Almost exactly two years since their initial encounter, Curtis Blaydes and Tom Aspinall are poised for a rematch at UFC 304 on July 27 in Manchester, England.

Their first showdown took place on July 23, 2022, in London, where Blaydes emerged victorious by TKO due to a knee injury sustained by Aspinall just 15 seconds into the bout.

Following his second-round TKO victory over Jailton Almeida at UFC 299 in March, Blaydes (18-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) expressed his desire to face Aspinall (14-3, 7-1), the interim heavyweight champion.

On Thursday, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the rematch as the co-main event alongside Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad for Edwards’ welterweight title.

A year after his injury, Aspinall secured a TKO victory over Marcin Tybura in just 73 seconds. He followed this up with a knockout victory over Sergei Pavlovich via punches in a mere 69 seconds last November, clinching the interim heavyweight title.

The winner of the Blaydes-Aspinall rematch is anticipated to face the victor of the bout between champion Jon Jones and former champion Stipe Miocic. However, there’s speculation that the winner of the latter fight may opt for retirement.