Tag: UFC 304

Israel Adesanya Gives One-Sided Prediction For Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad At UFC 304: ‘He’s On A Massacre Right Now…’

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has a strong idea of how Saturday’s main event title fight in Manchester will play out. Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is back across the pond this week to stage its first card in the English city of Manchester in close to a decade. And among the home fighters […]

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya Gives One-Sided Prediction For Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad At UFC 304: ‘He’s On A Massacre Right Now…’ at MMA News.

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has a strong idea of how Saturday’s main event title fight in Manchester will play out.

Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is back across the pond this week to stage its first card in the English city of Manchester in close to a decade. And among the home fighters looking to thrill the UK crowd is reigning welterweight kingpin Leon Edwards.

Following successful defenses of his gold opposite Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington in 2023, “Rocky” is next tasked with getting the better of Belal Muhammad at the second time of trying.

While their first fight back in 2021 ended in a no contest due to an accidental eye poke, the champ believes he was firmly en route to a knockout at the Apex. And with that in mind, the Jamaica-born Brit expects to finish the job inside the Co-op Live this weekend.

In that regard, he has the support of one notable former two-time UFC champ…

Adesanya ‘Not Hating On Belal’, But Sees A Finish For Edwards At UFC 304

During a video recently uploaded to his FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, Adesanya provided his breakdowns and predictions for the major title fights set to play out in Manchester on July 27.

When it comes to the main event, Adesanya had little doubt backing his fellow Chosen Advisory-managed fighter to emerge with the gold still in his possession at UFC 304, even predicting that he’ll get the job done before the championship rounds.

“Belal’s got pressure, man. It just seems like he’s able to get to people and put his will on them,” Adesanya said. “But I’ll tell you one thing, this is a different version — Leon just seems like he’s on a massacre right now; he’s on a run. Leon might finish him. I think Leon finishes this fight.

“I’m trying to see how Belal can win this fight. This seems like a bad match for Belal. I’m not hating on Belal or anything, I’m just trying to see what’s his path to victory in this,” Adesanya continued. “Striking, Leon’s got it. Grappling, you wanna lean towards Belal but Leon is right up there. It’s Leon’s fight to win, Leon’s fight to lose. … Leon’s too crisp compared to Belal. He’s just too sharp. … Leon by knockout in the third round, second or third round.”

Edwards will look to make Adesanya’s prediction a reality come fight night, when he’s vowed to end Muhammad’s championship ambitions inside the distance with an emphatic performance and stoppage on home soil.

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya Gives One-Sided Prediction For Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad At UFC 304: ‘He’s On A Massacre Right Now…’ at MMA News.

Manel Kape, Eric Nicksick Suggest Hotel Fight Was Planned Attack From Muhammad Mokaev’s Team Ahead Of UFC 304

UFC flyweight contender Manel Kape and his coach believe it was Muhammad Mokaev and his team’s intention to start a brawl days out from their showdown in Manchester, England. The pair of top 125lbers are set to do battle at UFC 304 this weekend, with their matchup marking one of the most important when it […]

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UFC flyweight contender Manel Kape and his coach believe it was Muhammad Mokaev and his team’s intention to start a brawl days out from their showdown in Manchester, England.

The pair of top 125lbers are set to do battle at UFC 304 this weekend, with their matchup marking one of the most important when it comes to direct implications to a divisional title picture.

And more than just their career ambitions, it would appear that both are being driven by some bad blood in this one.

That boiled over on Wednesday night at the fighter hotel, where the two fighters and their teams got into a brawl. Footage was posted by the @Home_of_Fight page on X and showed security personnel frantically attempting to pull the two sides apart.

Spur-of-the-moment brawls are nothing new in the UFC, but that’s not what one side of the scrap believes happened…

Kape & Nicksick Claim Hotel Fight Was A Set-Up

Following the incident, Kape took to social media to give his side of the story.

The former Rizin champion claimed Mokaev had respectfully asked to take a picture with him before attempting to sucker-punch him. “Starboy” berated his UFC 304 opponent for the “betrayal,” insisting his actions weren’t befitting of their shared religion and promising “carnage” from here on out.

Interestingly, Kape also made note of an altercation in Las Vegas, admitting to hitting Mokaev but doing so in a fairer way. The Angola-born Portuguese flyweight had previously denied rumors of a physical clash with “The Punisher” at the UFC’s Performance Institute.

