Leon Edwards loses title after Tom Aspinall knocks out Curtis Blaydes
Re-live the action as the UFC’s two British champions defended their titles in Manchester – with mixed results
Tom Aspinall retained his interim heavyweight title with a rapid knockout of Curtis Blaydes on Saturday, before Leon Edwards lost the welterweight belt to Belal Muhammad in the UFC 304 main event.
Wigan’s Aspinall needed just one minute to floor Blaydes with a one-two, before flattening out the American and forcing a finish on the canvas. With that, Aspinall avenged a 2022 loss to Blaydes, a defeat that occurred when the Briton sustained a knee injury just 15 seconds into their fight in London.
In Manchester on Saturday, Aspinall was able to prove his superiority over Blaydes, 33, retaining the interim belt that he won in November. And in doing so, the 31-year-old moved a step closer to a dream fight with Jon Jones. Jones, 37, holds the regular belt but is out injured, with the American expected to return later this year in a title defence against former champion Stipe Miocic, 41.
In the main event of UFC 304, Edwards’s welterweight title reign was ended in comprehensive fashion by Muhammad. The Palestinian-American beat the Jamaican-born Briton on all three scorecards – 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 – in a rematch of their 2021 meeting.
Their first clash ended as a No Contest, after Edwards accidentally landed an eye poke on Muhammad, while each man had otherwise been faultless in recent years. Only Muhammad, 36, was able to retain that form on Saturday, however. With his unanimous-decision victory over Edwards, he ended a title reign that began in 2022 – when Edwards knocked out Kamaru Usman in stunning fashion.
Edwards, 32, retained the belt against Usman and Colby Covington with decision wins in 2023, but the Birmingham fighter could go no further on Saturday. Re-live the action and see all results from UFC 304, below.
UFC 304 LIVE: Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad
Round four
Into the championship rounds. A crucial one here. Muhammad presses forward, and Edwards looks to fend him off with a grazing head kick.
Now the pair trade punches at close range. Muhammad is having more success in this realm than most fans and pundits expected.
And there’s the inevitable takedown attempt from Muhammad. He’s got one hook in, as Edwards kneels by the cage wall.
Punches and elbows from Muhammad, who is now working on a rear naked choke. There’s another “Rocky” chant, but the champion can’t get out.
Eventually the pair roll across the canvas, though, and Edwards ends up on top and in Muhammad’s guard.
UFC 304 LIVE: Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad
Round three
There’s a genuine possibility that Muhammad is two rounds up already, with Edwards needing the final three – or a finish – to retain his title...
Muhammad repeats his strategy, backing up Edwards and dumping him to the mat, but the champion shows his ring craft to stand again and reverse the position – and take Muhammad’s back!
He’s got his hooks in, seated against the cage, and the crowd roars in support... Edwards is working on a rear naked choke...
Muhammad is fighting Edwards’s hands. Edwards briefly has his arm across Muhammad’s chin, but not under the neck. Edwards gets closer to the choke, but again he can’t finish it.
Now Edwards drills punches into the body of Muhammad, now the head. One minute left in this round.
The buzzer sounds. Edwards is 2-1 down, as Indy Sport sees it.
UFC 304 LIVE: Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad
Round two
Muhammad backs up Edwards to the fence and peppers him with shots. His jab is landing. Now Muhammad goes for another double-leg takedown, to the sound of boos...
He completes it after some decent defence by Edwards, who quickly stands against the fence – with Muhammad on his back.
Now Muhammad slams down Edwards again and throws a few hammer fists. The challenger is working on a rear naked choke, while Edwards stands again.
Edwards can’t get out, though. Muhammad is just wearing down on him. Boos in the Co-op Live...
But Edwards finally stands and reverses the position again. He needs to back away... or does he?!
He trips Muhammad instead and briefly has the back! Muhammad twists towards the champion, but Edwards is in control now.
A good end to a bad round for the champion.
UFC 304 LIVE: Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad
Round one
Muhammad quickly backs Edwards up to the fence and secures a takedown. Edwards is trying to keep a tight body lock and not offer spaces between joints for Muhammad to exploit.
And now Edwards stands! Brilliant work. He also reverses the position against the fence, holding Muhammad there and landing knees to the body.
Former women’s champion Julianna Pena, a teammate of Muhammad, is shouting advice from the crowd. “Headshot, dead,” chants the crowd, referencing Edwards’s post-fight speech when he won the title in 2022 with a knockout of Kamaru Usman.
Edwards and Muhammad move into space, where Edwards lands a couple of straights from his southpaw stance. Another knee to the body now. Muhammad switches stances.
“Rocky” is the chant this time. Hard body kick from Edwards – the sound on that, wow... Nice jab by Muhammad. Cross by Edwards.
Uppercut to the body by Muhammad. And one upstairs! He digs to the body again, then dumps Edwards to the mat.
A hard round to score. Muhammad with those two takedowns and some control time, but Edwards with the better work on the feet.
UFC 304 LIVE: Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad
Muhammad, representing the US and Palestine, is out first. Now Edwards joins him in the ring.
Bruce Buffer has the introductions... The main event is seconds away...
Round one is here!
UFC 304 LIVE: Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad
Main-event time! In another rematch – this one three years in the making – Leon Edwards defends the welterweight title against Belal Muhammad.
In their first fight, Edwards – Jamaican-born and representing Birmingham – accidentally landed an eye poke, causing a No Contest.
Can he right that wrong and record a third successful title defence on the bounce here?
Let’s find out...
UFC 304 LIVE: Tom Aspinall vs Curtis Blaydes
Round one
Nervy inside the Co-op Live. Both men stand orthodox. We’re already past the 15 seconds that the first fight lasted.
Aspinall closes range and eats a straight shot on the way to getting a body lock. He briefly holds Blaydes against the fence.
They then move into space, and Blaydes lands another straight shot, before Aspinall tags him hard with a one-two and drops the American!!
Aspinall chases Blaydes to the mat, flattening him out and pouring on punches as Blaydes lies facedown...
Blaydes isn’t defending... and it’s waved off! Aspinall is STILL the interim champion!
Tom Aspinall def. Curtis Blaydes via first-round knockout (punches, 1:00)
UFC 304 LIVE: Tom Aspinall vs Curtis Blaydes
Blaydes, 33, is out first, followed by Aspinall, 31, as the Manchester crowd sings along to “Supersonic” by Oasis, which morphs (poorly) into Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up” – Aspinall’s usual walkout track.
UFC 304 LIVE: Tom Aspinall vs Curtis Blaydes
Time for the co-main event...
Two years after suffering an injury just 15 seconds into a fight with Curtis Blaydes, Wigan’s Tom Aspinall faces the American again.
And this time, Aspinall enters as interim heavyweight champion, putting his title on the line for the first time...
UFC 304 LIVE: Paddy Pimblett vs Bobby King Green
Round one
Green walks forward early. Both lightweights stand orthodox, now Green goes southpaw and back.
Stiff jab by Pimblett. Side kick to the body by Green. Hard low kick by Pimblett. Green is talking to the Liverpudlian.
Low kick by Green, now an oblique kick and another side kick to the body. Hard low kick by Pimblett, and Green shoots for a takedown! Surprising...
Pimblett defends with a guillotine, and as the exchange continues, who shifts to a triangle... Green is just about hanging on...
But Pimblett extends the arm, and Green passes out!
Paddy Pimblett def. Bobby King Green via first-round submission (triangle choke, 3:23)
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments