Tom Aspinall makes his eagerly awaited return to Manchester to co-headline UFC 304 at the Co-op Arena on Saturday, July 27. The Salford-born fighter will make the first defence of his UFC interim heavyweight world title when he takes on Curtis Blaydes in the co-main event, with fellow British fighter Leon Edwards defending his UFC welterweight world title against Belal Muhammad.
Aspinall won the interim title in stunning fashion in November 2023, knocking out Sergei Pavlovich in the first round on short notice. His only loss in the UFC came two years ago when he suffered a serious knee injury in the first round of his bout with Blaydes, and he is now looking to right that wrong. 'I want to put this one to bed and I want to be done with it,' Aspinall told the Manchester Evening News.
Should Aspinall win past Blaydes, the dream fight remains a shot at Jon Jones' UFC heavyweight world title. Jones, widely considered one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, is scheduled to defend against Stipe Miocic. Alternatively, a tantalising option could be a fight with current light-heavyweight world champion Alex Pereira, who has hinted at moving up to heavyweight. Aspinall has respect for Pereira but is focused on the task at hand.
If neither fight materialises, a defence against one of the top-ranked heavyweights remains an option. The event marks the first numbered pay-per-view UFC event in the UK since March 2023.
