Britons celebrate MMA-Fest, the hangover comes with sunrise
With a dramatic finish, local heroes celebrate impressive victories at UFC 304. Aspinall and Pimblett need only one round, but the bitter finale comes in the main event between Champion Leon Edwards and Challenger Belal Muhammad.
Despite the event taking place in Manchester, many MMA fans in Europe had to stay up all night to follow UFC 304. The reason for this is the TV deal with the American broadcasting partner ESPN. Originally, the event was supposed to take place in Utah, but after it was moved to England, the broadcast time could not be adjusted. So, the 18,000 boisterous Brits had to wait until sunrise at 5:30 am before Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards put his title on the line against Belal Muhammad.
Three and a half years had passed since Edwards' and Muhammad's first encounter. The fight ended in a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke inflicted on the American. In Manchester, Edwards aimed to prove that he was still the undisputed number one in the Welterweight division.
Muhammad went for a takedown within seconds and heaved Edwards to the ground. After a half minute, the Champion managed to get back up and pressed Muhammad against the cage, but he couldn't break free - from there, both fighters engaged in a tactical striking exchange. Edwards landed strikes, with slight advantages for the Brit, but Muhammad managed to secure another takedown at the end of the round.
Muhammad came out strong in Round Two. The 36-year-old landed several jabs that clearly affected Edwards. After a takedown, he maintained control on the ground and at the cage. The Champion managed to escape but ended the round in a dominant position on the ground, unable to inflict significant damage and not showing much else. Muhammad's better distance control gave him the upper hand in Round Three, as well as the ability to initiate a takedown. Edwards was prepared this time and quickly reversed positions and took Muhammad down. The Challenger defended against the attempts but the round went to Edwards.
Muhammad followed his successful strategy in Round Four. Good jabs and a clean one-two combination were significant strikes, followed by a takedown where he controlled the remainder of the round on the ground without getting into any real danger. However, the judges gave the round to him. In the final five minutes, a similar pattern emerged. Muhammad took Edwards down and controlled the action. When Edwards regained control with only a few seconds left and brought his best actions with elbow strikes, the fight was already over. Muhammad won by points and was crowned the new Welterweight Champion.
Tom Aspinall paves the way for Jones fight
The bout between Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes also had a history of injury misfortune. In their first encounter almost exactly two years ago in London, the Brit tore his cruciate ligament with a kick and could not continue - Blaydes won by technical knockout. The heavyweights didn't waste much time feeling each other out: A quick striking combination from Blaydes knocked out the interim champion in the heavyweight division, and Aspinall responded with a right straight and took the action to the cage.
The next action was supposed to decide the outcome. The American charged relatively recklessly into a stiff jab from the Brit and went down. Aspinall followed up, landed on top of his opponent, and unleashed a flurry of punches. Blaydes could only shield his head - for the referee, this was no longer intelligent defense, so he stepped in and declared the fight over. Technical knockout win for Aspinall.
"Respect for Curtis," said Aspinall after the fight. "The first fight was an accident, today was my revenge." He is the best finisher in the UFC, set the 31-year-old as he asked the crowd, who wants to see a fight against Champion Jon Jones. The crowd cheered the proposal frenetically. Aspinall is expected to face the winner of the Jones vs. Miocic match in the upcoming spring.
Pimblett puts "King" to sleep
Pimblett aimed to push the door into the Top-15 of the UFC for a young British star. As a gatekeeper, UFC veteran "King" Green was supposed to appear. Between the two lightweight fighters, there were eight years and 14 fights of experience. The entrance of both opponents into the chaotic hall was already tense, and the first round was no less exciting. Green provoked his opponent verbally, and Pimblett responded with hard leg kicks.
When Pimblett went for another leg kick, the American charged in with a takedown, but found himself quickly in a chokehold. The technically skilled Briton transformed the Guillotine Choke into a Triangle Choke, and choked Green unconscious with a leg scissors. "I am the first to submit Bobby Green in the UFC. That's a statement," said Pimblett afterwards. The 29-year-old challenged the Brazilian Renato Moicano as his next opponent.
The adversity experienced by Tom Aspinall in his previous fight against Curtis Blaydes in Mixed Martial Arts was a turning point, as he avenged his loss with a technical knockout at UFC 304. His impressive performance has opened the door for a potential fight against UFC Champion Jon Jones in the near future.
Fans and pundits alike were thrilled as Liverpool's hometown hero Paddy Pimblett secured a triumphant victory in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, submitting veteran Bobby Green in the first round, further cementing his position in the lightweight division.
