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: Paddy Pimblett vs Bobby King Green
A great video package just aired in the Co-op Live. Now here comes Pimblett...
A good reaction for him, though not touching the heights of the London card in March 2022 – or even July of that year – it must be said.
Still, this feels big. Here we go...
UFC 304 LIVE: Paddy Pimblett vs Bobby King Green
Next up, Liverpudlian lightweight Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett faces Bobby King Green.
This is the toughest test yet for the controversial Pimblett, but he should have the crowd behind him here.
UFC 304 LIVE: Christian Leroy Duncan vs Gregory Rodrigues
Round three
The sound of some of these strikes... Rodrigues is getting the better of the exchanges, and now he lifts and dumps Duncan.
Credit to Duncan, he’s quickly back on his feet, but only for a short while.
Now Rodrigues’s face is covered in blood, but I think it’s Duncan’s...
The Brazilian will control the Briton until the final buzzer.
Gregory Rodrigues def. Christian Leroy Duncan via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
UFC 304 LIVE: Christian Leroy Duncan vs Gregory Rodrigues
Round two
Front kick to the body by Duncan. Rodrigues comes back with an overhand right, then a one-two. Now he burrows a right uppercut into the mid-section of Duncan.
Duncan tries a spinning back elbow but gets tagged by a right hand. Now Rodrigues tries to drag down the Briton against the cage, but Duncan defends well.
A messy exchange follows, before Rodrigues takes down Duncan – whose head is smeared with blood, seemingly from a goose egg on his forehead.
UFC 304 LIVE: Christian Leroy Duncan vs Gregory Rodrigues
The main card continues with middleweight action, as England’s Christian Leroy Duncan faces Gregory Rodrigues of Brazil.
Round one
Hard jab by Duncan at once. Powerful left hook by Rodrigues, as the Briton retreats along the fence. Now Rodrigues catches Duncan on the end of a cross.
Now Rodrigues finishes a single-leg takedown and moves into half-guard. The Brazilian gets off a few elbows, but he’s struggling to advance the position. That said, he’s still in full control of the round.
Duncan is able to scramble, but Rodrigues is containing him well.
UFC 304 LIVE: Arnold Allen vs Giga Chikadze
Round three
Allen might well need a finish. He continues to pressure Chikadze but without landing much of note.
Now a harsh left hook to the body, though, and a lancing jab. Hard left hook upstairs! Chikadze’s blood has spread from his nose to his mouth and cheeks.
Allen with a jab and an uppercut as Chikadze throws a body kick. Allen lands a body kick of his own.
A “Giga” chant starts, but it’s drowned out by boos. Nice jumping knee by Allen.
He surely took round three, but did he snatch either of the first two rounds?
Arnold Allen def. via Giga Chikadze via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Slightly surprising, as this writer sees it!
UFC 304 LIVE: Arnold Allen vs Giga Chikadze
Round two
Allen is pressing forward. He eats a pair of stern jabs then wings a hook to the body.
Allen’s nose is very red. A frenzied exchange plays out after a spell in which Chikadze is the more accurate striker.
Now Chikadze’s nose looks somewhat bloody. Grazing one-two by Allen. He drops to a knee, but it looks like a trip rather than a flash knockdown.
The crowd keeps singing Arnold Allen’s name to the sound of the Max Verstappen song.
UFC 304 LIVE: Arnold Allen vs Giga Chikadze
The main card begins with a featherweight bout between Ipswich’s Arnold Allen and Georgia’s Giga Chikadze.
Round one
Allen blocks an early high kick. And another. He stands southpaw, while Chikadze is orthodox. Allen blocks ANOTHER head kick then lands a body kick after catching Chikadze’s leg.
More kicks from Chikadze, who is targeting the body of Allen now. The Georgian misses with a spinning back kick upstairs.
Both men partially land with left hooks. Nice jab by Chikadze now as he moves backwards.
Wow! Allen is dropped to a knee just before the buzzer, but he bounces back up and lands a front kick to the face!
UFC 304 LIVE: Nathaniel Wood vs Daniel Pineda
Round three
A doctor is checking Pineda’s right eye, but the American is deemed okay to continue. He appeals to the crowd, who show some love to the tourist.
Pineda shoots for a takedown from some distance, and Wood defends with a guillotine before moving into side control after a scramble.
He stands and lets Pineda up. Front kick to the body by Wood, before another scramble ensues. The pair are seated, with Wood on Pineda’s back. And from there, Pineda lands a nasty back elbow!
He turns and ends up on top, where he tries a straight armbar, but to no avail. Now he goes for a guillotine. Wood is likely two rounds up but is losing this frame.
Some decent elbows from Pineda, as Wood tries to maintain half-guard and limit the American’s options.
The final buzzer sounds.
Nathaniel Wood def. Daniel Pineda via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28)
UFC 304 LIVE: Nathaniel Wood vs Daniel Pineda
Round two
The featherweights trade low kicks, before Wood lights up Pineda with a four-punch combination!
Pineda is pawing at his right eye, which is swelling quickly. Again, it’s impressive that he’s still in this fight. He even lands a couple of grazing overhand rights now.
Pineda complains of a low blow, and the action is paused for now. Replays suggest the kick by Wood was not low...
Back under way. Hard low kick by Pineda, then a harder one by Wood which has Pineda stumbling! And another, same effect!
Now the American suffers a flash knockdown after a right hand from Wood! Pineda is back up, but he’s soon put back down... He just won’t go away, though!
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