Edwards-Muhammad, Aspinall-Blaydes set for UFC 304 in Manchester

Welterweight champion Leon Edwards will defend his title against Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 at the Co-op Live in Manchester, England on July 27, CEO Dana White announced on Thursday.

In their first meeting in March 2021, the pair fought to a no-contest after Muhammad was accidentally poked in the eye. Edwards (22-3, 1 NC) has won his past five fights, including capturing the title from Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 with a highlight-worthy KO in the fifth round. He's successfully defended the belt against Usman and earned a unanimous decision win over Colby Covington at UFC 296 last December.

Muhammad (23-3, 1 NC) is riding a five-fight win streak since squaring off against Edwards. The 35-year-old has earned four unanimous victories during the streak, including his most recent win over Gilbert Burns in May 2023. He'll step into the Octagon as the No. 2 welterweight, per the UFC's rankings.

Additionally, interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall will fight Curtis Blaydes in a rematch of their July 2022 bout. Blaydes (18-4, 1 NC) was awarded a TKO win after Aspinall sustained a knee injury just 15 seconds into the fight. The 33-year-old Blaydes also secured a win against Jailton Almeida in his last match after a first-round TKO loss to Sergei Pavlovich in April 2023.

Aspinall (14-3) has secured finishes in each of his past two outings since recovering from a knee injury. He earned a TKO over Marcin Tybura and stopped Sergei Pavlovich in just 69 seconds to capture the interim heavyweight title.

The main card will also feature Paddy Pimblett taking on Bobby Green in a lightweight fight. The match was quickly put together after Green called out the British fighter following a unanimous decision win over Jim Miller at UFC 300 in April.

Pimblett (21-3) boasts a spotless record since joining the UFC, winning all five of his bouts. He most recently earned a decision victory over Tony Ferguson at UFC 296 in December.

A battle between flyweights Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape alongside a featherweight bout pitting Arnold Allen against Giga Chikadze will round out the stacked main card.