“What kind of Muslim are you? You gave me Salam asked to take a picture and then tried to punch me in the betrayal, i can see now you are not a child of the (Dagestan), because there are created men you are just a poor bastard raised on a low income in Manchester without honor and principles,” Kape wrote. “When I hit you in Vegas I went alone and I told you to be ready, I don’t hit men with their guard down or distracted or on the back. I thought everything was solved, but now the carnage will continue… Shaytan!”

Kape’s claim was quickly corroborated by his coach, Xtreme Couture’s Eric Nicksick. The renowned trained told MMA Junkie that Mokaev had approached Kape under the guise of taking a photo with a “Muslim brother.” Nicksick stated that Kape was then attacked by the opposition team.

The image posted by Kape showing a cut to Mokaev’s head would appear to be from the aftermath of their Vegas clash, with the Dagestan-born Brit posting a clean-faced picture to refute suggestions he emerged damaged from their hotel fight.

Continue Reading Manel Kape, Eric Nicksick Suggest Hotel Fight Was Planned Attack From Muhammad Mokaev’s Team Ahead Of UFC 304 at MMA News.

How to Watch UFC 304 and What Time is UFC 304

How to Watch UFC 304 and What Time is UFC 304?With the Octagon slated to land in the UK for  -it’s flagship return this weekend at UFC 304, let’s…

How to Watch UFC 304 and What Time is UFC 304?

With the Octagon slated to land in the UK for  -it’s flagship return this weekend at UFC 304, let’s take a look at how fans can catch all the action from a massive championship doubleheader, as well as discuss the controversial start time in Manchester.

Returning to the ‘Rainy City’ for the first time since their last showcase card in 2016 – when on that occasion, undisputed middleweight champion, Michael Bisping avenged his thunderous knockout loss to Dan Henderson to defend his crown in a decision win.

Leon Edwards confirms he will fight at UFC 300 I will defend my title in April in Las Vegas
Mandatory Credit: Zuffa LLC

And this weekend, we’ve got a massive championship fight double feature, with both welterweight and interim heavyweight crowns up for grabs at the new Co-op Live Arena. 

Headlining this weekend’s UFC 304 card is an undisputed welterweight championship fight between the incumbent, Leon Edwards, and incoming title chaser, Belal Muhammad – who is in the midst of a similarly impressive unbeaten run.

It's for the real heavyweight championship Dan Hardy on Curtis Blaydes vs. Tom Aspinall

The night’s opening title fight sees the interim heavyweight crown up for grabs – with Atherton native, Tom Aspinall making the hop, skip, and a jump from Greater Manchester to take on former opponent, Curtis Blaydes – in a bid to avenge his sole Octagon loss in a rematch for spoils this time around.

Also featured on the main card come the likes of fan-favorite, Paddy Pimblett who takes on the newly-named King Green – while Arnold Allen battles Giga Chikadze. An important flyweight fight also lands on the preliminary card as Muhammad Mokaev takes on Angolan-born starlet, Manel Kape. 

Paddy Pimblett laughs off threat of Bobby Green ahead of UFC 304 his chin is gone

How to Watch UFC 304

Landing at the Co-op Live Arena this weekend, the UFC 304 early preliminary card will begin at 6:15 p.m. ET at the time of publication, with fans able to tune in on ESPN+. The night’s later preliminary card is scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN 2. And the main card for the event’s return to the United Kingdom is slated to begin at 10:00 p.m. ET with the pay-per-view viewing available on ESPN+. 

What Time is UFC 304

While this weekend’s card features in primetime for viewers in North America, much has been made about the sacrifice fans attending the event in person, and viewing around Europe and the United Kingdom will have to make in order to catch the action.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, fans can begin tuning into action from 11:15 p.m. GMT on UFC Fight Pass, before tuning into TNT Sports to catch the preliminary card at 1:00 a.m. GMT, and then catch main card action from 3:00 a.m. GMT through the same channel. 

UFC 304 Full Fight Card

Main card –

Leon Edwards (c) vs. Belal Muhammad

Tom Aspinall (ic) vs. Curtis Blaydes

King Green vs. Paddy Pimblett

Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Gregory Rodrigues

Arnold Allen vs. Giga Chikadze

Preliminary Card – 

Nathaniel Wood vs. Daniel Pineda

Molly McCann vs. Bruna Brasil

Jake Hadley vs. Caolan Loughran

Modestas Bukauskas vs. Marcin Prachnio

Early Preliminary Card –

Oban Elliott vs. Preston Parsons

Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape

Sam Patterson vs. Kiefer Crosbie

Mick Parkin vs. Lukasz Brzeski

Shauna Bannon vs. Alice Ardelean

Belal Muhammad Suggests UK Fans Only Support Leon Edwards Because He’s A British Champion: ‘How Can You Be A Fan Of The Guy?’

