Tom Aspinall weighed in five pounds lighter than opponent Curtis Blaydes on Friday, as the Briton prepares to defend the interim heavyweight title at UFC 304. The Wigan native tipped the scales at 251lb, while Blaydes came in at 256lb for their co-main event at the Co-Op Live arena in Manchester.
Two years ago to the month, Aspinall suffered a knee injury just 15 seconds into a fight with the American in London. The 31-year-old is known for his unusual speed at heavyweight, and he weighed the same when they first fought, while Blaydes was 260lb for that bout.
In Saturday’s main event, Leon Edwards will defend the welterweight title in another rematch against Belal Muhammad. Edwards successfully weighed in at 170lb on Friday, with Muhammad coming in at 169lb. In 2021, Edwards and Muhammad fought to a No Contest after an accidental eye poke.
Elsewhere at the weigh-ins, every fighter made weight except Jake Hadley. The Briton came in one pound overweight at 137lb for his bantamweight clash with Caolan Loughran. Hadley, stepping in on short notice, has been fined 20 per cent of his purse.
