***Official*** UFC 304 MEGA Sherdog Content.

Kowboy On Sherdog

Cheers to another 20 years
Staff member
Sherdog.com Staff
Joined
Oct 20, 2004
Messages
106,571
Reaction score
189,793





Tom Aspinall believes he can get the better the Alexander Volkov yet again in a potential rematch.


Aspinall is slated to defend his interim heavyweight title in a rematch against Curtis Blaydes in the main event at UFC 304 on Saturday in Manchester, England. Meanwhile, Volkov is fresh off a unanimous decision win over Sergei Pavlovich at UFC Abu Dhabi last month. While a clash between Volkov and Ciryl Gane is reportedly in the works for UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi in October, “Drago” claimed to have not received a contract for the bout a week ago.

Meanwhile, lineal champ Jon Jones is currently sidelined with injury and slated to fight former champ Stipe Miocic upon his return. With Miocic having not fought in over three years, Volkov considers the Jones vs. Miocic matchup more of a fantasy fight rather than a real title fight. Volkov recently called for rematch against Aspinall, with a potential win putting him in a title unification bout against “Bones.”


“To save the world, the championship belt and the UFC's reputation I need to beat Aspinall first, then beat Jon Jones and unify the interim and the main heavyweight belts,” Volkov told Match TV (via Red Corner MMA).



UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

Aspinall scored a first-round submission win over Volkov in their initial encounter at UFC London in March 2022. While “Honey Badger” doesn’t underestimate Volkov in any way, the Brit believes he can dispatch the Russian in the first round yet again in a potential rematch.

“It didn’t go that well for him the first time,” Aspinall told Red Corner MMA. “Well, I don’t know, if it happens, it happens. I’m open to any fight. I’ve never turned a fight down in my life. Volkov’s a solid guy, a solid opponent. I beat him in the first round last time, and I think I can beat him in the first round again. That’s no disrespect to Volkov. I think he’s solid, but I just think I’m better than him. But again, as I always say, heavyweight MMA, it’s no two fights that are the same. He definitely has the skills to beat me. I’m not saying anything bad about him. But I think skill for skill, I’m head and shoulders above him. No disrespect to him, I like him, but that’s my opinion.”

Aspinall also spoke about his liking for Russian fighters in general, which primarily stems from the “respectful” attitude he has seen in them.

“From my personal experience with Russians, I just find them really respectful, really positive and just nice genuine people to get along with,” Aspinall said. “As I said, I’m not speaking of anybody else’s experience, that’s my experience. And as fighters, they’re just solid. They’re good everywhere. They’re all lifelong martial artists like me, the ones who I fought are anyway. And just like solid respectful human beings from my experience at least.”



Leon Edwards detractors can still point to one glaring entry on his resume: a no contest with Belal Muhammad three-plus years ago.

The longtime rivals will finally settle their score when Edwards defends the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight crown against Muhammad in the UFC 304 headliner this Saturday at Co-op Live in Manchester, England. Their first encounter ended with anticlimactic eye poke in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 187 pairing on March 13, 2021, and they have remained at odds with one another ever since. Edwards enters the cage on the strength of a four-fight winning streak. The Team Renegade star last suited up at UFC 296, where he laid claim to a five-round unanimous decision over promotional lightning rod Colby Covington on Dec. 16. Muhammad, meanwhile, has rattled off five consecutive victories. The Roufusport product has not competed since he outpointed Gilbert Burns to a unanimous verdict at UFC 288 in May 2023.


As Edwards and Muhammad approach their high-stakes rematch at 170 pounds, a look at some of the numbers that have accompanied them to this point:

32: Years of age for Edwards, who was born on Aug. 25, 1991 in Kingston, Jamaica—some 4,600 miles from where he now resides in Birmingham, England.


3: Edwards wins by submission, accounting for 13% of his career total (22). His methods of choice: two rear-naked chokes and one arm-triangle choke. Edwards holds seven other wins by knockout or technical knockout (32%) and 12 more by decision (55%).

Buy UFC 304 for a chance to win a VIP trip to UFC 310 in Las Vegas!

100,000:
Dollars in post-fight bonuses banked by Edwards across his 17 appearances inside the Octagon. He has been awarded “Performance of the Night” twice.

