The UFC 310 essential occasion is a thriller story, one that may play out in a story style that is not a lot whodunit as who-is-it. Saturday’s battle pits a low-profile champion from a lower-profile weight class, males’s flyweight Alexandre Pantoja, in opposition to a challenger many U.S. followers will see for the primary time, Kai Asakura. Maybe leaning into the unknown is the UFC’s means of constructing the suspense.
And but, there’s an undercurrent of familiarity on this weekend’s headline matchup in Las Vegas (ESPN+ PPV, 10 p.m. ET). When Pantoja enters the Octagon, he may even really feel like he is strolling right into a déjà vu expertise: Just like final time, he will probably be staring throughout the cage at an under-the-radar challenger. In May, at UFC 301, Pantoja defended his title in opposition to Steve Erceg, who was unranked by ESPN and had barely dipped his toe into the UFC’s prime 10. The champ handed that understated check by a unanimous, however extremely aggressive, choice.
Now Pantoja will get Asakura, who will probably be making his UFC debut. However, as followers throughout the Pacific Ocean know, the challenger is not any newcomer to the battle recreation. The 31-year-old from Japan, a two-time former Rizin bantamweight champ with notable wins (Kyoji Horiguchi, Manel Kape, Juan Archuleta), has been competing professionally for 12 years — simply by no means earlier than within the United States.
As for Pantoja, who’s 34 and from Brazil, he’s quietly restoring stability the flyweight division hasn’t seen for the reason that days of Demetrious Johnson. It’s not anyplace close to “Mighty Mouse”-level stability, in fact, as Johnson was a champ from 2012 to 2018 — a reign of two,142 days, the second-longest in UFC historical past. Johnson made a document 11 consecutive title defenses, whereas Pantoja will probably be going for simply his third this weekend.
Still, if he is profitable, Pantoja (a -260 favourite to win, per ESPN BET) would be part of gentle heavyweight Alex Pereira and light-weight Islam Makhachev as the one present UFC champions with greater than two defenses of the throne. He’s not a giant shot like these different two, however Pantoja is constructing momentum and has risen into the ESPN pound-for-pound top 5.
In phrases of championship credibility, Pantoja could also be not more than a mini-Mouse. But to his credit score, he is not treating the 125-pound belt like a scorching potato, as his predecessors Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo did for 3 years. Between the summers of 2020 and 2023, Moreno and Figueiredo met 4 instances and traded the strap forwards and backwards, every ending the opposite’s quick reign earlier than both may acquire steam. Pantoja lastly broke the deadlock with a July 2023 win over Moreno, and he is held onto the UFC title ever since.
Will Pantoja emerge from the shadows and shine beneath the primary occasion highlight? Or will Asakura make an unbeatable first impression? That’s the marquee storyline at UFC 310, however in case it isn’t dazzling sufficient of a showcase to entice battle followers, the promotion is fortifying the cardboard with a terrific co-main occasion between undefeated welterweights, plus a few former champions and extra. Here are 5 of the tales that will probably be intriguing to look at.
1. Zero cause to overlook this one
Welterweight: Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry
Having stated all these good issues about the primary occasion, it is the co-main I’m far more curious about. How may one put something above an unbeaten-vs.-unbeaten matchup with each members excessive within the rankings? Rakhmonov (18-0), ESPN’s No. 3 at 170 pounds, was speculated to be within the headline bout, difficult Belal Muhammad for the welterweight title. But the champ suffered an infection in coaching, and somewhat than wait it out, Rakhmonov opted to battle on in opposition to the No. 6 ranked Machado Garry (15-0). Taking this battle is a daring transfer by each males, particularly Rakhmonov, who due to his 18 finishes in 18 fights, has come to be seen as a champion-in-waiting. I’m glad he took the danger. No disrespect to Muhammad, however even with no belt on the road, it is a extra interesting matchup than that title scrap would have been. It’s a rarity to see a collision of two high-level MMA fighters who have no idea what it feels prefer to lose.
