UFC 310 promises a night of thrilling matchups, featuring a mix of established stars and rising contenders. The event has undergone several changes, but the final card is set to deliver excitement.
Here's a breakdown of the key fights and developments leading up to UFC 310.
UFC 310: Pantoja vs Asakura Full Predictions, Analysis & Best Bets!
Main Event: Pantoja vs. Asakura
The main event features Alexandre Pantoja defending his flyweight title against Tatsuro Asakura. This is a big-name fight in the 125-pound weight class that ascended to the main event slot when welterweight champ Belal Muhammad was forced off the card.
The 34-year-old champion enters on a six-fight winning streak, having successfully defended his title twice already.
Asakura touches down in the UFC with a 21-4 record and wins over established names like Kyoto Horiguchi, Manel Kape, and Juan Archuleta.
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Co-Main Event: Rakhmonov vs. Machado Garry
Shavkat Rakhmonov was initially scheduled to face Muhammad in a welterweight title fight, but now faces Ian Machado Garry. Matchups like this rarely come together at this stage, where two unbeaten contenders face off with a championship opportunity hanging in the balance.
Rakhmonov holds an 18-0 record, with all his wins coming inside the distance.
Machado Garry was slated to take on Joaquin Buckley in the final fight of 2024 next weekend in Tampa, but jumped at the opportunity to share the Octagon with Rakhmonov here.
Gane vs. Volkov Rematch
A heavyweight rematch between Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov is set for this event. While Gane won the first meeting relatively handily, it feels like Volkov comes into this one carrying all the momentum, even though he’s only fought once more than the French heavyweight since that initial encounter.
Gane returns for the first time since September 2023 when he earned a second-round stoppage win over Serghei Spivac at home in Paris.
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Volkov arrives in Las Vegas on a four-fight winning streak, having earned stoppage wins over Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Alexandr Romanov, and Tai Tuivasa before out-working fellow Russian Sergei Pavlovich last time out in Saudi Arabia.
Other Notable Fights
- Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling: Evloev pushed his record to 18-0 overall with a unanimous decision win over Arnold Allen back in December, while Sterling won his divisional debut in April, grinding out Calvin Kattar at UFC 300.
- Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders: Weidman enters off a technical decision win over Bruno Silva in March, his first victory since beating Omari Akhmedov in the summer of 2020. The pair was rebooked after their fight was cancelled minutes before UFC 309.
- Dominick Reyes: Reyes finally snapped his extended losing streak last time out, scoring an emotional first-round stoppage win over Dustin Jacoby in June.
Changes to the Card
Several fights have been affected by withdrawals and replacements:
- Belal Muhammad was forced off the card, leading to Ian Machado Garry stepping in to face Shavkat Rakhmonov.
- Nick Diaz was expected to face Vicente Luque, but was replaced by Themba Gorimbo.
- Tatiana Suarez was initially set to fight Virna Jandiroba but withdrew.
- Kennedy Nzechukwu stepped in for Tallison Teixeira after earning a first-round stoppage win over Chris Barnett at UFC 308.
Additional Information
Bryan Battle missed weight by four pounds for his welterweight non-title fight.
Several fighters earned performance bonuses, including Chase Hooper and Vicente Luque, for impressive submission wins.
Stay tuned for more updates and in-depth coverage of UFC 310 as the event approaches.
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