UFC 304 Preview And Predictions

UFC 304 Preview And Predictions

UFC 304 is set to go down in Manchester, England at the Co-op Live. The fight night will be the first sporting event at Co-op Live and marks the UFC’s first event in Manchester since 2016. It should be an entertaining card as well. The promotion is taking its biggest English stars to help create a strong pay-per-view event. That includes two title fights with English champions Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall looking to defend their title. The remainder of the card features notable names in the English MMA scene.

Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict the main card. You can find out prediction records below.

James: 75-59

Garrett: 77-57

Anthony: 79-55

Jerry: 69-54

No. 6 Arnold Allen vs. No. 10 Giga Chikadze- Featherweight Bout

James: The UFC 304 main card starts with a featherweight bout between Arnold Allen and Giga Chikadze. This is an important fight for the featherweight division and these fighters’ careers. Allen was a sensational prospect who worked his way to the top of the featherweight division with a ten-fight win streak; however, he met Max Holloway and Mosvar Evloev at the division’s peak and suffered a pair of losses. Now, he looks to snap that losing streak. Chikadze entered the UFC with some hype because of his kickboxing background and raddled off a seven-fight win streak to start his promotional run. Calvin Kattar was the man to end that run. Chikadze did bounce back with a win over Alex Caceres. That momentum was halted when he tore his groin . Now, at 35, he is looking to return from injury and get back on track.

Allen is one of the bigger featherweights on the UFC roster. This gives him a physicality edge in most fights. This is also paired with legitimate skills. Allen has good boxing, can pressure his opponents, and is a good counterstriker. If he chooses, he can leverage his physicality with massive blitzes of power strikes as well.

Chikadze has some impressive striking skills. The best example of this is his kicking ability. Chikadze will kick to all three levels and do serious damage. In the UFC, he has hurt opponents badly with his body kick. That can make opponents drop their hands and leave openings for head kicks. Chikadze can also land straight punches from the outside.

The UFC 304 main card opener previews to be a fun fight. Allen and Chikadze are both willing to trade strikes with opponents. It will be interesting to see if Allen offensively grapples. Typically, it is not present in his game, but Chikadze has serious grappling flaws. If Allen grapples, he should have success. Regardless, Allen should be able to use pressure to crowd Chikadze’s kicks and win the boxing exchanges. I will take Allen by third-round knockout .

Garrett: Allen via decision

Jerry: Allen via decision

Anthony: Allen via decision

Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Gregory Rodrigues- Middleweight Bout

James: At UFC 304, Christian Leeroy Duncan will fight Gregory Rodrigues. Duncan has had a short stint in the UFC where he has logged a 3-1 record. It has been a solid start, but this will be a step up in competition. Rodrigues is 6-2 in the UFC and has had several strong performances.

Duncan has a lot of striking weapons in his arsenal. This starts with a standard jab and straight. It extends to a deep kicking game with standard kicks, front kicks, question mark kicks, and more. On the inside, he throws elbows as well. The flashiest part of his striking is his spinning elbows and kicks. Duncan did adjust his style after his only UFC loss and toned down his flashy striking in favor of a more fundamental approach.

Rodrigues is a dangerous striker with a lot of power. In his fights, he is willing to get into a brawl and let his hands fly. This often allows him to land hard shots. Rodrigues usually accomplishes this with standard boxing combinations. Plus, he will mix in knees that can split his opponent’s guard. Rodrigues does have a strong grappling game as well. This is because he has a mix of physicality and BJJ. This allows him to land takedowns and threaten submissions. The catch is that Rodrigues will set his grappling to the side in favor of a brawl.

This UFC 304 bout previews as an entertaining fight. Rodrigues is a brawler and Duncan will entertain a striking-based fight. The striking exchanges will be interesting because Rodrigues will attempt to apply pressure, but Duncan is quick and has good footwork. It will be a chess match to see who can control the octagon. From that point, Rodrigues’ offensive skills are not quite as strong in open space. Additionally, Duncan will be able to use his straight shots to land. Lastly, Rodrigues does have striking defense concerns. I lean toward Duncan because of his athleticism and footwork. This should help him keep his back off the fence. I will take Duncan by decision .

Garrett: Duncan via TKO

Jerry: Rodrigues via KO/TKO

Anthony: Duncan KO/TKO

No. 15 King Green vs. Paddy Pimblett- Lightweight Bout

James: At UFC 304, Paddy Pimblett will fight King (formerly Bobby) Green. This fight will give him a chance to earn a UFC ranking.  Pimblett joined the UFC with a lot of hype and has gone 5-0 in the promotion. Unfortunately, his hype train picked up an absurd amount of steam and he has become one of the most overrated fighters on the roster. Still, he is getting the chance to break into the rankings.

Green is an unorthodox striker. This is mostly because of his hands-down style. Green fights with his hands at his hips while using head movement and angles to avoid strikes. This style brings a level of trickiness because his offensive strikes come from odd angles. Plus, Green fights at a high pace for the entire fight. Throughout three rounds he will throw a lot of strikes and win minutes. The biggest concern is that his durability is waning. Green is a 37-year-old with 47 fights under his belt. In recent outings, Jalin Turner and Drew Dober brutally finished him. The durability concerns were present in his most recent victory as well. Despite dominating Jim Miller at UFC 300, Green was hurt multiple times.

Pimblett has a mix of solid talent and serious flaws. On the positive side, he hits hard. Pimblett’s striking approach has little technique, but he can punish opponents with big swings. In grappling exchanges, he can finish fights with a variety of different submissions. The two biggest issues with Pimblett are his striking defense and cardio. In striking exchanges, he is very hittable. Thankfully for him, his chin allows him to take damage. Plus, his aggressive offensive striking and grappling wear him out and make him tired if he cannot find an early finish.

