UFC 304 - Leon Edwards v Belal Muhammad after Tom Aspinall's first-round win - Follow LIVE coverage - Eurosport
In the fight, Edwards threw a powerful left punch, but Muhammad continued to attack aggressively, landing many more hits. Muhammad eventually gained control by getting on Edwards' back and securing a body triangle, landing punches on the dazed champion. Although Edwards managed to reverse the position in the final thirty seconds of the round, it wasn't enough to win the round. To retain his title, Edwards will need to secure a knockout in the final round.
Muhammad started to dominate once more, getting in close and landing hooks. But then Edwards managed to take him down and locked in a body triangle, holding on to it for the remaining three minutes of the round. This round goes to Edwards.
Muhammad kept control, bringing Edwards down three more times. The second time, the champion landed on his head and appeared tired, struggling to maintain his position until he finally reversed a hold and brought Muhammad down in the last moments of the round.
Muhammad was quickly taken down at the beginning of the round. Edwards focused on striking the body while Muhammad landed punches to the head. A strong uppercut from Edwards caught Muhammad's attention, followed by a left uppercut that staggered the champion, ultimately resulting in another takedown.
"The Champ Is Heading To The Octagon"
Edwards has been on a winning streak for nine years, will Muhammad be able to break this streak tonight?
Get Ready For The Main Event!
Leon Edwards (22 wins, 3 losses, 1 no contest) will be defending his UFC welterweight championship against Bilal Muhammad (23 wins, 3 losses, 1 no contest) in a live event.
Aspinall Vs. Jon Jones: A Dream Match?
"Before, it was a random occurrence, but we had to move on," Aspinall mentioned on TNT Sports, talking about his loss to Blaydes from two years ago.
I am the top scorer in the UFC.
"Who is excited to witness Aspinall face off against Jon Jones?"
I don't have anything against you as a person, but I believe I am superior to you.
"I'm an average individual. Every now and then, ordinary people can achieve remarkable feats."
Aspinall Scores First-round KO Win!
His strength is remarkable. Blaydes was knocked down with just a left jab, and then he was bombarded with left and right-hand punches while lying on his back before the referee intervened with one minute left in the round.
Title: UFC Heavyweight Interim Title Fight
Aspinall, with a record of 14 wins and 3 losses, will be facing off against the ranked #4 fighter, Blaydes, who has a record of 18 wins, 4 losses, and 1 no contest.
Curtis Blaydes is the sole fighter who has a victory over Tom Aspinall due to a stoppage. This occurred when the fighter from St Helens suffered an ACL injury during the match.
Mokaev Opens Up About Personal Fight
Muhammad Mokaev didn't put on a show-stopping performance, but he managed to defeat Manel Kape. He acknowledged that the animosity between them before the fight added a special element to his victory.
Meatball Molly Loses To Brasil
Regrettably, Paddy's friend and fellow Liverpudlian, Meatball Molly McCann, was defeated earlier in the evening by Brazilian fighter Bruna Brasil.
Pimblett Challenges Moicano
When questioned about his preference for his next opponent, Pimblett mentioned that he would like to fight the #10 ranked lightweight Renato Moicano.
Pimblett Makes A Statement
"I was the one who introduced Bobby to the UFC," Pimblett proudly stated on TNT Sports. "This is for all the doubters who thought I would never make it to the top rankings."
Pimblett Submits Opponent In First Round!
Wow, Paddy the Baddy put on an impressive show! He began by landing calf kicks and then capitalized on the chance after a devastating kick to bring Green to the ground. Paddy locked in a guillotine, which later transitioned into an arm bar. Eventually, Green was rendered unconscious from a triangle choke, leading the referee to stop the fight.
Paddy The Baddy Is Up Next!
He will face off against Bobby 'King' Green, ranked number 15 in the lightweight division. Watch the fight live on discovery+.
Rodrigues Wins By Unanimous Decision!
Robocop wins the fight with a score of 30-27 according to all three judges.
Rodrigues' punches are strong and Duncan has done a good job of enduring them without giving up, even as bruises appear on his head. Rodrigues managed to floor Duncan two times, but Duncan's ability to defend against the jiu jitsu expert was commendable. The match ended with both fighters bloody and battered.
A strong performance from Rodrigues. Controlling the fight with powerful punches, causing Duncan to have a bloody nose. He also dominates when they wrestle and manages to take CLD down towards the end. The British fighter will need to finish the fight in the final round.
Rodrigues landed several punches at the beginning and managed to bring Duncan down during the middle of the round. He continued to strike with elbows and right hands, creating a noticeable bump on CLD's shaved head. It was a dominant round for Rodrigues.
An upcoming fight between British fighter Christian Leroy Duncan and Brazil's Gregory Rodrigues in the middleweight division.
Allen Wins By Unanimous Decision!
He wins the fight with a score of 29-28 on all three scorecards. Chikadze was ahead in the first round, but Allen took the last two rounds.
You may be questioning the impact of Allen's efforts in the third round, as both fighters failed to land many significant blows. The statistics for the fight are extremely close, with Chikadze connecting with a solid kick and knee strike, while Allen managed to land a few left hands. However, it was not a decisive round for either fighter.
