The doors of the T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas, USA, are open for UFC 310 , the last numbered event of the year. The Ultimate on Saturday (7) features as its main fight Alexandre Pantoja defending the flyweight belt (up to 56,7 kg) against the debuting Kai Asakura , former Rizin champion.
In the co-main event, Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry face off in a clash of undefeated fighters. The winner will have the chance to challenge for the welterweight title (up to 77,1 kg) against champion Belal Muhammad , who is recovering from a bone infection.
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In addition to Alexandre Pantoja , two other Brazilians are on the UFC 310 card : Vicente Luque and Kron Gracie . SUPER LUTAS has prepared a list so you don't take your eyes off the last numbered event of the year. Check it out below!
1) Alexandre Pantoja x Kai Asakura
A tense moment marks the first face-off between Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Asakura before UFC 310. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC_Brasil
The main event of the night features Alexandre Pantoja defending his flyweight title against UFC newcomer Kai Asakura . It will be the Brazilian's third title defense, having previously retained his championship against Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg.
For Asakura, there is no better way to start his new 'firm' with a title fight. During a press conference at Media Day, he said he chose to move up to flyweight to bring more excitement to the category. With a fast game, the 31-year-old Japanese fighter likes to go for the knockout in his fights and promises a quick outcome against the Brazilian. Asakura has a record of 21 wins and four losses in MMA.
But nothing Asakura says will shake Alexandre Pantoja 's confidence . The current division champion insists he is better than his rival in every area of MMA. In a statement to the UFC 310 'Countdown' series , published on the Ultimate's official YouTube channel, the champion praised Asakura's striking skills, but said he is ready to beat the Japanese fighter under any circumstances. The Brazilian has a record of 28 wins and five losses.
2) Shavkat Rakhmonov x Ian Garry
Rakhmonov and Garry have a duel of undefeated fighters (Photo: Montage/SUPER LUTAS)
The co-main event in the welterweight division (up to 77,1 kg) promises to be a fiery fight. This is because both Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry are undefeated. This Saturday, at T-Mobile Arena, one of them will experience the bitter taste of defeat for the first time.
Rakhmonov has 18 wins as an MMA fighter. He was scheduled to face Belal Muhammad for the title at UFC 310 , but due to a serious bone infection that forced his opponent out of the event, the Kazakh fighter didn't want to wait and put his title shot to the test against Garry.
Garry has a record of 15 wins in the sport. At 27 years old, the Irish fighter was hastily chosen and left UFC Tampa to replace Belal against Rakhmonov at UFC 310. Garry has already trained with his rival and revealed plans to win the welterweight belt to move up to middleweight (up to 83,9kg) and face rival Khamzat Chimaev , who is also undefeated in the organization.
3) Ciryl Gane x Alexander Volkov
A rematch that could qualify one of them for a heavyweight title shot (up to 120,2kg). Of course, depending on what happens with Jon Jones , Alex Poatan , and Tom Aspinall.
At 34 years old, Frenchman Ciryl Gane has a record of 12 wins and two losses, one of them against Jon Jones in a defeat that cost him the heavyweight title. Meanwhile, Russian Alexander Volkov , 36, has a record of 37 wins and 10 losses and is a former Bellator and M-1 Global heavyweight champion.
Gane and Volkov first faced each other at UFC Vegas 30 on June 26, 2021. The Frenchman won the fight by unanimous decision, delivering a dominant performance. However, since that fight, Volkov has been more active than his opponent and has shown great progress, adjusting his training and racking up dominant victories, leaving the rematch between the two even more full of expectations.
4) Brazilians Kron Gracie and Vicente Luque
V. Luque (pictured) in the welterweight division. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @luquevicente
In the main card, Rickson Gracie's son returns to MMA after more than a year and a half, when he was defeated by Charles Jourdain by unanimous decision at UFC 288. The featherweight (up to 65,7kg) bout between Kron Gracie and Bryce Mitchell is noteworthy for its technical compatibility. Both fighters specialize in grappling. Even with only seven professional fights, the Brazilian has five submission victories.
Brazilian Vicente Luque is ranked 14th in the welterweight division (up to 77,1 kg) and will fight on the preliminary card of UFC 310. Dreaming of a career comeback, the 'Silent Assassin' faces a tough opponent who is currently on a great run in the organization. Zimbabwean Themba Gorimbo arrives riding a four-fight win streak in the UFC and hopes to take his rival's spot in the division's Top 15.
5) Preliminary card with two former champions
Anderson Silva suffered an open fracture in the rematch with Chris Weidman (PHOTO: Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
One of them is well known to Brazilians. Chris Weidman fights on the preliminary card of UFC 310 against Eryk Anders . The former middleweight champion (up to 77kg) won the belt after defeating the legend Anderson Silva . He then successfully defended the title against 'Spider' again, in an episode marked by Silva's bizarre open fracture in one of his legs, as well as against Vitor Belfort and Lyoto Machida . At 40 years old, the 'Typical American' is always worth the price of admission.
Another former champion on the preliminary card is Aljamain Sterling . The 'Funk Master' won the bantamweight title (up to 61,2kg) in a controversial fight against Petr Yan , after Yan was disqualified for delivering an illegal knee strike while Sterling was on the ground. It was the first time in UFC history that a title was decided by disqualification. The two had a rematch, where Sterling retained the title after winning by split decision.
At UFC 310 , 'Funk Master' faces rising Russian fighter Movsar Evloev in a featherweight bout (up to 65,7kg).
UFC 310: Pantoja vs. Asakura
Saturday, December 7 – T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
Main Card – Midnight
Flyweight title (up to 56,7 kg): Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura
Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry
Heavyweight (up to 120,2 kg): Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): Bryce Mitchell vs. Kron Gracie
Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): Nate Landwehr vs. Doo Ho Choi
Preliminary Card – 20h
Light heavyweight (up to 92,9 kg): Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith
Middleweight (up to 77,1 kg): Vicente Luque vs. Themba Gorimbo
Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Randy Brown vs. Bryan Battle
Combined weight (up to 88,4 kg): Chris Weidman x Eryk Anders
Flyweight (up to 56,7 kg): Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van
Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin
Lightweight (up to 70,3 kg): Clay Guida x Chase Hooper
Heavyweight (up to 120,2 kg): Kennedy Nzechukwu x Lukasz Brzeski
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