2. Something new to freshen issues up
Men’s flyweight championship: Alexandre Pantoja (c) vs. Kai Asakura
Some may contemplate it a destructive that the UFC is handing a title shot to a fighter making his debut. I most likely would have shared that sentiment if Asakura had been slicing in entrance of a transparent No. 1 contender, however no 125-pounder is getting the Tom Aspinall therapy right here. Asakura’s spot may have gone to a unique Japanese fighter if Tatsuro Taira — ESPN’s No. 1 ranked fighter under 25 — had not had his unbeaten run ended by Brandon Royval in October. The title battle could not shift to Royval, although, as a result of he already had two photographs at Pantoja. Brandon Moreno has had three. Pantoja completely owns this division, and that has pushed the UFC to assume exterior the octagonal field and usher in thriller man Asakura. And I’m far more intrigued by the unknown than I might have been by persevering with the countless parade of rematches that used to suck the life out of the 125-pound championship image.
3. They cannot hold their palms off one another
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How Aljamain Sterling relates chess to his preventing
UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling fell in love with chess after giving it a attempt throughout the pandemic.
Featherweight: Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
For followers of the co-main’s unblemished matchmaking, here is a pairing of a former champion and an undefeated fighter. Sterling, who moved as much as 145 kilos after his bantamweight reign ended final yr, may have his wrestling examined by Evloev (18-0), who has landed a number of takedowns in all however considered one of his eight UFC fights. Every a type of fights went to choice, by the best way, which could fulfill grappling nerds however will unnerve those that reside for the exhilaration of a knockout or submission. I’ve seen Sterling end some top-shelf guys (TJ Dillashaw, Cory Sandhagen), so maybe this one will not come right down to us listening to Bruce Buffer learn off scorecard numbers that we’ll most likely assume must be reversed. Don’t count on a brawl, however fighters this good are value watching go to work. (The different ex-champ in motion at UFC 310: Chris Weidman, who faces Eryk Anders.)
4. No touchdown spot for a giant leap ahead
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Ciryl Gane overpowers Serghei Spivac with a flurry of fists for a TKO
Ciryl Gane overwhelms Serghei Spivac with a flurry of fists and knees to win by TKO.
Heavyweight: Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
After his no-show efficiency in a two-minute submission loss to Jon Jones early final yr, Gane resuscitated his popularity to some extent with a second-round TKO of Serghei Spivac in September 2023. But he is been idle for over a yr. Even although it isn’t his fault — this bout was scheduled for October till Volkov injured his knee in coaching — any momentum the massive Frenchman had has hit a brick wall. It’s unclear whether or not a win right here would carry both man ahead. The division is on the mercy of Jones, and all of the Gane-Volkov winner can do is tread water till his time comes. Keeping one’s head above water generally is a problem in a uneven heavyweight sea stuffed with sharks with massive tooth and greater fists.
5. Do not arise beneath any circumstances
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Gracie fights for himself, his household’s legacy
Kron Gracie discusses the importance of a Gracie profitable within the UFC once more, and the folks he fights for in his profession.
Featherweight: Bryce Mitchell vs. Kron Gracie
Feeling fortunate? This one is a coin flip: It could possibly be “get ya popcorn prepared” or stale bread. Gracie comes from the household lineage that put MMA on the map — his Uncle, Royce, received the UFC 1, 2 and 4 one-night tournaments — and, greater than three a long time later, has not advanced past a clan of jiu-jitsu specialists. The final time Gracie fought, in a dull loss to Charles Jourdain a yr and a half in the past, UFC CEO Dana White commented afterward that he appeared like one thing “out of a time capsule in 1995.” It was not a praise, regardless of coming from the man whose job is to promote us on his fighters. Now, although, Gracie is matched up with a fellow grappler in Mitchell. If this contest is decided by the one dimension the place each males excel, it could possibly be enjoyable to look at whereas consuming our pretzels. If they begin boxing as an alternative, it might be a very good time to go to the kitchen and grapple a sandwich into submission.
