UFC 304 will take place in Manchester but will start at 3 a.m. local time due to broadcast considerations, meaning the dual main events of Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes and Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad could be starting as the sun begins to rise over north west England.
It's a tough proposition for the fighters involved, but former UFC light heavyweight title contender Alexander Gustafsson said the challenge of fighting in the early morning hours could be overcome with some planning.
Gustafsson headlined several European-based UFC events, including three in his hometown of Stockholm, and he told Crypto Sports Betting that a little bit of preparation went a long way towards adjusting to the unusual fight times during those bouts.
"Everyone reacts differently to fighting in the early hours of the morning," Gustafsson said. "I did the last part of my camp during the early hours at the same time I would be fighting.
“I'd have a session early in the evening and then a session in the early morning. Your body and mind gets used to working in those hours. It was a bit of a struggle to begin with but you get used to it.
“When I stepped in, I didn't think about it at all. It was a crazy atmosphere. It was fully packed, 4 o'clock in the morning and it was packed, it was one of the biggest stages in Sweden. It was an unreal experience because no one believed we'd fill the arena with fans at that time of the morning.
“Everyone was going crazy, it was an unreal and amazing experience. The timing brought something different in some weird way. You felt it – it wasn't a regular fight night – people were on fire, they were crazy, it was special.
“My short advice to Tom [Aspinall] and Leon [Edwards] is not to analyse it too much, it is what it is. Just make the best of it and act like you're working out at the regular time.’’
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