Featured Image Credit: Tom Aspinall on X
Topics: UFC, MMA, Tom Aspinall, Dana White
Alex Brotherton
Tom Aspinall has slammed an 'unfair' decision taken by UFC ahead of UFC 304 this summer.
Last week UFC announced its return to the UK, with UFC 304 set to take place at Manchester's new Co-op Live arena on July 27.
It will be the first time UFC has taken place in the city since UFC 204 was hosted at the Manchester Arena in 2016.
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As part of the announcement, UFC President and CEO Dana White said: "I’m so excited to get back to Manchester. And no better time than this summer.
"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!"
The card for UFC 304 is yet to be confirmed, but fans were left fuming by the late starting time of the event.
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In order to cater for the US audience, the preliminary fights will not begin until 11pm local time, and the main card is not expected to get underway until 3am at the earliest.
Plenty of fans reacted angrily on social media and called for White to make the scheduling more UK fan friendly.
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Now, one of the organisation's fighters has had his say.
British fighter Tom Aspinall, the current Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion, has slammed the late start time.
"As a fan who wants to watch it live, I think it is absolutely terrible," Aspinall said while answering fans' questions in a TikTok video.
"I think it's just not fair on the fans, it's not fair on the UK fans. Predominantly, it's [the UFC] an American audience, so I understand they want to sell to them, but why can't they sell to them in the afternoon when it is our evening time."