The fighter from Georgia started strong, but Allen started to dominate as the round went on. With just a minute left, Allen landed a powerful left hand on Chikadze, demonstrating his increasing confidence in the fight. Chikadze appears to be bleeding from his nose and mouth.
Chikadze was the more active fighter in the beginning, using his fast kicks and right hands to keep his opponent on the defensive. Allen managed to land a good left hook in the final seconds and should look to throw more punches like that.
Arnold Allen Vs Giga Chikadze On Main Card
Chikadze is listed as the 10th best featherweight, while Allen holds the 6th spot.
The Big Guys Have Arrived
Next Up, The Main Event!
Wood Wins By Unanimous Decision!
Wood wins the fight with scores of 29-27 (twice) and 29-28 on all three judges' scorecards.
In the third round, the pace of the fight decreased as both fighters took to the ground. This played to Pineda's strengths, but it still looks like Wood is in control of the match.
Wood starts the fight strong by landing a powerful shot on Pineda's eye, causing possible damage to the socket. Despite Pineda trying to soothe the pain, he continues to throw strong punches whenever he can. Pineda briefly gets a break after receiving a groin kick, but then feels the impact of multiple calf kicks and is knocked down with a jab. Another hard left hook to the already injured eye sends Pineda to the mat once more, but Wood gets on the ground, giving Pineda the chance to make it through the round.
Wood delivers a harsh kick to Pineda's stomach, followed by a few punches. Pineda manages to grab Wood and gets a brief break on the ground. Pineda finishes the round with a series of head shots, but Wood still comes out on top.
Brazil's Victory Is Undisputed!
Brazil emerges victorious with scores of 30-27 and 29-28 (on two occasions).
McCann came out strong in the fight, connecting with powerful elbows and right hands. Even though Brasil managed to take her down, McCann briefly appeared to be in a position to secure a chokehold as she positioned herself behind her opponent before the round ended.
McCann changes the game slightly by defeating her opponent, but later Brasil puts her on her back in a dangerous position. In the last few seconds, she is knocked down by a solid right punch, which will probably give Brasil the advantage in the second round.
McCann is facing some tough challenges. She received a hit in her groin and now has a large bump on her forehead. She also took a hard kick to the stomach. It's going to be difficult for her to recover from this.
Molly McCann Is Up Next
The 'Meatball' will be facing off against Bruna Brasil in a strawweight match.
Hadley's Unanimous Decision Victory!
He wins the fight with scores of 30-27 (twice) and 29-28.
Once more, Hadley emerged victorious in a battle where he was constantly on the defensive, using his exceptional striking skills and adept takedown defense. As both fighters celebrated with raised arms, it was clear that Hadley had dominated the bout.
Hadley continued to dominate the fight. An impressive left-handed strike caught Loughran in a sensitive area, causing him to take a 90-second break out of the possible five minutes. The strikes from Hadley have resulted in swelling under Loughran's left eye. Loughran attempted a takedown, but Hadley displayed excellent defense. The round ended with Loughran on top on the mat, delivering some ground and pound before the buzzer sounded.
Hadley is the calmer fighter, focusing on landing leg kicks and strikes with his left hand. Loughran tries to keep up, landing a few body shots, but it's clear that Hadley dominated the round.
The fight between Jake Hadley (10-3) and Caolan Loughran (9-1) in the bantamweight division is set to take place.
Mokaev's Desire: Title Shot
He might have to step up his game in order to earn a chance to compete in the UFC Flyweight division, but it's impossible to deny his flawless record of 13 wins and 0 losses.
Mokaev Wins By Unanimous Decision!
The British fighter won with scores of 29-28 (twice) and 30-27.
Once more, the action was minimal in the beginning of the round. Mokaev managed to bring his opponent to the ground, but received multiple elbows from Kape while in that position. Kape landed some strong left punches in the closing moments. It was a peculiar fight and somewhat underwhelming compared to what was expected.
Kape's performance was slightly affected by a toe injury, and Mokaev managed to take him down. However, Mokaev was cautioned by the referee for grabbing Kape's shorts, and received a strong warning without any points deducted. During the fight, Kape got poked in the eye but the referee did not pause the match, leading to Mokaev aggressively moving towards him. It was a difficult round to judge.
The two fighters hurry towards each other as Mokaev just manages to avoid a kick. They then return to their fighting positions and barely make contact with each other for the first three minutes as they are both cautious. Not many hits were landed, but in the last few seconds, Kape delivered the most powerful strike of the round.
They Want To Hook Up Before The Battle
They can definitely be patient for Bruce Buffer to kick things off...
Muhammed Mokoev from Britain, who has a record of 12 wins and 0 losses, will be facing off against Manel Kape, who has 19 wins and 6 losses.
Exciting Night Ahead
Thank you for joining us as we cover all the exciting events happening during the preliminary rounds at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester!
UFC 304: Which Channel Airs Main Card?
Watch the live broadcast from the Co-op Live arena in Manchester starting at 03:00 UK time on Sunday, July 28 on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+.
UFC 304 Start Time In The UK?
The preliminary fights will begin at 1:00 AM on Sunday, July 28, and the main card will start at 3:00 AM. The early preliminary fights can be viewed on UFC Fight Pass starting at 11:15 PM UK time on Saturday.
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