“Hello Jon” Tom Aspinall Earns Quick Win at UFC 304 & Demands Title Shot

Tom Aspinall didn’t appear to be a man fighting for his career at 5 a.m. on a Sunday morning. When asked by Daniel Cormier to address current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, Aspinall didn’t stutter over his words. Neither the time of day the fight was taking place nor the adrenaline of defending his UFC interim heavyweight title against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in Manchester, England, left him short of words.

“Hello, Jon, I have nothing against you personally,” Aspinall said. “I think I am better than you. I know that I can beat you in a fight.” 

MMAfighting latest news is unclear if Aspinall will ever get that opportunity. Jones is still recovering from an injury he suffered last year. For Jones’ next fight, he is set to take on former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic in a legacy fight. While that will all play out, Aspinall performed dynamically against Blaydes.

Aspinall’s only loss in the UFC came against Blades in June 2022. However, Aspinall lost that fight due to his freak knee injury. In the rematch, Aspinall absorbed a few strikes from Blaydes before quickly dropping him with a jab.

Aspinall quickly followed up with ground-and-pound on the mat to secure his third straight win in the first round. Jones will have his hands full if he ever decides to fight Blaydes.

Remember Belal Muhammad’s Name

Belal Muhammad was someone not many people on MMA news sites ever thought of becoming the UFC welterweight champion. Despite a lengthy unbeaten streak, Muhammad has been passed over more than a few times as a potential title contender. But when Muhammad got his opportunity to fight for a championship against Leon Edwards, Muhammad left no doubt that he had been severely underestimated. 

Muhammad dominated Edwards from the opening bell. The biggest surprise was how Muhammad controlled the fight with his striking. Muhammad still utilized his excellent wrestling, but MMA latest updates show that he was also excellent with his hands.

Muhammad proved he belonged with a dominant performance. His fight against Edwards was the best display of fighting in his career. Muhammad will need to find a way to maintain that level to keep the belt.

Paddy the Baddy Proves His Worth

Paddy Pimblett said that preparing for UFC 304 was difficult for his mental health. You could have fooled everyone with how Pimblett performed. Pimblett’s opponent, King Green, shot for a takedown late in the first round.

This ended up being a disaster for Green. Pimblett immediately jumped on Green, looking for a guillotine choke. Pimblett quickly transitioned to a triangle choke when it looked like Green might escape. Green wasn’t prepared to defend the triangle.

Pimblett was also able to catch Green in the choke to put him to sleep in the late part of the first round. It was the first time Green had lost by submission since 2009.

The best MMA news sites show that Pimblett is 7-0 in the UFC. He was excited following the win, feeling like he showed he earned the opportunity to be ranked in the top 15.

“Statement made, bitches,” Pimblett said. 

Robocop Picks Up Win as Underdog

Gregory Rodrigues has all the important credentials of a successful grappler. He has racked up several wrestling medals and is also known for his excellent Brazilian jiu-jitsu. But what may be most scary about the Brazilian fighter is how powerful his hands are.

Christian Leroy Duncan discovered this the hard way. Duncan couldn’t figure out a way to over Rodrigues’ power shots. Duncan started showing noticeable damage to his forehead during the first round. Rodrigues would mix in his wrestling to coast to a unanimous decision win.

Allen Knew What the Plan Was and Did Something Else

Arnold Allen knew he likely had an advantage in grappling against Giga Chikadze. But the English fighter didn’t decide to take the fight to the mat. Instead, Allen decided to fight Chikadze in a striking battle.

While this would have appeared to favor Chikadze, Allen eventually wore down his foe with relentless forward pressure. During the first round, Chikadze kept Allen off of him by firing a series of head kicks. Chikadze was tired throughout the fight, so he couldn’t maintain that pace.

Allen won a narrow decision on all three judges’ scorecards. This was an important performance for Allen, who was on a two-fight winning streak.

Mokaev, Kape Produce Disappointing Fight

Muhammad Mokaev and Manel Kape nearly fought in the hotel room during weight week. They also seemed willing to go overboard at the weigh-ins as well. Even before the fight started, the UFC had extra security to separate the two men from fighting before the bell rang. 

However, once they were permitted to fight legally, both men seemed more interested in fighting with each other. Kape was slowed by a broken toe, which he suffered in the second round. 

However, despite the broken toe, Kape was passive from the outset of the first round. Mokaev held a 30-20 edge in significant strikes. He also landed three takedowns. That was enough for the judges to give him the victory.

It is hard to think that the result won’t impact both fighters. Mokaev and Kape were both thought of as potential title contenders, but their recent behavior may slow down their climb to the top.

Here’s the rest of the fights not mentioned above:

• Women’s strawweight, Bruna Brasil win by decision over Molly McCann, 30-27, 29-28 (x2)
• Catchweight (137 pounds), Jake Hadley win by decision over Caleb Loughran, 30-27 (x2), 29-28
• Welterweight, Oba Elliott win by decision over Preston Parsons, 30-27 (x2), 29-28
• Heavyweight, Mick Parkin win by KO over Lukasz Brzeski, Round 1 3:23
• Women’s strawweight, Shauna Bannon win by split decision, Alice Ardelean, 30-27 (Bannon), 29-28 (Bannon), 29-28 (Ardelean)

Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.

By Dean McHugh.