UFC 310 is within the books, and Alexandre Pantoja stays the flyweight champion of the world.
On Saturday in Las Vegas, Pantoja secured the third protection of his 125-pound title with a second-round submission over Kai Asakura in the principle occasion of UFC 310. Earlier within the night, Shavkat Rakhmonov stored his undefeated streak alive with a hard-fought win over Ian Machado Garry, setting himself up for a welterweight title shot in 2025.
So with a lot to speak about, we gathered the MMA Combating mind belief to interrupt down the most important subjects from UFC 310.
1. What’s your blurb assessment of UFC 310?
Lee: It wasn’t the cardboard the UFC needed, nevertheless it was definitely the cardboard they and us deserved.
Total, it’s been a kick-ass yr for the UFC, with the great outweighing the dangerous, and that applies to Saturday’s occasion, too. We obtained one other pantheon efficiency from Alexandre Pantoja, Shavkat Rakhmanov and Ian Machado Garry each raised their inventory in numerous methods, and Bryce Mitchell vs. Kron Gracie delivered the weirdness we anticipated with a satisfying end as a bonus.
We gained’t be gushing over the motion from this occasion anytime quickly, however when it comes to storylines, it was a season finale.
Meshew: An fulfilling night for hardcore MMA followers.
Heading into the occasion, I stated that, on paper, it was the third-best pay-per-view of the yr, high to backside. That motion didn’t fairly stay as much as that, however it was fairly good throughout, with some notable performances on the undercard after which a predominant card that concurrently underwhelmed and delivered. Finally, what we obtained was a enjoyable however flawed card with a few very vital moments, which ought to be greater than sufficient for the deeply invested fan base.
Heck: UFC 310 is a middle-of-the-pack at finest card, nevertheless it confirmed the best of highs and lowest of lows the game has to supply. For each Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling, we obtained Eryk Anders operating over Chris Weidman. For the testicular fortitude that Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry displayed, we obtained Anthony Smith getting uncomfortably hit 100-plus unanswered instances.
However we additionally obtained the cementing of Alexandre Pantoja as not only a pound-for-pound nice, however the second-best UFC flyweight of all-time. Pantoja had the perfect efficiency of his profession and put Kai Asakura to sleep in his third title protection.
Martin: A pay-per-view that gained’t be remembered very lengthy.
The year-end present wasn’t precisely star-studded, however the card took a giant hit when Belal Muhammad was pressured out of his title combat towards Shavkat Rakhmonov. The UFC has largely had an unimaginable yr stuffed with unbelievable recollections, nevertheless it’s protected to imagine that this present gained’t go down as a “better of” for anyone when these lists begin rolling out to cap off 2024. Pantoja beating a man most informal followers didn’t know till he signed with the UFC didn’t assist issues a lot, and essentially the most anticipated combat between Rakhmonov and Garry was a compelling chess match, however not the barnburner many anticipated. Exterior of that, not one of the outcomes actually actually affect the longer term until you depend Dana White getting ready at hand out gold watches to Chris Weidman, Anthony Smith, and Clay Guida as parting presents for years of service to the UFC.
2. What was the perfect second of UFC 310?
Heck: The precise right reply is Pantoja being the freaking man, however I’ll go together with Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling. It was buried on the prelims, and lots of followers defended that call, and the combat delivered in spades.
The 2 “boring” fighters despatched followers on a enjoyable roller-coaster trip of high-level grappling blended in with Evloev’s underrated putting. When Evloev hit Sterling, the previous bantamweight champ accepted it, however he certain didn’t prefer it. Ultimately, the one factor that finally hurts this combat from getting old in addition to it ought to is the scorecards — though I consider the judges obtained it proper, particularly throughout a Sunday morning rewatch. Management towards solely management, Sterling wins, however Evloev landed strikes, tried to, and did inflict not less than some injury within the shut rounds. For those who scored it for Aljo, I respect it, however I don’t agree. What a terrific combat, both method!
Lee: Age-appropriate matchmaking for the win!
