MMA Preview – Tom Aspinall vs Curtis Blaydes 2 at UFC 304
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TOM ASPINALL VS CURTIS BLAYDES FACTS
When is UFC 304? Sunday 28th July, 2024 - 01:00 (UK)
Where is UFC 304? Co-op Live, Manchester (UK)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 304? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 304
What channel is UFC 304 on? TNT Sports 1
Where can I stream UFC 304? TNT Sports subscribers can stream the fight online via the TNT Sports website and Discovery+
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
TOM ASPINALL VS CURTIS BLAYDES LOWDOWN
The heavyweight interim champion Tom Aspinall (14-3) defends his title while Jon Jones keeps up his tradition of leaving a division in pieces. The champion’s unreliability has led to Aspinall defending an interim title against a new challenger which defeats the object of an interim, but nonetheless, this match-up makes sense. They met back in 2022 at UFC London, but it ended in heartbreak as the home favourite blew his knee out in 15 seconds. It goes down as a TKO loss to add insult to injury, but he made a tremendous recovery returning to the octagon only 12 months later to knock out Marcin Tybura (2023). He followed his fifth ‘Performance of the Night’ with his best snapping Pavlovich’s (2023) six-fight win streak by smoking him in the first round to become the interim champ.
Although Curtis Blaydes (14-4(1)) added his 12th knockout to the win column, he was also upset that night in London losing the opportunity to slide up the queue of contenders. He returned nine months later against Pavlovich (2023) and fell victim to his sixth consecutive knockout. That was the fourth time Blaydes had been knocked out in the UFC providing another setback in his title hunt. However, he then met Jailton Almeida (2024) and snapped his 15-fight win streak with a brilliant TKO of his own to catapult himself straight back in the title picture.
TOM ASPINALL VS CURTIS BLAYDES PREDICTION
Hopefully this lasts longer than 15 seconds and it will be interesting to see if this goes past the second round – unknown territory for Aspinall. Blaydes is one of the best wrestlers in the division and has the ability to test that gas tank.
However, he has abandoned his wrestling in recent fights. He now backs his striking which has given him some success, but it has also got him starched and that is likely if he trades on the feet here.
Aspinall has the speed and movement of a middleweight and will light Blaydes up on the feet. He is also a good wrestler with exceptional jiu-jitsu, but Blaydes can take him down and keep him there.
This really depends on how Blaydes approaches this. He needs to wrestle and test Aspinall’s cardio. Aspinall’s fights have ended so quickly, his weakness have not been on show. However, his chin has been there to be hit and if he does not respect Blaydes’ striking, he could get humbled.
If Blaydes decides to wrestle, he can also steal rounds and make his striking more threatening. He is the value bet, but Aspinall’s speed and power could lead to yet another early finish.
Prediction: Aspinall via KO/TKO
Value Bet: Blaydes to win