7: Countries in which Edwards has plied his mixed martial arts trade. He has gone 13-1 in England, 4-1 with one no contest in the United States, 2-0 in the Netherlands, 1-0 in Poland, 1-0 in Scotland, 1-0 in Singapore and 0-1 in Brazil.

.822: Cumulative winning percentage between the three men—Kamaru Usman, Claudio Silva and Delroy McDowell—who have defeated Edwards. They boast a combined record of 37-8.

36: Years of age for Muhammad, who was born in Chicago on July 9, 1988. “Coming to America,” “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” “Big,” “License to Drive” and “Arthur 2: On the Rocks” were the Top 5 movies at the domestic box office at the time.

5: Muhammad victories by knockout or technical knockout, accounting for 22% of his career total (23). His list of UFC victims: Sean Brady and Augusto Montano. Muhammad owns one other victory by submission (4%)—he put away Takashi Sato with a rear-naked choke at UFC 242 in 2019—and 17 more by decision (74%).

137: Seconds needed for Muhammad to turn away Justin Brock with punches in his Aug. 18, 2012 debut under the Hoosier Fight Club banner. Nearly 12 years later, it remains his fastest finish to date.

79: Rounds started by Muhammad as a professional mixed martial artist. He has gone the distance on 19 different occasions and carries a 17-2 record in those bouts.

54: Combined wins between the three men—Geoff Neal, Vicente Luque and Alan Jouban—who have beaten Muhammad. They sport a cumulative .699 winning percentage at 54-23-1.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
“To save the world, the championship belt and the UFC's reputation I need to beat Aspinall first, then beat Jon Jones and unify the interim and the main heavyweight belts,” Volkov told Match TV (via Red Corner MMA).
Under-estimating Stipe is way too common in that matchup for the reality I see.

Aspenal may very well need to look at unifying vs. Stipe.
 
Last edited:
Volkov is crazy thinking he's going to beat tom & Jon lol

F I can't wait till this weekend to see UFC

War Leon
War blaydes
 


Belal Muhammad is grateful for the guidance of Khabib Nurmagomedov heading into his first championship opportunity.


Muhammad will receivs his long-awaited welterweight title shot against Leon Edwards in the main event at UFC 304 in Manchester on Saturday. Muhammad recently visited Dagestan to train with Nurmagomedov for his upcoming fight.

Muhammad claims a bit of advice from the former lightweight champion has proven to be invaluable. Muhammad is glad to have the mentorship of “The Eagle,” who he considers to be the MMA GOAT.

“It benefits me everywhere,” Muhammad told Shakiel Mahjouri. “Physically, mentally, spiritually, it just puts me on another level. I said it before and people were making fun of me like, ‘Oh, get off his jock blah blah blah.’ Training with him and getting advice from him is worth 20-30-40-50 days with anybody else. Just being able to feel his strength, feel his pressure, feel his knowledge too that he gives you. And to have him give me advice and what he thinks I should be doing for this fight and breaking down Leon. And telling me what he thinks the game plan should be. The knowledge is endless. Because to me I think he is the GOAT of the MMA world and the UFC. And just like a brother that could message and ask. And anytime I send a question he’ll respond. It’s just literally priceless to have that guy in my life.”

UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

Nurmagomedov is reputed to be running a really tight ship in his gym in Dagestan. Muhammad confirmed the reports, claiming the work just doubles up whenever Nurmagomedov is in the gym. Muhammad further revealed that whoever is unable to keep up with the grind is asked to leave.

“There’s no hidden juice, no secret with them. Their team is just all about hard work,” Muhammad said. “It’s just about overworking. When Khabib gets there, it’s twice the overwork and twice the push. It’s a different level. And I think that’s why you see a lot of those guys mentally strong because they’ve been through the hardest things in their camps, they’ve been through the hardest parts, the hardest scenarios in all their practices. And then he continues to push you on and if you don’t like it, he’ll just tell you to leave. You’re not strong enough to be a part of it, then you can just leave. There’s no sugarcoating. There’s no, ‘Let me give you a couple of softballs,’ in their gym. They’re all killers, they’re all beasts. And anytime I get a chance to work with them or train with them, I level up.”
 






 


While Arnold Allen remains a Top 10 fixture in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s featherweight rankings, he wants to get a little more juice out of his squeeze.