Now, not each pairing of over-30 rivals turned out nicely (the much less stated about Dominick Reyes drubbing Anthony Smith simply weeks after Smith misplaced his shut good friend and coach Scott Morton, and Eryk Anders battering former UFC champion Chris Weidman the higher), however Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin was a pointy reserving.
Chiesa’s twin function of fighter and analyst has endeared him to the promotion, and Griffin has been placing on his UFC arduous hat since 2016, so each guys deserve a good matchup versus being thrown to a younger contender. On this occasion, Chiesa was given the possibility to placed on a classic efficiency on his birthday, and add one other rear-naked choke to the résumé. Even higher, he’s now completely set as much as compete in his house state with the UFC saying a return to Seattle on Feb. 22.
Martin: Does Vicente Luque sleeping Themba Gorimbo and never Nick Diaz depend?
Effectively, that’s the spotlight as a result of generally it’s straightforward to overlook the best way some fighters entertain us for years however then are out of the blue forgotten after a few powerful performances. Luque was in that place after going 1-3 over 4 fights, together with his lone victory not precisely offering any lasting recollections. That modified on Saturday after Luque dropped Gorimbo with a punch and instantly locked on an anaconda choke that put The Rock’s favourite fighter to sleep. To his credit score, Gorimbo appears to be dealing with the loss with grace, and he nonetheless has loads of time to bounce again. It’s powerful to think about anyone could be feeling the identical method if that occurred to Diaz, whose finest years are lengthy since behind him and issues about his general well-being ought to trump any extra discuss one other comeback.
Meshew: Yeah, you’re all insane. The very best second of UFC 310 was fairly clearly all the pieces about Alexandre Pantoja.
On certainly one of our latest Rankings Reveals, I argued that Pantoja is essentially the most underrated fighter within the UFC and tragically underrated by even our personal pound-for-pound rankings panel. Effectively, I don’t assume that’s going to be a problem anymore. After demolishing Kai Asakura like he did, I anticipate folks might lastly begin to put some respect on the champion’s title.
And thank god for that. Pantoja is among the uncommon fighters who is nearly universally beloved. He’s to not the Max Holloway or Dustin Poirier stage as a result of, frankly, flyweights are doomed to eternally be afterthoughts, however no one has a foul factor to say in regards to the champion, and he does all the pieces the appropriate method. So to see a man like that choose up his third title protection and cement himself because the clear-cut second-greatest flyweight of all time (and when the No. 1 man is Demetrious Johnson, nicely, two ain’t that dangerous), that’s a feel-good second.
3. What was the worst second of UFC 310?
Lee: Every thing to do with Merab Dvalishvili heading into UFC 311.
You need to give Dvalishvili credit score, his technique of creating himself immensely dislikable forward of his first title protection is a daring one and to what finish that is anticipated to repay, solely he is aware of. From doing all the pieces in his energy to discredit Umar Nurmagomedov, a challenger that everybody has embraced because the No. 1 contender for months now, and persevering with to combine it up with followers (once more, to what finish, Merab???), the once-respected underdog has actually accomplished a heel flip that nobody was asking for.
January can’t come quickly sufficient.
Heck: I prefaced it earlier, nevertheless it was the disappointment surrounding Chris Weidman and Anthony Smith’s losses. I actually don’t wish to play the, “Yeah, he must most likely name it a profession card,” however we’re just about ringing the doorbell if not absolutely opening the door.
Weidman will go down as the person who dethroned Anderson Silva to grow to be middleweight champ, but additionally the man who got here again from some of the catastrophic accidents in UFC historical past. Anders, to me, was the proper opponent to reply the “ought to he, or shouldn’t he” query, and out of doors of a flash knockdown in Spherical 1, Anders bodied Weidman.
Smith is among the biggest overachievers in UFC historical past, and to see what he has been capable of accomplish is actually unimaginable. As a fighter, he’s carried out greater than sufficient. Time to be on the desk, or within the colour commentator chair for the remainder of his profession — as a result of he’s going to be phenomenal there as nicely.
