UFC 304: Two title fights and a big night for the Irish in Manchester

UFC 304 will see the promotion return to Manchester for the first time since 2016 in one of the biggest cards of the year.

Two title fights, fan favourites and a big night for some Irish fighters is what fans have to look forward to in the Co-op Live arena on Saturday.

The main event will see Leon Edwards defend his welterweight belt for the third time, as he faces Belal Muhammad in a rematch of their 2021 bout.

The first time they clashed, the bout ended in a no-contest following an accidental eye poke by Edwards. Since then, not many fans would have predicted how each fighter's career would play out.

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After a win over Nate Diaz, Edwards shocked the world when he knocked out Kamaru Usman at UFC 278, before defending his title against Usman and Colby Covington.

For Muhammad, he is unbeaten since 2019, and earned his way to a title shot with wins over Gilbert Burns, Vicente Luque, Stephen Thompson and Sean Brady.

While Edwards was aggressive in his approach in the first bout, expect him to fight on the outside, and use his striking to his advantage to frustrate Muhammad.

Muhammad will pressure Edwards for five rounds and use his wrestling to bring this fight to the ground. While he may not have knockout power, he will be a difficult task for Edwards, in what should be an interesting match-up.

In the co-main event of UFC 304, Tom Aspinall defends his interim title against Curtis Blaydes, which is also a rematch.

In a rare moment for the UFC, the difficult situation the heavyweight division is in means Aspinall defends his heavyweight title. With Jon Jones injured and waiting for Miocic, in a fight that has not yet been announced, the division is in an awkward