Since winning the UFC welterweight title in stunning fashion at UFC 278, Leon Edwards has become the face of UK MMA. “Rocky” has become a star in this past of the world but his next title challenger doesn’t believe that his supporters are really fans of him. Belal Muhammad will look to spoil the night […]

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Suggests UK Fans Only Support Leon Edwards Because He’s A British Champion: ‘How Can You Be A Fan Of The Guy?’ at MMA News.

Since winning the UFC welterweight title in stunning fashion at UFC 278, Leon Edwards has become the face of UK MMA.

“Rocky” has become a star in this past of the world but his next title challenger doesn’t believe that his supporters are really fans of him.

Belal Muhammad will look to spoil the night at UFC 304 in Manchester by dethroning Edwards in the main event which will take place in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Whilst the fans in attendance are sure to leave the Co-op Live Arena disappointed if the final bout of the evening doesn’t go the way of the Brit, Muhammad believes that they were only backing Edwards in the first place because he holds the gold.

Belal Muhammad Doesn’t Think UK Fans Actually Care About Leon Edwards

In a fight week interview with Kaz Crossley for Title Sports Network, Muhammad doubled down on his theory that Edwards doesn’t have real ride or die fans.

He questioned why people back “Rocky” when he doesn’t go out of his way to build his profile and brand by putting himself out there more.

“Yeah I don’t think Leon has any fans if I’m being honest. Like how can you be a fan of the guy? He’s not loud, he doesn’t talk, he doesn’t tweet, he doesn’t promote himself, he just has the belt.”

Muhammad then spoke about why he believes Edwards only gets support from the UK fans because he is the welterweight champion.

The #2-ranked contender at 170-pounds made reference to Edwards’ fight with Gunnar Nelson in 2019 where he was booed in London due to his beef with one half of the main event on that night, Liverpool’s Darren Till.

“100%. Yeah, I don’t think they’re, you weren’t even riding for Leon before he got the belt. They were booing him. Like before that, they didn’t care about him, they wanted Darren Till to win the belt before him so I don’t think they really care about Leon Edwards. They’re just like, ‘Ah man, Leon got it, all right well let’s go cheer for him right now since it’s going to be at our house anyway, we’ll go watch him.’”

Read also: Daniel Cormier Believes Leon Edwards & Belal Muhammad Are Underestimating Each Other Ahead Of UFC 304: ‘Both Of These Guys Are Much Better…’

Continue Reading Belal Muhammad Suggests UK Fans Only Support Leon Edwards Because He’s A British Champion: ‘How Can You Be A Fan Of The Guy?’ at MMA News.

Former UFC Fighter Jokes About King Green vs. Paddy Pimblett At UFC 304: ‘Biggest Thing He Needs To Worry About Is The Name Change…’

Two of the boldest characters on the UFC roster will clash at UFC 304 when Paddy Pimblett takes on King Green in Manchester this weekend. Both men are true one of a kind personalities that don’t allow what others think of them to affect who they are. “The Baddy” has proven to be a love […]

Continue Reading Former UFC Fighter Jokes About King Green vs. Paddy Pimblett At UFC 304: ‘Biggest Thing He Needs To Worry About Is The Name Change…’ at MMA News.

Two of the boldest characters on the UFC roster will clash at UFC 304 when Paddy Pimblett takes on King Green in Manchester this weekend.

Both men are true one of a kind personalities that don’t allow what others think of them to affect who they are.

“The Baddy” has proven to be a love or hate fighter ever since he first stepped foot inside the Octagon.

He now looks to remain undefeated since signing with the UFC by beating his first ranked opponent, who recently legally changed his first name from Bobby to King.

A former member of the roster recently jokingly remarked that this name change could be the secret weapon for Green as he looks to pull off the win in enemy territory.

Tyson Pedro Jokes That King Green’s Name Change Will Give Him Even More Confidence Than Before

Fox Sports previewed all the action that is set to take place on July 27 via mainevent where they were joined by several of the stars of UFC 304.

Before Pimblett joined the show, the panel gave their thoughts on the fight with featherweight contender Josh Culibao and former UFC light heavyweight Tyson Pedro breaking down the match-up.

Pedro, who fought 11 times in the UFC before retiring in March, believes that Pimblett’s ground game will be crucial to him winning this fight.

During his analysis on where “The Baddy” poses the biggest challenge to his opponent, Pedro mixed up Green’s names for a split second before correcting himself.

He joked how the #15-ranked lightweight is going to come into this fight with even more confidence than normal after changing his name to King.