Meshew: Mike might be proper in that there was a great deal of disappointment on this card, however actually, exterior of that, nothing was actually dangerous, per se. So, in gentle of that, I’ll be the hipster and acknowledge that Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry was an enormous disappointment.
Look, Rakhmonov—Garry was a strong, extraordinarily high-level combat with ebbs and flows and main stakes, and we discovered some essential issues, nevertheless it was not an excellent watch. And contemplating the excessive hopes all of us had for it, I’ll admit that whereas watching it, I used to be just a little bummed out. For the primary time in his profession, we noticed Rakhmonov combat cautiously as if acknowledging that there was actual threat on this matchup. That’s most likely clever, and it did work out for him, nevertheless it led to massive swaths of time the place each males have been combating to not lose slightly than combating to win, and that wasn’t my favourite factor.
Martin: Heavyweight in shambles.
When Ciryl Gane obtained booked for a rematch towards Alexander Volkov, it nearly felt like an inevitability that the winner would then transfer on to problem interim champion Tom Aspinall. As a lot as Aspinall needs the Jon Jones combat, he has to know, at finest, which may occur in late 2025, so until he needs to take a seat out for nicely over a yr, he most likely wants to start out fascinated by one other title protection. The UFC loves giving Gane title pictures, so it was all arrange for him to seize that brass ring, however then he struggled to impress earlier than finally successful a extremely controversial cut up determination. Whereas that most likely gave Jones much more negotiating energy to demand no matter he needs, it left Aspinall caught in limbo with out the combat he needs or not less than a reputable No. 1 contender to maintain him busy within the meantime.
4. What’s your greatest takeaway from UFC 310?
Lee: Ian Machado Garry is method higher than folks have been giving him credit score for.
Heading into the battle of undefeateds, Garry was a large underdog, hovering round 3-to-1 on most books, with the prevailing concept being that when Rakhmonov obtained his palms on him, it will be suplex metropolis and Garry could be tapping out very quickly. In any case, Rakhmonov was already imagined to be combating Muhammad for the UFC welterweight title, and Garry was only a velocity bump.
That’s not the way it performed out, with Garry giving Rakhmonov his hardest problem but and gaining rather a lot in defeat, particularly with how he dealt with his post-fight media scrum. Garry touted the virtues of his efficiency whereas persevering with to place over Rakhmonov as essentially the most harmful fighter within the division, which is strictly how you need to promote a loss like that. I nonetheless don’t know if Garry has what it takes to really get gold round his waist, however he’s obtained the champion swagger down ought to that day come.
Heck: Flyweight rocks!
Pantoja is so, so good and will maintain on to the title for a very long time. Certain, Pantoja has fought plenty of the highest guys already, however I don’t care in any respect. Battle them many times and once more.
Not solely did this technology shine at 125, however so did the subsequent one. Joshua Van is simply 23, and he put a grown man beatdown on a brilliant powerful and recreation Cody Durden. Van goes to be an issue on this division for the subsequent decade and can most likely put on UFC gold in some unspecified time in the future.
Give the flyweights the respect they deserve as a result of that is a kind of divisions that has a ton of expertise but additionally very not often — if ever — permits you to down.
Martin: Shavkat is human.
To increase on what my esteemed colleague Alexander Okay. Lee rightfully stated praising Garry for his efficiency on Saturday, the other is considerably true for Rakhmonov. His repute as a devastating finisher made him appear practically unbeatable, which is why he was such a heavy favourite going into UFC 310. However expectations weigh heavy on this sport, and Rakhmonov’s clinch-heavy, grind-him-against-the-cage technique didn’t precisely wow anyone. Certain, he proved he can go 5 rounds, nevertheless it nearly appeared like Rakhmonov was resigned to successful by factors from the beginning. Perhaps that was at all times the technique, however that recreation plan gained’t work towards anyone like Belal Muhammad, who has a unending fuel tank and applies strain the primary second of a combat till the final.
Meshew: Don’t spit within the face of the Gods.
When the Gods provide the treasured present of hair like THIS,
you don’t disrespect them by doing THIS to it!
A basic story of tragic hubris. Volkov introduced this loss on himself.
