This weekend’s UFC 304 features not just one, but two highly anticipated rematches. The main event sees Leon Edwards defend his welterweight title against Belal Muhammad, but the co-main event holds equal weight as Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes clash for the interim heavyweight championship.
Aspinall won the interim title last year after a first-round knockout of Sergei Pavlovich. His only setback inside the octagon came in his first encounter with Blaydes in 2022, which ended due to a non-contact knee injury.
Blaydes bounced back from his loss to Pavlovich with a victory over Jailton Almeida earlier this year. This marks his first shot at UFC gold.
Their initial meeting was a highly anticipated fight that saw an unexpected conclusion but the rematch promises fireworks. Aspinall boasts well-rounded skills, while Blaydes has faced the who’s-who of heavyweight standouts over the years.
Ahead of their fight night, the two sat for an interview with ESPN MMA where they were asked to describe a few stars from the UFC in a single word.
Check out their response below:
Tom Aspinall Confident of Curtis Blaydes Revenge at UFC 304
Tom Aspinall is fueled by revenge as he prepares to defend his interim heavyweight title against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in Manchester. Aspinall believes significant improvement has been made since that fight.
Speaking to TNT Sports, ‘Honey Badger’ said:
“My training and my level, my skill level now, no, I’m not talking about mentally, my actual, me as an MMA fighter compared to me last time I fought Blaydes are way different, I’m so much better now… “
Fighting in front of his hometown crowd, the Brit welcomes the pressure to deliver:
“I can perform under pressure, I know I can. I’ve done it multiple times. The more pressure’s on, the better I perform.” [H/t: Euro Sport]
Edited by Anurag Mitra