This UFC 304 bout is a compelling fight to preview. One important note is that the UFC has been doing its best to provide Pimblett with advantageous matchups. That logic is present in this outing too. Pimblett’s power paired with Green’s durability creates a clear path to victory for the Englishman. If Pimblett lands a big shot, he could finish the fight with strikes or hunt a submission. Additionally, Green does not have sensational grappling. I would refer to him as an underrated grappler, but Pimblett could still succeed in that realm. All of that being said, Green is a volume striker who will be able to consistently land against Pimblett. If Pimblett can’t get an early finish I have a hard time seeing him fairly win a decision. I will take Green by decision .

Garrett: Pimblett via decision

Jerry: Pimblett via decision

Anthony: Pimblett via submission

(IC) Tom Aspinall vs. No. 4 Curtis Blaydes- Interim Heavyweight Title Fight

James: The UFC 304 co-main event features an interim heavyweight title fight. The champion Tom Aspinall will put the belt on the line rather than wait for an opportunity at undisputed gold. That is great news for Curtis Blaydes as he gets a chance to win the title. It should be noted that this fight is a rematch. The pair fought in 2020, but the fight ended in 15 seconds after Aspinall suffered a knee injury. In the time since Aspinall picked up two first-round stoppages while Blaydes went 1-1. That one victory came in his most recent bout against Jailton Almeida.

Aspinall has shown a ridiculous amount of offensive weapons throughout his UFC tenure. In striking exchanges, he is tough to deal with because he has great movement. This allows him to get in and out of the pocket while letting his hands go. This is done with serious knockout power. Aspinall is also a great grappler. If he wants, he will attempt takedowns. Typically, he is successful because he times his takedowns well. From the top position, he has dangerous submissions. The difficult part in evaluating Aspinall is that he is usually a front-runner. That is a credit to him, but it also means we have not seen him in an extended fight. A smaller concern is that his chin sits high in the air which is a concern in a volatile division like heavyweight.

Blaydes is a wrestler at heart. In recent years, we have seen him develop his offensive striking. This mostly consists of improved boxing. Still, his best game plan is to land takedowns. In the top position, he throws lethal ground and pound. Blaydes does not have much of a submission threat, but that does not matter when he lands elbows on his opponent’s face. The biggest problem with Blaydes is that he has consistently failed to take out championship-level competition. This is mostly because elite strikers land big shots and finish him.

The UFC 304 co-main event preview favors Aspinall. The one big question that could change that is his grappling defense. In the UFC, that part of his game has not been challenged. That makes it impossible to make a bold claim about his skills. That said, it is hard to imagine his offensive grappling was developed to an elite level while he ignored the defensive side of things. Additionally, his footwork and movement should make it difficult for Blaydes to time a wrestling entry. In a striking matchup, Aspinall has cleaner boxing and is much quicker. Plus, he can strike while moving forward or backward. Ultimately, I expect Aspinall to use his footwork to get in and out of the pocket before eventually landing a shot that dodges Blaydes’ guard. I will take Aspinall by first-round knockout.

Garrett: Aspinall via TKO

Jerry: Aspinall via KO/TKO

Anthony: Aspinall via KO/TKO

(C) Leon Edwards vs. No. 2 Belal Muhammad- Welterweight Title Fight

James: The UFC 304 main event is a welterweight title fight between Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad. This fight is a rematch from a bout that took place in 2021. The pair fought to a draw in that contest after Edwards landed an incidental eye poke that stopped the fight. Now, Edwards and Muhammad will share the octagon for the second time with much higher stakes. Edwards is looking to defend the UFC welterweight title for the third time. Meanwhile, Muhammad is getting his long-awaited opportunity for UFC gold.

Edwards is a highly technical kickboxer. This begins with his work from a distance. Edwards manages range, switches stances, feints, and sets up strikes. This adds together to help him find offensive success. It also helps that Edwards has a lot of weapons in his arsenal. The kickboxing skills are clear as he lands damaging kicks to all three levels, but he also lands straight punches, attacks the body, and works in the clinch. As far as grappling goes, Edwards has consistently shown defensive improvements. This is best seen when he can use the fence to his aid. A lot of his success against the welterweight elite will depend on his defensive grappling remaining at an efficient level. The two big flaws in Edwards’ skills are that he does not throw enough and he can make bad decisions. At times, it can be frustrating to watch him fight as it feels like he can pull ahead with more offensive attacks. At other times, he leaves you confused with a bizarrely timed takedown or a foul that costs him a position or point.

Muhammad is a very well-rounded fighter. In his recent run of impressive performances, he has done a good job of taking advantage of the weak points in his opponent’s skills. If he opts to strike, Muhammad has good distance striking. This comes in the form of straight shots and kicks. It also helps that he can pressure his opponents. As a grappler, he is a solid wrestler who can land takedowns and get control time. It is not the most in-depth approach to MMA; however, it is effective because he intelligently crafts the game plan required to get a win.

The UFC 304 main event preview largely depends on Edwards’ defense grappling. In all likelihood, Muhammad will test that aspect of his skills. The champion will need to defend takedowns and get his back off the fence in clinch scenarios. If he can do that, he should be the better striker. Edwards and Muhammad both look to operate at range. That favors Edwards as his striking is quicker and more advanced. Ultimately, I think Edwards will manage in the grappling scenarios.  Edwards likely understands that is a crucial part of his game and he has shown defensive grappling has improved. That allows him to spend a large majority of the fight striking from range which is where he thrives. I will take Edwards by third-round knockout .

Garrett: Edwards via decision

Jerry: Edwards via decision

Anthony: Edwards via KO/TKO

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