The UFC's return to Manchester, England, came with high expectations. On a card headlined by two British champions and filled with talent from the United Kingdom, UFC 304 had the potential to be a memorable night for fans. Aside from two rematches for championship gold, UFC 304 had a heated rivalry between flyweight contenders and two of Liverpool's biggest stars performing in front of their countrymen. What could go wrong?
Did the main and co-main event deliver? What fights surprised and which ones underwhelmed?
After each MMA pay-per-view, we break down and assess the quality of each matchup and the fight card as a whole based on skill displayed, competitiveness and what is at stake. A bout that earns an A or higher could be considered one of the year's best fights, such as Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. Fights that earn a D-minus or lower will be fights that could be considered the worst matchups of the year. Think Rose Namajunas vs. Carla Esparza at UFC 274 or Francis Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis at UFC 226.
Here are the grades for all 14 fights on the card -- including two A's and one F that teased us during the lead-up of the event.
Interim heavyweight title: Tom Aspinall def. Curtis Blaydes by first-round TKO
Grade: A
