Leon Edwards uncovers simple reason causing UFC Manchester's schedule to go haywire

Leon Edwards will look to defend his welterweight title for the third time when he faces Belal Muhammad in the main event of UFC 304. The card, which will take place in Manchester, England, has received criticism from local fans due to its start time.

The early preliminary card will begin at 11:00 p.m. local time, while the preliminary card kicks off at 1:00 a.m. The main card will not start until 3:00 a.m., while the champion is expected to make the walk to the octagon around 5:30 a.m. Speaking to Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour, 'Rocky' revealed the reason for the late start, stating:

"I don't know. I think they said the pay-per-view was already booked for Utah, right? And then they - so the slot was already booked in so when they changed it to Manchester, they couldn't change also the time with the TV station and that's the reason why it's staying [at] that time, I think, so yeah."

Check out Leon Edwards' comments on the unusual start time for UFC 304 below:

While the start time has faced plenty of backlash from local fans and even fighters, the reasoning behind it makes some sense. The UFC's lucrative deal with ESPN means that the promotion will prioritize the network's plans. It is not a surprise that they could not make changes if they had already reached a deal to be locked into that time slot.

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Conor McGregor blasts Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad

After three years away from the octagon, Conor McGregor is set to make his highly-anticipated return when he faces Michael Chandler in a welterweight bout that will headline UFC 303. 'The Notorious' recently took the opportunity to blast the division's title picture, including Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad, who will clash for the belt at UFC 304.

Speaking on Duelbits, the former double-division champion stated:

"There's too many decisions going on now with that Leon fella. Leon Edwards loves a decision and then he's fighting another f**king decision guy, your man Belal. So, not great times in the welterweight title picture. 200 [pay-per-view] buys probably, not even. 150,000 buys if it's even a pay-per-view. It's probably not even a pay-per-view."

Check out Conor McGregor's comments on Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad below:

Edwards has revealed that if McGregor gets past Chandler, and he retains the welterweight title, he is open to the former double champion receiving the next title opportunity. Meanwhile, 'The Notorious' has expressed an interest in fighting for the welterweight title and becoming a three-division champion. It remains to be seen if a bout between the two will come to fruition down the line.