“I would say that’s where he would be leaning towards beating Bobby, King I should say. King Green. That’s probably the biggest thing that he needs to worry about, the name change. The confidence that he’s going to have from the name change is going to be big. But yeah, I would say that that’s where he’s going to try and beat him right, on the ground, but it’s a hard fight.”

Read also: Fans React As Belal Muhammad Says UFC 304 Win Puts Him Right Below GSP: ‘People Who Believe The Moon Is Made Of Cheese Are Less Wrong’

Continue Reading Former UFC Fighter Jokes About King Green vs. Paddy Pimblett At UFC 304: ‘Biggest Thing He Needs To Worry About Is The Name Change…’ at MMA News.

Robert Whittaker Feels Belal Muhammad’s Record Not Comparable To Leon Edwards’ Despite Similar Streaks: ‘There Wasn’t Any Holes Or Glaring Weaknesses…’

Robert Whittaker recently commented that, despite their remarkably parallel win streaks, Belal Muhammad’s résumé doesn’t quite measure up to that of Leon Edwards. “Rocky” is scheduled to defend his welterweight title against Muhammad in a rematch set as the main event of UFC 304. The upcoming showdown will take place this weekend at the Co-op […]

Continue Reading Robert Whittaker Feels Belal Muhammad’s Record Not Comparable To Leon Edwards’ Despite Similar Streaks: ‘There Wasn’t Any Holes Or Glaring Weaknesses…’ at MMA News.

Robert Whittaker recently commented that, despite their remarkably parallel win streaks, Belal Muhammad’s résumé doesn’t quite measure up to that of Leon Edwards.

“Rocky” is scheduled to defend his welterweight title against Muhammad in a rematch set as the main event of UFC 304. The upcoming showdown will take place this weekend at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England.

Edwards and Muhammad initially crossed paths in the main event of a UFC Fight Night in March 2021. Unfortunately, an eye poke early in the second round rendered “Remember the Name” unable to continue, resulting in the bout being declared a no-contest.

After their first encounter, “Rocky” secured a title shot by defeating Nate Diaz at UFC 263 and went on to knock out Kamaru Usman to claim the welterweight championship at UFC 278 in August 2022. Currently, Edwards is riding high on a 13-fight unbeaten streak, marked by victories over notable names such as Donald Cerrone, Rafael dos Anjos, and Colby Covington.

Meanwhile, Muhammad had to work his way up the rankings, putting together a five-fight win streak (part of a broader 10-fight unbeaten streak) to finally earn a title opportunity. During his journey, the 36-year-old has triumphed over formidable opponents like Gilbert Burns, Sean Brady, and Stephen Thompson.

However, the former UFC middleweight champion contends that it is the echelon of opponents that “Rocky” has defeated that truly sets him apart from Muhammad…

Whittaker Sees Edwards As More Improved Than Muhammad

During his recent appearance on the MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker weighed in on the clash between Edwards and Muhammad. “The Reaper” noted that the Jamaican-born Englishman has exhibited remarkable evolution in his fighting style compared to his opponent since their no-contest meeting.

“I can see like two possibilities,” Whittaker said. “The first one, Leon Edwards, just being too good. I think the caliber of fights Leon Edwards has had is different from Belal Muhammad’s. Fighting Usman twice is huge, especially when he fought him the first time; that was good. Fighting Colby, like Colby, is a nightmare for everyone, and he was just able to shut him down so well with spectacular spacing. It’s very hard to find a hole, especially, you know, if we compare it to when he fought Nate Diaz, right? And we saw that hole get exposed in the later round or fights before that.”

“I feel like he’s tightened up to a whole new degree, further than he was then, and especially in that last fight, I was so super impressed with just how clean he was. There wasn’t really anything to pick apart; there weren’t any holes or glaring weaknesses to exploit for Colby.”

Whittaker further acknowledged “Remember the Name’s” impressive credentials but remarked that Muhammad would struggle to match Edwards’ relentless pace.

“I find that sort of fight going to be hard for Belal Muhammad, who, you know, is not spectacular in any one field. He’s kind of just really high level at all of them, in my opinion. He’s amazing at everything, but I feel like his greatest strength is that he’s well-rounded. He can take the fight in any direction to get the win. But I think he’s going to have trouble trying to push that sort of game plan on Leon Edwards.”

Continue Reading Robert Whittaker Feels Belal Muhammad’s Record Not Comparable To Leon Edwards’ Despite Similar Streaks: ‘There Wasn’t Any Holes Or Glaring Weaknesses…’ at MMA News.