UFC 304 to take place in Manchester on July 27 with Brits Edwards & Aspinall set to shine in new £365m Co-op Live Arena

THE UFC will return to the UK this year – but they won’t be touching down in London. 

For the first time in the best part of a decade, mixed martial arts’ top organisation will host a card outside of the English capital. 

UFCMMA’s top promotion will host UFC 304 at the brand-spanking new Co-op Live Arena in Manchester[/caption]

OAK VIEW GROUPThe arena cost a whopping £365million to build[/caption]

OAK VIEW GROUPUFC 304 will be the first combat sports event held at the arena[/caption]

And the MMA leader will be returning with a second pay-per-view event in as many years. 

UFC 304 will take place at the brand-spanking-new Co-op Arena in Manchester on July 27.

UFC president and CEO Dana White said: “I’m so excited to get back to Manchester.

“And no better time than this summer.

“We have two champions from the UK and fans have been dying for a UFC PPV event.

“So here we come to the largest indoor arena in the UK. See you soon, England!”
 
Welterweight and interim heavyweight champions Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall are expected to feature in the main and co-main events. 

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GettyTom Aspinall is in contention to be on the card along with Leon Edwards[/caption]

Edwards, Britain’s second UFC champion, is expected to defend his title in a rematch against surging welterweight mainstay Belal Muhammad. 

Aspinall, meanwhile, is expected to defend his interim strap in a rematch with Curtis Blaydes.

UFC head-honcho Dana White teased the duo being on the card late last month. 

He told TNT Sports: “I have an English heavyweight champion [Tom Aspinall] and lots of other European stars.

“There are two champions now out of England, so we have these teams that build all their different pieces to the puzzle.

“Then we come together with me, and then I start trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.

“I have got great fights lined up for the UK fans, and I’m excited to get back there.”

Liverpudlian duo Molly McCann and Paddy Pimblett will likely also feature on the main card. 

GETTYMichael Bisping headlined the UFC’s last trip to Manchester back in October 2016[/caption]

GETTYThe Count retained the middleweight title with a hard-fought and bloody victory over Dan Henderson[/caption]

UFC newbie Michael ‘Venom’ Page, who bamboozled Kevin Holland in his octagon debut last month, is also in contention to make an appearance.

The UFC’s visit to Manchester marks their first venture out of London since their trip to Glasgow in 2017. 

Manchester, however, is no stranger to holding UFC events having staged cards at the MEN Arena. 

UFC 204, which took place in October 2016, was the last event the city hosted and saw Michael Bisping register his sole defence of the middleweight title in a rematch with long-time rival Dan Henderson. 

The card kicked off at 11pm in order for the promotion’s American audience to be able to purchase the pay-per-view, a start time the UFC have once again decided to implement.

So UK MMA fans in attendance and watching back at home will be in for a super-late night as the main card will get underway at 3am.