EXCLUSIVE
‘It’s going to be crazy’ – Tom Aspinall insists late start time won’t ruin party atmosphere at UFC 304
Tom Aspinall is confident he’ll be walking out to an electric atmosphere at UFC 304 despite the late start to play.
The interim heavyweight champion is set to defend his title in a rematch with Curtis Blaydes at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester on July 27.
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British MMA fans were delighted to hear Dana White’s promotion would be returning to the city for the first time since Michael Bisping headlined UFC 204 in October 2016.
However, the mood was slightly dampened by the announcement that UFC 304 starts at 11pm and runs through the night until about 6am.
Aspinall isn't worried about the fact he’ll be fighting in the early hours of the morning, even though it means making some adjustments to his ongoing camp.
The 31-year-old feels it is a much bigger issue for the fans wanting to watch the card, which also features Leon Edwards, Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann.
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“It not ideal,” Aspinall said during an interview with ahead of the filming of TNT Sports' show 'Tom Aspinall’s Fight Lab'.
“I think it’s worse for the fans than it is for me. I’m an athlete. I’ll adapt to it. I don’t emotionally attach myself to anything. If I have to be somewhere at a certain time, I’ll do it and that’s how you should be as a top-level, elite athlete.
“It’s way worse for the Manchester fans who wanna watch it live. I wish it could be different for the fans and myself, but it isn’t so I’ll adjust accordingly.”
Regardless of whether or not the venue cuts off the alcohol supply, Aspinall is sure fans will still create the atmosphere that made White fall in love with the UK.
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He added: “People don’t need to be drinking to be passionate."
"Whether they are drinking or not it’s going to be a wild atmosphere.
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"It’s going to be a good time. It’s going to be crazy.”
Aspinall will adjust his training to factor in the 4am fight time, but first, he plans to speak with as many people as possible.
“I would imagine that a couple of weeks before that we will be changing the training time to 4am,” he said.
“Right now, we just are training as normal, but we are still ten weeks from the fight. It’s something I’ve not figured out.
"I’m going to speak with a few people who know more than I do.
"Maybe [Michael] Bisping, he’s done it. Maybe see how Leon [Edwards] is doing it and maybe speak with a few doctors or scientists.”
Watch Tom Aspinall’s Fight Lab on TNT Sports and discovery+ from 9:45pm on Sunday. For more info visit
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