The closing lineup for UFC 310 is now set with a bout order that features a pair of former champions adorning the prelims.
There have been various adjustments to the ultimate UFC pay-per-view in 2024, notably after welterweight champion Belal Muhammad was knocked off the cardboard with a foot an infection that prevented him from dealing with Shavkat Rakhmonov in the primary occasion.
Now flyweight king Alexandre Pantoja defends his belt within the headliner towards newcomer Kai Asakura, who will get a crack at UFC gold in his first battle with the promotion after beforehand ruling in RIZIN in Japan.
As for Rakhmonov, he remained on the cardboard however now faces Ian Machado Garry in a five-round co-main occasion that ought to nearly definitely crown the No. 1 contender at welterweight with the winner transferring on to face Muhammad as soon as he’s wholesome sufficient to compete once more in 2025.
Perhaps the most important shock aren’t the fights on the cardboard however moderately the bout order.
Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling makes his second look at 145 kilos in a pivotal matchup towards undefeated mauler Movsar Evloev in a battle that might push the winner into title competition. While the high-profile battle has potential title implications, Sterling and Evloev are literally competing on the preliminary portion of the UFC 310 card.
Meanwhile, Chris Weidman is definitely now headlining the early prelims after his battle towards Eryk Anders was scrapped from UFC 309 and as an alternative shifted to UFC 310 on Saturday. Anders fell unwell simply earlier than he was scheduled to face Weidman in New York in November so the bout was cancelled and finally rebooked.
The middleweights meet within the early prelims of what’s in the end a fairly stacked UFC 310 card general. Here’s the official bout order for UFC 310, per the promotion.
UFC 310 Main Card (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ pay-per-view)
MAIN EVENT: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura
Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry
Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
Bryce Mitchell vs. Kron Gracie
Nate Landwehr vs. Doo Ho Choi
UFC 310 PRELIMS (8 p.m. ET on ESPN 2/ESPN+)
Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith
Vicente Luque vs. Themba Gorimbo
Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
Bryan Battle vs. Randy Brown
UFC 310 EARLY PRELIMS (6 p.m. ET)
Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders
Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van
Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin
Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Lukasz Brzeski