Fight Coverage
State Of MMA In The United Kingdom
Rising UK Stars Are Ready To Light Up UFC 304: Edwards vs Muhammad 2 This Saturday At Co-op Live In Manchester
Before Leon Edwards knocked out Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 in 2022, the United Kingdom hadn’t had a champion since Michael Bisping lost his belt to Georges St-Pierre in 2017. Now, two champions hail from the United Kingdom, with a plethora of contenders waiting in the wings for their chance at UFC gold.
Edwards, the current UFC welterweight champion, made his UFC debut in 2014, losing to Cláudio Silva. After that, he would go on to secure back-to-back wins before losing to Usman in their first meeting, but it wouldn’t be the last time the two met. In fact, since his loss to Usman in 2015, Edwards has gone on a 13-fight unbeaten streak. He had one no contest, against Belal Muhammad, whom he faces once again this weekend in Manchester, England.
Order UFC 304: Edwards vs Muhammad 2
At UFC 278, Edwards became the first Jamaican-born UFC champion and the second to come from the UK, after he landed a head kick that knocked Usman out cold in the final minute of the fight. The belt was coming back to England, and it has stayed there with Edwards since then. He went on to defeat Usman once again to conclude their trilogy and, most recently, faced Colby Covington in December to notch another title defense.
Edwards spent most of his life in Birmingham, England, just a short ride south of Manchester. Being able to bring the belt back to Birmingham after his win against Usman was special, and he reflected on it earlier this week.
“For a long time now, we’ve been told you have to go somewhere else, and you couldn’t win the belt in the UK,” Edwards said. “To have someone like me, from Birmingham, go out there and win a belt, it gives confidence to the guys in the UK that we can achieve this.”
Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic were set to square off last November in New York, but an injury on Jones’ side forced the bout to be scrapped. That’s when the UFC put Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich together for the interim heavyweight title. It only took Aspinall 69 seconds to stop Pavlovich and earn UFC gold. Another champ for the UK.
UFC 304: Preview Every Fight On The Card
You can’t talk about the state of MMA in the UK without talking about Paddy Pimblett. Originally from Liverpool, England, which isn’t too far from Manchester, Pimblett was a star the moment he stepped on the scene. He made his UFC debut in 2021, and earned a first-round knockout, in addition to a Performance of the Night bonus.
Pimblett then went on to have back-to-back fights in the O2 Arena in London, and the welcoming he received from the crowd was unforgettable. In those fights, he won by rear naked choke. The 29-year-old faced Jared Gordon at UFC 282 and won a controversial unanimous decision. It was a year before Pimblett stepped back in the Octagon, but he did so against a legend, Tony Ferguson, last December. He won by unanimous decision and is eager to get back to his finishing ways during his fight against King Green this Saturday.
And you can’t mention Pimblett without mentioning his partner in crime, Molly McCann, who is also a rising star from England. The two have competed on several cards together and even had a docuseries come out on BBC, named Paddy & Molly: Show No Mersey.
Arnold Allen stepped onto the UFC scene in 2016 and quickly showed why he is a threat to the featherweight division. The 30-year-old was 10-1 coming into the promotion and went undefeated inside the Octagon before suffering his first UFC loss in April of 2023 to former champion Max Holloway.
UFC 304 EMBEDDED: All Episodes
Prior to coming to the UFC, Nathaniel Wood was the Cage Warriors bantamweight champion. Over eight years ago, he was on the same card as Leon Edwards in a different promotion and the two warmed up in the same room. Earlier this week, he looked back on that moment and where the two are now, competing on the same card.
“To see that guy from 10 years ago, who is now the UFC champion, I’m thinking ‘it’s reachable.’ I can follow his footsteps.”
The state of UK MMA is strong right now, with prospects and contenders such as Christian Leroy Duncan, Oban Elliott, Lerone Murphy, Mick Parkin, and truly, the list could go on. It may only be a matter of time before we see another champion from this region.
UFC 304: Edwards vs Muhammad 2 took place live from Co-op Live in Manchester, England on July 27, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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