UFC 304 Co-Main Event Review: Aspinall Stops Blaydes
Tom Aspinall retained the interim heavyweight championship by stopping Curtis Blaydes at 1:00 of round one in the UFC 304 co-main event. The rematch at Manchester’s Co-op Live, on the July 27, 2024, event schedule, gave the English heavyweight a decisive answer to an injury-shortened first meeting.
Why the first fight needed a rematch
Aspinall and Blaydes first fought in London in July 2022. Aspinall suffered a knee injury just 15 seconds into the contest, producing an official TKO victory for Blaydes but very little competitive action. It was a legitimate recorded result, yet it revealed little about how their skills would interact over a sustained fight.
Aspinall returned from the injury and won the interim championship against Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295. Blaydes remained an established heavyweight contender with a strong wrestling background. Their second meeting therefore combined unfinished business with a belt defense, giving both fighters a clear sporting objective.
Aspinall makes the early exchange decisive
The rematch did not become a long grappling contest. Blaydes showed his power in the initial exchange, but Aspinall reset and connected with a short left hand. Follow-up punches brought the referee’s stoppage exactly one minute into the opening round.
The official UFC report lists the finish as a TKO. The important sequence was the combination of the initial damaging strike and immediate follow-up offense. Aspinall did not simply rely on being first into an exchange; he recovered his position and found the shot that changed it.
The tactical question was resolved quickly
Before the event, UFC’s coaching discussion focused in part on whether Blaydes could impose his strongest wrestling approach and whether the memory of the first fight would influence either man. Aspinall’s early finish left little opportunity for those possibilities to unfold.
That brevity should shape the analysis. The bout demonstrated Aspinall’s effectiveness in a fast striking exchange and his ability to finish a hurt opponent. It did not provide evidence about twenty-five minutes of cardio or a prolonged battle against Blaydes’ top control. A short win can be decisive without answering every hypothetical matchup question.
The championship distinction matters
Aspinall defended the interim heavyweight belt at UFC 304. Jon Jones remained the undisputed champion at the time, so the Manchester victory was not a title unification. It strengthened Aspinall’s championship credentials without making a future opponent or date certain.
The rematch also reversed the outcome of his only UFC loss up to that point. Instead of another injury ending, Manchester witnessed a completed finishing sequence. That combination of a successful belt defense and a resolved rematch made the one-minute performance one of UFC 304’s central moments.
Sources
- UFC background on the Aspinall–Blaydes rematch
- UFC tactical preview: Aspinall vs. Blaydes 2
- UFC 304 official co-main event report
- UFC post-event analysis and championship context
Tags
MMA, Combat Sports