The 30-year-old Firas Zahabi protégé will seek his first win in nearly 21 months when he locks horns with Kings MMA standout Giga Chikadze in a featured UFC 304 attraction this Saturday at Co-op Live in Manchester, England. Allen steps back into the spotlight on the heels of back-to-back losses. He owns a 10-2 record in the UFC, his run with the promotion highlighted by victories over Calvin Kattar, Dan Hooker, Sodiq Yusuff, Nik Lentz and Mads Burnell.



Buy UFC 304 for a chance to win a VIP trip to UFC 310 in Las Vegas!

As Allen closes in on his forthcoming battle with Chikadze at 145 pounds, a look at a few of the rivalries that have helped shape his career to this point:

Makwan Amirkhani


Allen continued his steady climb on the 145-pound ladder when he captured a split decision over “Mr. Finland” and passed his first real test inside the Octagon in an entertaining back-and-forth UFC Fight Night 107 featherweight showcase on March 18, 2017 at the O2 Arena in London. Judges Mark Collett and Paul Sutherland struck 30-27 scorecards for Allen, while Howard Hughes saw it 29-28 for Amirkhani. The three-round bout was marked by wild momentum swings. Amirkhani executed takedowns in all three rounds and aggressively hunted chokes. Allen denied all his advances, drained his gas tank and capitalized when the SBG Ireland export overextended himself on the ground. He reversed into top position on more than one occasion, achieved full mount in the second round and wheeled to the back late in the third, where he slipped his arms underneath Amirkhani’s chin just as the final horn sounded.

Gilbert Melendez


The two-time Strikeforce champion was shown the door in unceremonious fashion when Allen shut him out in their featured UFC 239 prelim on July 6, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. All three cageside judges struck 30-27 scorecards for Allen, who took yet another step forward as an emerging threat in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s featherweight division. Operating in the shadows of the Jon Jones-Thiago Santos main event, Melendez could only survive. Allen picked him apart with clean punching combinations to the body and head, chewed up his lead leg with kicks and even mixed in a third-round takedown. Once viewed as one of the sport’s top lightweights, Melendez’s frustration was visible and only grew as the minutes ticked away. Allen was credited with 102 significant strikes landed and absorbed only 23 of them in return.

Max Holloway


Allen’s first encounter with true greatness proved to be a bridge too far, as he wound up on the wrong side of a unanimous decision against the Hawaiian in their five-round UFC on ESPN 44 headliner on April 15, 2023 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Scores were 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47. Allen improved his standing in defeat, refusing to break in the face of overwhelming pressure from the Hawaiian. Holloway stayed a step ahead for much of the match, routinely beat the Englishman to the punch and built a comfortable lead, both statistically and on the scorecards. Allen was informed between the fourth and fifth rounds that he likely needed a finish, and to his credit, he fervently chased one across the final five minutes. Despite those considerable efforts, Holloway managed to quell any hopes of a late rally and outlanded him by a 35-24 margin in Round 5.

Movsar Evloev


The former M-1 Global champion kept his perfect professional record intact and moved ever closer to title contention at 145 pounds with a unanimous decision over Allen in their three-round UFC 297 appetizer on Jan. 20, 2024 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. All three cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Evloev. Allen oftentimes looked like a man who was caught in the no man’s land between offense and defense. Evloev used the ever-present threat of the takedown to keep the Tristar Gym export at bay for much of the match. He staggered Allen with a stiff jab in the second round and followed it with a sweeping right hook that opened a serious horizontal gash under his left eye. Those efforts afforded him some wiggle room in Round 3. There, Allen cut off the American Top Team rep with a front headlock and then uncorked three illegal knees to the side of the head, one of which drew a steady stream of blood. After a brief pause to the action and a warning from referee Marc Goddard, he caught an oncoming Evloev in a ninja choke in a bid to turn the tide. The unshakable Russian scrambled free, extricated himself from danger and rode out the remaining time.

 


Belal Muhammad is grateful for the guidance of Khabib Nurmagomedov heading into his first championship opportunity.


Muhammad will receivs his long-awaited welterweight title shot against Leon Edwards in the main event at UFC 304 in Manchester on Saturday. Muhammad recently visited Dagestan to train with Nurmagomedov for his upcoming fight.

