Tom Aspinall, a UFC fighter, expressed frustration over the scheduling of UFC 304, labeling the start time as “absolutely terrible.” The event is set to take place on Saturday, July 27th, at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester, England. However, the pay-per-view is slated to begin at 10 pm ET, translating to 3 am in England.
Aspinall, who is anticipated to compete in an interim heavyweight title defense at UFC 304, voiced his thoughts on the matter through his YouTube channel. He acknowledged that as an athlete, adjusting to the time difference for training and competing is manageable, drawing from his experiences of traveling across different time zones for fights.
Despite his personal adaptability, Aspinall empathized with fight fans, particularly those in the UK, criticizing the late start time as unfair to them. He argued that while the event may cater primarily to an American audience, it could still be accommodated during the afternoon in the US, aligning with the evening time for UK viewers.
Aspinall emphasized the importance of considering the local audience, suggesting that scheduling UFC events according to UK time could boost attendance and engagement, especially for fans in Manchester and across Europe. Despite his grievances with the timing, Aspinall remains eager to compete and acknowledges the significance of hosting a pay-per-view event in Manchester.
