Welcome to MMA News Today, your daily dose of the most interesting news from the world of mixed martial arts. July 29, 2024, Here's what we're looking at:
- Muhammad wins in Manchester
- Mokaev's actions questionable
- Blades admits he got too caught up in hitting.
Belal Muhammad celebrates after the match in Manchester
Belal Muhammad may not have had as much support in the Manchester arena as Leon Edwards, but the fans were rooting for him in his subsequent wins.
In the main event of UFC 304, Muhammad won the highly anticipated title bout and became the welterweight champion via unanimous decision.
Before making his journey home, the newly crowned champion celebrated his victory by driving through the streets of Manchester with his title in hand.
Fans came together to support him, blocking busy Wilmslow Road in Rush Olme on Sunday night, with the assembled crowd waving Palestinian flags.
Videos posted on social media showed long queues of cars waiting for the crowds to disperse so they could pass through.
Zach Paugar says it's not just Mohammed Mokaev's fighting style that's keeping him from being re-signed
One of the most surprising revelations coming out of UFC 304 was Mohammed Mokaev's future with the UFC.
Dana White announced that the promotion would not renew his contract because it had expired, despite him just being 23 years old and beating top flyweight contender Manel Kape to improve his record to 13-0.
Mokaev said after the fight that UFC staff told him that if he signed a new contract, they didn't want to see him use his aggressive grappling style.
White made it clear in the post-fight press conference that the decision was not based on behavior inside the Octagon, but on issues he was causing outside of it, including fights.
UFC light heavyweight contender Zach Pauga echoed this on social media, suggesting Mokaev's issues lie behind the scenes more than White revealed.
“Like I said, I'm tired of being the inside guy. I want you to know that Mokaev being released had nothing to do with his fighting style. The fact that they are willing to let him go when he's receiving all this praise should say something.”
Curtis Blaydes says he was “too greedy” in post-UFC 304 statement
Curtis Blaydes has made his first statement since losing his first UFC title fight in Manchester last weekend.
Blaydes attempted to win the interim heavyweight title from Tom Aspinall, but in a rematch that lasted just one minute, Aspinall took his opponent down and applied the pressure to stop the bout.
In a message on his Instagram Story, “Razor” thanked his supporters and said he had been too enthusiastic about the strike at first.
While Blades had some success with his strikes early on, trading for the Englishman was apparently not the approach he and his team had planned.
“I'm sorry everyone. I got greedy and abandoned a great game plan that my coaches Vinny Lopez and Cody Donovan had come up with that was sure to work out. There are no excuses. Tom was in top form tonight. I know this is not the end of my journey but I know I am better than tonight's performance. I am so grateful for all the support. It was an eye-opening experience to have so many people excited with me,” Blades wrote.
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