Muhammad claims a bit of advice from the former lightweight champion has proven to be invaluable. Muhammad is glad to have the mentorship of “The Eagle,” who he considers to be the MMA GOAT.

“It benefits me everywhere,” Muhammad told Shakiel Mahjouri. “Physically, mentally, spiritually, it just puts me on another level. I said it before and people were making fun of me like, ‘Oh, get off his jock blah blah blah.’ Training with him and getting advice from him is worth 20-30-40-50 days with anybody else. Just being able to feel his strength, feel his pressure, feel his knowledge too that he gives you. And to have him give me advice and what he thinks I should be doing for this fight and breaking down Leon. And telling me what he thinks the game plan should be. The knowledge is endless. Because to me I think he is the GOAT of the MMA world and the UFC. And just like a brother that could message and ask. And anytime I send a question he’ll respond. It’s just literally priceless to have that guy in my life.”

UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

Nurmagomedov is reputed to be running a really tight ship in his gym in Dagestan. Muhammad confirmed the reports, claiming the work just doubles up whenever Nurmagomedov is in the gym. Muhammad further revealed that whoever is unable to keep up with the grind is asked to leave.

“There’s no hidden juice, no secret with them. Their team is just all about hard work,” Muhammad said. “It’s just about overworking. When Khabib gets there, it’s twice the overwork and twice the push. It’s a different level. And I think that’s why you see a lot of those guys mentally strong because they’ve been through the hardest things in their camps, they’ve been through the hardest parts, the hardest scenarios in all their practices. And then he continues to push you on and if you don’t like it, he’ll just tell you to leave. You’re not strong enough to be a part of it, then you can just leave. There’s no sugarcoating. There’s no, ‘Let me give you a couple of softballs,’ in their gym. They’re all killers, they’re all beasts. And anytime I get a chance to work with them or train with them, I level up.”


Khabib has famously had the inside scoop on Leon Edwards after 0 fights with him and 0 of his students beating him lol
 


Job security in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s strawweight division remains elusive for Bruna Brasil. While she has lost two of her first three bouts inside the Octagon, the experience has not been without its benefits.

“I’m fighting in the world’s biggest promotion, with great challenges and opponents,” Brasil told Sherdog.com. “Without a doubt, things are much harder now, inside and outside the Octagon. With every fight, losses or victories, we find ways to evolve. I’ve grown a lot, especially emotionally. I’m ready for the next challenge.”


Buy UFC 304 for a chance to win a VIP trip to UFC 310 in Las Vegas!

A member of The Fighting Nerds camp, the 30-year-old Brazilian will confront former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Molly McCann as part of the UFC 304 undercard this Saturday at the Co-op Live in Manchester, England. McCann, 34, has rattled off four wins across her past six appearances. The Liverpool, England, native last competed at UFC Fight Night 235, where she put away Diana Belbita with a last-second armbar in the first round of their Feb. 3 confrontation.

“I’m very excited with this great opportunity that the UFC gave me,” Brasil said. “She has a big name and I’m the underdog, but this is clearly a great opportunity to show the world and the UFC all my abilities as a fighter. I wish to show that I can be a UFC star. I’ll chase after her, impose my game [and] hurt her, and if I see an opening, I’ll knock her out; and if she’s not paying attention, I may even submit her. I can hardly wait. To beat her at home will be incredible. I’m ready to put on a show.”

Brasil finds herself on the rebound following a unanimous decision defeat to Konklak Suphisara at UFC Fight Night 236 in February. Suphisara outstruck her by a 73-52 margin, doing enough to offset the Shooto Brazil veteran’s 2:29 of control time.

“I cut her off and made her walk back, but in the end, I feel aggression was lacking, as well as the right strategy,” said Brasil, who has never suffered back-to-back losses as a pro. “We let that win get away. I feel it was a great fight, but that extra something was missing. Of course, whatever we go through helps us get better. All my challenges in the UFC have allowed me to grow even more as an athlete and as a person. This has made me stronger for what comes next. I have a very big objective: to be a world champion. I have to grow from my missteps to be able to get there.”

Brasil now sets her sights on McCann and the possibilities that lie ahead.

“I have many plans for my future,” she said. “Mainly, I want to win this fight, renew my UFC contract and hopefully fight once more this year.”
 
Excited, looking forward to Saturday, lots of good fights on this card, should be super entertaining!!!
 
Back
Top