It’s fight week in Manchester, and a card loaded with British and Irish stars is ready to put on a show in the middle of the night at UFC 304.
The event, which will be the first big sporting event to be held in Manchester’s brand new Co-op Live arena, has been booked to go live at American primetime, so any hopes we all had of being able to watch the fights, then get to sleep at a sensible hour were dashed weeks ago when the timings were confirmed.
Bizarrely, it means that the fighters crossing the pond from USA actually don’t need to adjust their body clocks for the event, while the huge batch of fighters from this side of the Atlantic are having to change their routines and become nocturnal creatures in order to make sure they peak at the right time on fight night.
UFC 304: Saturday, July 27 – from 11pm
Co-op Live, Manchester
TV: TNT Sports (PPV)
There are five UK vs. USA matchups on the fight card this weekend:
Leon Edwards v Belal Muhammad – for UFC welterweight title
Tom Aspinall v Curtis Blaydes – for interim UFC heavyweight title
Paddy Pimblett v King Green
Nathaniel Wood v Daniel Pineda
Oban Elliott v Preston Parsons
It’s tough at the top
The biggest challenges will come with the biggest fights, as reigning UFC champs Edwards and Aspinall put their titles on the line against American opposition, on American time, on UK soil.
For both men, the time offset from their usual schedules is the worst, as they’re fighting at the very end of the night. It’s quite possible that, as Edwards makes the walk to the Octagon for his main event bout with Muhammad, the sun will already be shining over the Co-op Live.
The first fight of the night is set for 11:30pm, while the televised prelims kick off at 1am. The five-fight main card, which airs on pay-per-view Stateside, will get underway at 3am.
That means that Edwards’ main-event fight is likely to take place at around 5am (or later, depending on how long the other fights go), with Aspinall’s bout coming half an hour, or less, earlier.
Staying at your best during those hours is going to be a tough ask for the die-hard UFC fans who have shelled out hundreds (and, for some, thousands) of pounds for tickets to the show. But throw in a weight cut the day before, then having to face a fellow trained savage in a locked cage, and you can see how things look somewhat sub-optimal for the UK fighters against their American opponents.
Prepping for a late one
While the crowd and attending press are likely to be powered by alcohol and caffeine, respectively, for the fighters, making sure they’re on point when it matters is a much more scientific process.
Some of the fighters have been over in the US, getting on the appropriate timezone before returning home to fight, while others are going through the somewhat discombobulating process of changing their routines so they’re awake at night, and sleeping through the day.
It’s something some of us actually did as media back in 2016, when Michael Bisping defended his UFC middleweight title against Dan Henderson at UFC 204 (coincidentally, also in Manchester). That event was also held on US primetime, and a group of us in the media decided to live on US time throughout fight week.
It made for a bizarre week of operating at night and sleeping through daylight hours, but when fight night rolled around, we were as fresh as daisies, while some of our colleagues on press row were flagging so badly UFC PR staff came around to pass out cans of Monster Energy to help keep people going. It was a strange night…
Given the level of professionalism of coaches and fight gyms these days, you can be sure that they’ve worked out the best processes for their respective fighters, and we’ll see the UK fighters at their best.
Fan power is real
While there may be some difficulties adjusting to the different timezone, one thing that will make the fighters feel right at home is the huge crowd that’s expected for fight night.
Few crowds anywhere in the world back their fighters as loudly, and passionately, as the British and Irish fans, and the energy levels are sure to be sky high when the likes of Paddy Pimblett make their walk to the Octagon on fight night.
Fighting at home is a not-so-secret weapon for the Brits – just ask UFC Hall of Famer Bisping, who never lost a fight on home soil in his stellar career.
And the likes of Edwards, Aspinall and Pimblett will get heroes’ welcomes when they step into the cage. That fan power has brought the best out of UK fighters in the Octagon in the past, and the smart money is on the same thing happening again this weekend.
A historic night
The event is already going to make history. It’s the first sporting event at Co-op Live, and it’s the first time two UK champions have fought on the same card. MMA in the UK has arguably never been healthier, and the stacked lineup of local fighters on the card backs that up.
No fewer than EIGHT former Cage Warriors world champions are set to feature, with the UK promotion continuing to produce elite-level talent that’s ready to make the jump to the big stage.
Look out for the flashy, spectacular striking of the ice-cold former Cage Warriors middleweight champion Christian Leroy Duncan, while former Cage Warriors champs go head to head as English flyweight Jake Hadley steps in on a week’s notice to face Irish bantamweight Caolan Loughran at 135 pounds.
Another former Cage Warriors champ, English-based Lithuanian Modestas Bukauskas, will look to kick things off with a bang when he takes on Poland’s Marcin Prachnio in their light heavyweight matchup.
Bet now, sleep later
Everywhere you turn there’s a fun fight on this card, and you can back your favourites right here at Paddy Power, where there’s more fight night odds than you can shake a bloody gumshield at. Check out the latest UFC odds and get your bets on while you’re still fresh.
Whether you’re staying up like a savage to watch it all live, or taking a tactical nap, staying off social media and watching it early on Sunday morning, it should prove to be a cracker of a show.
Enjoy the fights!
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