Five undercard fighters who could steal the show at UFC 304
This weekend sees the UFC visit Manchester for a big pay-per-view. Unsurprisingly, the event is loaded with talent.
UFC 304: Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad 2 features many excellent fighters up and down the card, so which undercard stars could steal the show?
With key fights in multiple divisions, this one should be an event that sees several fighters shine brightly. Some might even outshine the headliners.
With that in mind, here are five undercard fighters who could steal the show at UFC 304 this weekend.
#5. Muhammad Mokaev - UFC flyweight contender
Earlier this week, Muhammad Mokaev would've seemed like a dead cert to potentially steal the show at UFC 304.
'The Punisher' is set to fight Manel Kape in a de facto top contender's bout in Manchester, and a flyweight title shot is likely to be up for grabs. Initially, the fight was set to open the event's main card.
This week, though, has seen the bout demoted to the early prelims, a decision Mokaev has blamed on the UFC not necessarily liking his fighting style.
Whether or not this is true is debatable. One thing is for certain, though, and that's that the UK-based Dagestani prospect will probably come into his fight with 'Starboy' more fired up than ever before.
Given that he's already reeled off six wins in the octagon, including victories over former title challengers Tim Elliott and Alex Perez, more added motivation will only make Mokaev more dangerous.
If 'The Punisher' comes in aggressively and on good form this weekend, it's hard to imagine Kape stopping him. If he does that, too, it's highly likely that he could also steal the show, cementing a title shot in the process.
#4. Christian Leroy Duncan - UFC middleweight contender
The benefactors of the UFC's decision to bump Muhammad Mokaev vs. Manel Kape from this weekend's main card were middleweight prospects, Christian Leroy Duncan and Gregory Rodrigues.
Neither man has the biggest name, but this weekend will offer them a shot in the spotlight, and if one can score a big knockout, stardom might beckon.
Of the two, it feels more likely that the UK's Duncan could grab the opportunity with both hands.
'CJD' is 10-1 in his MMA career and 3-1 in the octagon, and his last two bouts have seen him show off some excellent striking skills in knockouts over Claudio Ribeiro and Denis Tiuliulin.
Rodrigues is a heavy hitter with knockout power, but he doesn't seem quite as dynamic as Duncan, who will also have a partisan crowd roaring him on when he enters the octagon this weekend.
Therefore, if 'CJD' could produce the kind of knockout he used to dispatch Ribeiro, he could not only steal the show, but he could vault himself to stardom, too.
#3. Molly McCann - UFC strawweight contender
UFC 304 is set to feature a number of the UK's most popular fighters, including current titleholders Tom Aspinall and Leon Edwards.
One of the most beloved UK-based stars, though, is set to compete on this weekend's preliminary card. The fighter in question is Liverpool's Molly McCann, who is set to face Bruna Brasil in a strawweight fight.
'Meatball' is no stranger to stealing the show from an undercard spot. She famously scored one of the best knockouts of 2022 against Luana Carolina, earning a $50k bonus, and performed similarly well against Hannah Goldy later that year.
McCann did suffer two losses after those wins, denting her hype a little, but a move to 115 pounds last year re-energized her and she looked excellent in her win over Diana Belbita.
Brazil is a bit of an unknown quantity despite three bouts in the octagon, and there's little doubt that McCann will be favored to win. After all, the promotion would hardly book such a popular fighter to lose in front of her home fans.
Therefore, if 'Meatball' can reproduce the form that saw her smash Goldy and Carolina, she could well steal the show once again this weekend.
#2. Arnold Allen - UFC featherweight contender
This weekend's main card opener will see talented featherweights Arnold Allen and Giga Chikadze square off. If both men fight to the best of their ability, this fight has a chance of stealing the show.
Of the two, though, it feels more likely that Allen will shine brightest. Not only is he fighting in front of his home crowd in the UK, but he's also been more active in the octagon lately.
Sure, 'Almighty' is coming off back-to-back losses, but realistically, there's no shame in falling to Movsar Evloev and Max Holloway. More to the point, Allen took both men to the limit.
The native of Ipswich might have an unassuming personality, but there's absolutely no doubt that he can produce the goods in the octagon. Allen holds wins over the likes of Gilbert Melendez, Calvin Kattar, and Sodiq Yusuff.
Most importantly, though, the last time he fought in the UK, he destroyed tough veteran Dan Hooker, blitzing him with a salvo of strikes in the first round.
Whether Allen can get Chikadze out of there in a similar fashion remains to be seen, but if he can do it, there's every chance that he'll be the fighter everyone is talking about on Sunday morning.
#1. Paddy Pimblett - UFC lightweight contender
Given his status as one of the fastest-rising stars in the UFC as well as one of the UK's most beloved fighters, the man most likely to steal the show this weekend has to be Paddy Pimblett.
'The Baddy' has already reeled off five straight wins in the octagon, most notably defeating former interim lightweight titleholder Tony Ferguson.
This weekend will see him faced with his toughest test to date, though. Bobby Green is not only ranked at No. 15 in the world at 155 pounds but he's also won three of his last four bouts, most recently defeating legendary veteran Jim Miller.
However, in front of a partisan crowd, 'King' may find it hard going against the native of Liverpool.
Not only is Pimblett likely to bring his patented brand of infectious energy to the octagon, but he appears to be in the best physical shape of his career, too. If he can use his relentless style to put the pressure on Green, the veteran could be in for a long night.
If Pimblett can finish 'King', it's highly likely that he'll crash into the top 15, and could well be vaulted into title contention, too.
Given how much the crowd is likely to be on his side in Manchester if he can pull it off, then there's no doubt that the weekend could belong to 'The Baddy'.