UFC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has announced that its first European event of 2024, UFC 304, will take place at Co-op Live, the brand-new multipurpose indoor arena in Manchester, UK. Beginning on Saturday 27 July, UFC 304 will be the first sporting event to be held at the arena, which faced a series of setbacks, prior to opening on Tuesday 14 May.
Co-op Live is the UK’s largest and most sustainable live entertainment arena. With state-of-the-art technology and a carefully curated unique design, the venue promises to bring fans right into the heart of the action.
The prelims will begin at 11pm BST (6pm ET in the US), followed by the main card airing at 3am BST (10pm ET in the US, the traditional start time for a UFC Pay Per View).
“I’m so excited to get back to Manchester, and no better time than this summer,” said UFC President and CEO Dana White. “We have two champions from the UK and fans have been dying for a UFC PPV event. So here we come to the largest indoor arena in the UK. See you soon, England!”
“With the north of England home to so many of the world’s leading fighters, we are primed and ready for UFC and its knowledgeable, passionate fanbase,” commented Co-op Live executive director and general manager, Gary Roden. “Offering a state-of-the-art platform for globally broadcast events, Co-op Live is extremely proud to welcome entertainment of this scale and caliber as the future home of combat sports in the UK.”
The UK has always been the home to landmark UFC events and has played host to some of the most memorable Octagon moments in UFC history, including Michael Bisping’s spectacular defeat of the legendary Anderson “The Spider” Silva in February 2016. UK fans also watched as Leon Edwards successfully defended his title in front of a home crowd last year at UFC 286, cementing his legacy as one of the UK MMA greats.
UK MMA is currently experiencing what is being described as an unheralded golden era, with stars such as welterweight champion Leon Edwards, interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, and local favourites, including Paddy Pimblett, Molly McCann, Muhammad Mokaev, Michael Page, and Arnold Allen, with more rising through the ranks.
