UFC 304 in Manchester, England this July has its main event, and Belal Muhammad finally has his title shot against Leon Edwards.
On Thursday, UFC President Dana White announced both the main and co-main event of the PPV card, set for the Co-Op Arena in Manchester on July 27, 2024. In addition to the welterweight title fight topping the event, interim heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall will return in a rematch with Curtis Blaydes as the co-headliner.
Edwards (22-3, 1NC) claimed welterweight gold with a stunning come-from-behind head kick KO in the fifth round against then-champ Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 in August 2022. “Rocky” has defended the belt twice since, in a rematch with Usman that went the distance, followed by a one-sided beatdown of Colby Covington at UFC 296 this past December.
Edwards, hailing from Birmingham, follows in the footsteps of Michael Bisping, a former middleweight champ, and has become one of UK MMA’s biggest stars.
As for Muhammad (23-3, 1NC), he sits on a nine-fight win streak, along with a single no contest in the mix – in a 2021 non-title bout with Edwards that ended early and quite disappointingly when Belal was unable to continue after an eye poke.
Last May, Muhammad defeated Gilbert Burns at UFC 288 and has been waiting for his title shot since.
Tom Aspinall (14-3) and Curtis Blaydes (18-4, 1NC) first met at a Fight Night event in London, England in July 2022. Just 15 seconds into the fight, however, Aspinall injured his knee, and wound up on the sidelines for a year before returning and picking up victories over Marcin Tybura and Sergei Pavlovich.
Blaydes will enter UFC 304 off a win over Jailton Almeida at UFC 299 in March.
