Matches to Make After UFC 304
Tyler TreeseJul 27, 2024
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to England with two title fights. The UFC 304 headliner saw Belal Muhammad upset Leon Edwards to become UFC welterweight champion, while the co-main event saw the interim heavyweight title up for grabs. With gold on the line and future contenders on the main card, there will be plenty of repercussions from the pay-per-view card.
Here are five matches to make following UFC 304.
Muhammad (24-3, 1 NC) used his superior grappling and effective jab to keep Edwards (22-4, 1 NC) at bay. After five rounds, “Remember the Name” had his hand raised and entered the history books. The American defeated several contenders on his way up, so up next should be the undefeated Rakhmonov, who is also on a tear. "Nomad" is a perfect 18-0 and has run through multiple UFC veterans, such as Stephen Thompson and Geoff Neal. It’d be a great test for Muhammad and his grappling abilities.
The co-main event saw Aspinall get revenge against Curtis Blaydes, who previously picked up a win over the British heavyweight due to an injury. With a quick TKO win, Aspinall has now defended the interim heavyweight title that he picked up by knocking out Sergei Pavlovich. The only logical fight next for “Honey Badger” is a title unification bout against Jones, even if the UFC is insistent on a strange legacy match against Stipe Miocic. Let’s find out who the best heavyweight in the UFC really is by putting the two champs against one another.
Pimblett made a statement and picked up the biggest win of his career by putting Bobby Green to sleep with a gorgeous triangle choke. The submission came in the first round and the British fighter exited without taking any damage. Bigger and more dangerous fights are next, and “The Baddy” called out Renato Carneiro as his next opponent. I like that fight next for Pimblett (22-3) regardless of if "Money Moicano" wins or loses against Benoit St. Denis as both men will talk it up and make it a spectacle.
Rodrigues showed off his well-rounded game by outclassing Christian Leroy Duncan over 15 minutes. The Brazilian improved to 16-5 as a professional and has become a fan-favorite inside the UFC. Another middleweight that always puts on a show is Pyfer, so let’s put him together with “Robocop.” Both men are always looking for a finish, and this would show which fighter is closer to being a real contender at 185.
Allen bounced back from losses to Max Holloway and Movsar Evloev by outstriking Giga Chikadze over three rounds. The unanimous decision victory was awarded to the 30-year-old English fighter, who had gone 10-0 inside the Octagon prior to the two defeats. Now 19-3, “Almighty” is still one of the top featherweights in the world and deserves another contender. Emmett would fit the bill well as “CC0” recently knocked out Bryce Mitchell in devastating fashion. It’d be another test on the feet for Allen, who is happy to stand and bang.