Grading each of UFC 304's newly announced fights from worst to best

UFC CEO Dana White recently announced an amazing PPV card for UFC 304. The UFC had already announced for Manchester, England at the Co-op Live on July 24 but now we know who will fight on it. Leon Edwards will put his welterweight title on the line against No. 2 ranked contender Belal Muhammad. The co-main event is an exciting heavyweight clash between interim champion Tom Aspinall and No. 4 ranked Curtis Blaydes.

As expected, Paddy Pimblett is also on the card. He will face No. 15 ranked Bobby Green. Also on the card is an exciting flyweight matchup between Manel Kape and the undefeated Muhammad Mokaev. A featherweight matchup between Arnold Allen and Giga Chikadze rounds up the PPV card.

All five fights on the PPV card have a British fighter on it and they will enjoy the crowd support in Manchester. How good are the fights on UFC 304 PPV?

Paddy Pimblett vs. Bobby Green

Paddy Pimblett is one of the most famous fighters on the UFC roster. However, he has not been ranked by the promotion. The former Cage Warriors featherweight champion is nonetheless undefeated in the UFC in five fights with his latest victory being against past his prime Tony Ferguson.

Bobby Green rebounded from the brutal loss to Jalin Turner with a victory over Jim Miller at UFC 300. Green had called out Pimblett after the victory and he now has got his wish. Even at 38, Green would be the biggest fight for Pimblett. Moreover, a win over Green could put him in the rankings.

Pimblett has not faced a fighter who could test him. Green could test his striking but most likely would not escape Pimbelt's high level jiu-jitsu. The fight is on the PPV purely based on name value. If it were some other fighter with a similar skill set, they would've been on the prelims.

Arnold Allen vs. Giga Chikadze

Giga Chikadze has not fought since he defeated Alex Caceres at UFC Singapore in 2024. He was supposed to fight Josh Emmett at UFC 296 but withdrew due to a groin injury. Currently ranked ninth in the featherweight division, Chikadze has shown top-level striking in his fights, though he succumbed to the grappling of Calvin Kattar.

Arnold Allen is coming off a close decision loss to the undefeated Movsar Evloev at UFC 297, the first PPV of 2024. Before the fight with Evloev, Allen had his ten-fight winning streak in the division halted by Max "Blessed" Holloway. Ranked sixth at featherweight, Allen has showcased all-round skills throughout his fights but striking is his best asset.

For Chikadze, Allen is a step up in challenger. However, Allen should've angle for a fight with Yair Rodriguez who recently lost to Brian Ortega. Rodriguez is a bigger name and a victory over him would've helped Allen climb the rankings. Nonetheless, Allen vs. Chikadze would be an exciting striking affair and the fans would be on the edge of their seats.

Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes

Tom Aspinall, the interim heavyweight champion, had angled for a fight with either Jon Jones or Stipe Miocic. However, it didn't materialize. Aspinall even entertained the idea of welcoming light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira which also didn't materialize. Nonetheless, at UFC 304, he would get the opportunity to add a hardened veteran like Curtis Blaydes to his resume.

Aspinall has only lost once in the UFC, via TKO due to a knee injury, against Blaydes. However, Aspinall had defeated Sergei Pavlovich, who had knocked out Blaydes, to become the interim heavyweight champion. Blaydes is one of the best wrestlers in the division and has also showcased his striking prowess.

Off all the fights, Tom Aspinall would've gotten, the one against Blaydes is the most low-profile. He should've fought Ciryl Gane, a bigger name, to defend his interim title. Nonetheless, Aspinall's grappling would certainly be tested by Blaydes. Moreover, everything changes in a split second for heavyweights, and a knockout either way could happen.

Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad

Belal Muhammad finally got his title shot. Unbeaten in ten fights, Muhammad has improved fight by fight, defeating fighters with exceptional striking, wrestling, and grappling. The second-ranked welterweight has a history with Edwards as their first fight ended in a No Contest. Muhammad's past victories were against Gilbert Burns, Sean Brady, Vicente Luque, Stephen Thompson, and Demian Maia. Muhammad dominated all of them from start to finish.

Leon Edwards is the number three pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. His past three fights were against Colby Covington and twice against Kamaru Usman. Edwards showcased his all-round skillset to emerge victorious against Covington and Usman. Muhammad might have a stylistic edge over Edwards due to his forward-pressure style. Nonetheless, Edwards has a piston left hand and a solid left head kick.

If Muhammad is on a ten-fight unbeaten streak, Edwards is on a 13-fight unbeaten streak. Muhammad is the rightful challenger for the welterweight title even though the UFC had plans to rope in others to challenge Edwards at UFC 300. Edwards didn't entertain the crowd in his last fight with Covington. Against Muhammad, he wouldn't have to worry about it as his opponent would constantly move forward to apply pressure. It would be exciting to see both fighters approach the fight.

Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape

Muhammad Mokaev would've gotten a title shot if he had impressively defeated Alex Perez at UFC Vegas 87. However, he didn't and Stever Erceg got the opportunity at UFC 301 but failed. Nonetheless, the undefeated Mokaev would be next for Alexandre Pantoja, if victorious at UFC 304. With victories over two ex-title challengers like Perez and Tim Elliot, Mokaev already has an impressive resume.

Manel Kape, the former RIZIN bantamweight champion, is a force to be reckoned with at flyweight. Even though he lost his debut and the subsequent fight with the promotion, he has reeled off an impressive four-fight winning streak. He had been clamoring for a title shot and a victory over Mokaev would get him one.

Alexandre Pantoja, the flyweight champion, had revealed that he is taking some time to rest and would defend his title later this year. Therefore, Mokaev vs. Kape is a potential number-one contender fight. Both fighters have an all-round skillset but Kape has a speed advantage. The fight has all the makings to grab the Fight of the Night honors.