UFC 304: Tom Aspinall challenges Jon Jones after knocking out Curtis Blaydes while Leon Edwards is defeated by Belal Muhammad | WWE News

Tom Aspinall retained the interim UFC heavyweight title with a devastating first-round knockout of Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 on Saturday night, setting the English fighter up for a potential colossal showdown with divisional great Jon Jones.

Aspinall hit Blaydes with a massive right hand that sent the challenger to the canvas before finishing him with a series of right hands to the head that ended the fight just a minute into the first round – putting a blockbuster heavyweight fight in focus.

Aspinall, 31, has challenged Jones to a unification fight. Jones, widely considered one of the best MMA fighters of all time, has been sidelined with a torn pectoral tendon since his last fight in March 2023.

His absence forced the need for an interim champion. There are still hiccups — among them, Jones has at least one more title defense on deck, and he should be cleared.

“Who wants to see Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones?” Aspinall told a cheering crowd in Manchester, the UFC’s first trip to the city since 2016.

Aspinall (15-3) then looked directly into the camera and called out Jones.

“I just think I’m better than you,” Aspinall said. “I know I can beat you in a fight.”

Belal Muhammad, meanwhile, won the welterweight crown with a five-round unanimous decision victory over English champion Leon Edwards. Muhammad, an American fighter from Illinois, relished defeating Edwards in his home country.

“It seems like all the people booing have a lot of tears in their eyes,” Muhammad said. “We have a real champion in Chicago right now.”

With his face bloodied, Muhammad (24-3) fell to his knees moments after remaining undefeated in his 11th consecutive fight and having the championship belt wrapped around his waist. He has not lost since 2019.

Edwards (22-4) defeated Kamaru Usman to win the belt in 2022 and has had two successful title defenses.

Edwards and Muhammad fought to a no-contest in 2021, an unsatisfying outcome that sparked winning streaks for both fighters. Edwards has won four straight, while Muhammad has won five in a row.

Blaydes needed just 15 seconds to win the first heavyweight contest when Aspinall suffered a knee injury.

“Now, thank God, I have gotten my revenge,” Aspinall said.

Aspinall knocked out Sergei Pavlovich in the first round to become the first British heavyweight to win gold at UFC 295 last November at Madison Square Garden.

The interim title fight was a late addition to the card after Jones tore a pectoral tendon from the bone during training just weeks before the fight. He required surgery and his heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic at the Garden was canceled.

Jones and Miocic will fight at a later date – with a possible November showdown at the Garden in the superfight race – and the winner will face Aspinall to crown an undisputed heavyweight champion.

Jones turned 37 in July and hinted at the Miocic fight when he posted on social media that at the time he was “16 weeks away from fighting the most decorated heavyweight in UFC history. I feel like I’m in a great position right before training camp starts.”

Against the outclassed Blaydes, Aspinall earned his 12th career knockout victory – he has only reached the second round once in his nine UFC fights.

“I’m the best finisher in the UFC, man,” Aspinall said.

Liverpool native and fan favourite Paddy Pimblett also won his eighth consecutive fight – six in the UFC – when he submitted Bobby Green in the first round.

Pimblett choked Green at 3:22 of the first round and let the promotion know he was coming for the main event, as well as letting the lightweight division know he was coming for the championship.

“Statement made,” Pimblett said. “To all you haters who said I’d never get a rating, what now? Are they going to move the goalposts again?”