The countdown is on to UFC 304, as the world-famous Octagon returns across the pond to Manchester, where a stacked fight card will see the best of the UK and Ireland take to the sport’s biggest stage in the middle of the night at Co-op Live.
As we build up to fight night in MCR, we look at a quartet of preliminary card fights that should get the crowd off their seats before the pay-per-view main card gets underway at 3am (yes, 3am!).
UFC 304
Co-op Live, Manchester,
TV: TNT Sports (PPV) (23:00)
Molly McCann vs. Bruna Brasil
The “Meatball” is back, and she’s ready to bring the house down once again as she takes on Bruna Brasil (from Brazil) in one of the featured preliminary card matchups of the night.
After campaigning for much of her career as a flyweight, McCann dropped to the 115-pound strawweight division and picked up a buzzer-beating armbar submission win against Diana Belbita back in February.
Now she’s got that tricky first weight cut under her belt, hopes are high that McCann will be even more comfortable at the weight, and she’ll be targeting her 15th career win when she takes on Brasil, who is looking to bounce back after losing to Thailand’s Loma Lookboonmee last time out.
There’ll probably be a degree of revenge on McCann’s mind, too. Brasil defeated McCann’s training partner Shauna Bannon on the Irish fighter’s UFC debut last July. Bannon is also set to compete in Manchester, and you can bet she’ll have given Molly the inside scoop on Brasil’s fighting style.
It should be a high-paced back-and-forth battle, and with McCann set to be roared on by the Manchester crowd, expect another high-energy performance from the proud Evertonian.
Oban Elliott vs. Preston Parsons
American Preston Parsons has alternated wins and losses through his four-fight UFC career so far, and last time out he picked up a hard-earned decision victory over Matthew Semelsberger. So, that means he’s due a defeat at UFC 304, right?
That’s certainly how Oban Elliott will see it. “The Welsh Gangster” has been a breath of fresh air in the UFC ever since his wild decision win on Dana White’s Contender Series earned him a spot on the UFC roster.
The former Cage Warriors welterweight contender’s penchant for wars saw him involved in another one on his Octagon debut as he outworked hard-hitting Val Woodburn at UFC 298. And Elliott’s never-say-die fighting spirit, coupled with his earnest interviews and pro-wrestling-inspired promos on the mic, make him must-see TV, whether it’s during fight week or on fight night itself.
Expect another all-out war once again, with Elliott and Parsons looking well-matched and ready to take it into the trenches for the full 15 minutes if necessary. While Parsons’ form has been patchy, Elliott is on a six-fight win streak. If he makes it seven, expect another attention-grabbing post-fight speech from the passionate Welshman.
Sam Patterson vs. Kiefer Crosbie
It’s England vs. Ireland at welterweight as Sam Patterson takes on Kiefer Crosbie in a battle that should generate plenty of interest in the stands.
Ireland’s Crosbie built his name in Bellator, where he claimed four victories over the space of three years, after dabbling in a little influencer boxing with a win over Georgie Shore’s (and fellow Bellator veteran) Aaron Chalmers, he signed with the UFC last summer.
Crosbie’s Octagon debut didn’t go to plan as he was submitted by Kevin Jousset. So you can bet he’ll be fired up and ready to make amends against Patterson, who bounced back from a crushing knockout loss on his UFC debut last year to finish Canadian KO artist Yohan Lainesse via submission at UFC 297.
Patterson will likely want to take it to the mat in a bid to hand Crosbie another submission loss, while the SBG Ireland man will likely want to keep it standing and test the Englishman’s chin. It should be a fun one, for as long as it lasts.
Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Gregory Rodrigues
If stand-up striking matchups are your bag then grab your popcorn and be in your seat for the middleweight clash between England’s Christian Leroy Duncan and Brazil’s Gregory Rodrigues.
Rodrigues has won four of his last five, and in his last fight did something current UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and former champ Israel Adesanya couldn’t do – he stopped the notoriously tough Brad Tavares. He’s stepping in on short notice after Duncan’s original opponent, Robert Bryczek, was ruled out through injury.
Meanwhile, Duncan has adapted well to life on the world stage after capturing the Cage Warriors middleweight title. He’s 3-1 in the UFC, and heads to Manchester on a two-fight win streak, with back-to-back TKO finishes to his name.
WOW! What a performance by Christian Leroy Duncan! 🏴 👊#UFCVegas82 pic.twitter.com/QcQOfB2b5T
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) November 18, 2023
On paper, it should deliver a fascinating clash of striking styles, with Duncan’s slick, sniper-like striking looking to pick off Rodrigues’ pressure-fighting approach.
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