Israel Adesanya reacts to UFC 304 outcomes

UFC 304 took place this past Saturday at Co-op Live in Manchester, England.  A championship belt changed hands in the main event, an interim titleholder staked his claim as the best in the world in the co-main event, and a rising star picked up the biggest win of his career.  

Former two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya watched the event live and posted his realtime reaction to the fights to his YouTube channel.    

UFC 304 featured a welterweight title bout rematch between then-champion Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad.  The two first fought in March 2021, but the bout ended in a no contest after an accidental eye poke rendered Muhammad unable to continue.  Muhammad dominated Edwards in the rematch, winning by unanimous decision.  Muhammad also made history by becoming the first Palestinian UFC champion.  

Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall successfully defended his belt in the UFC 304 co-main event making short work of challenger Curtis Blaydes.  Leading into the two title fights, rising lightweight star Paddy Pimblett picked up the biggest win over his career choking out UFC veteran King Green in the first round.  

“The triangle (choke) was slick.  I’ve got to give it up.  Good job,” Adesanya said about Pimblett submission win over Green.  “I did not think Bobby (King) was going to shoot.  Literally, in the breakdown I said, ‘how is Paddy going to win?’  On the feet, I was like, ‘Okay, Bobby’s in the bag,’ but then he shot.  Oh well.  He (Pimblett) f***ing capitalized on it, though… Now watch him get up to 500 pounds in the next two days.”  

After Aspinall stopped Blaydes in 60 seconds, Adesanya repeated said, “He’s too fast, bro.  He’s too fast.”  Adesanya then expressed frustration with the state of the promotion’s heavyweight title picture. 

Related: Tom Aspinall challenges Jon Jones to prove him wrong

“So we’re going to wait until when, until Jon [Jones] fights Stipe [Miocic], and what’s going to happen to him (Aspinall) in the meantime?  It’s just silly.  Let’s get straight to the point,” Adesanya said.  “The winner of that fight, fight Stipe.”

Adesanya picked Edwards to retain his belt in the main event but quickly became a fan of Muhammad as the fight played out.     

“What a story for Belal to do that after coming back from the eye poke, now this, in his backyard, saying it the whole time, everybody doubting him, including me,” Adesanya said about Muhammad becoming welterweight champion.  “Give it up to him.  What a story.  Good job.

“Can you imagine what that feels like for him right now?  And all the Palestinians right now that could use him.  He can be a force for them.  I love these moments.”