When you wanted one other instance of how bulletproof the UFC has been in 2024, UFC 310 is it.
In some way, the promotion’s ultimate pay-per-view of the yr feels each thrown collectively and in addition like an absolute blockbuster of a card on the identical time. No, we’re not getting the long-awaited first title protection of Belal Muhammad, however even with the welterweight champion out, the matchmakers had a second title battle already booked that slotted completely into the principle occasion.
Alexandre Pantoja has been the person at 125 kilos, the lightest males’s division within the UFC that’s far too typically neglected. All Pantoja has carried out is knock off ranked contender after ranked contender, exhibiting off his flawless all-around sport and incomes a spot in the top-5 of our Pound-for-Pound Rankings. And now he faces a challenger within the debuting Kai Asakura that has all the pieces to realize and nothing to lose.
The UFC even discovered a strategy to preserve Muhammad’s opponent Shavkat Rakhmonov on the cardboard, pivoting from a title battle to Ian Machado Garry, manifesting a uncommon battle of undefeateds that retains the contender line so as no matter who’s victorious.
Add in former champions Ciryl Gane, Aljamain Sterling, and Chris Weidman, plus longtime contenders Movsar Evloev, Alexander Volkov, Dominick Reyes, Anthony Smith, to not point out straight-up lifers Clay Guida and Michael Chiesa, and also you’ve received a recipe for a memorable near the PPV calendar.
All that and we’re blessed by a Nate Landwehr–Doo Ho Choi essential card opener (please sir, I need some extra!), and the return of Kron Gracie as he fights Bryce Mitchell. We had been all ready for that one, proper?
What: UFC 310
The place: T-Cell Enviornment in Las Vegas
When: Saturday, Dec. 7. The five-fight early preliminary card begins at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+, adopted by a four-fight preliminary card airing on ESPN2 and FX at 8 p.m. ET. The five-fight essential card begins at 10 p.m. ET solely on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
(Numbers in parentheses point out standing within the MMA Preventing World Rankings and Pound-for-Pound Rankings)
Alexandre Pantoja (1, P4P-4) vs. Kai Asakura
Name me loopy, however I’m going upset right here.
I’m as a lot of an Alexandre Pantoja man as anybody, to the purpose that I’d even give him an opportunity in a hypothetical Demetrious Johnson battle. That’s how excessive in regard I maintain his talent and toughness. However types make fights and on paper, Kai Asakura has the fashion to beat Pantoja and turn into the UFC’s first Japanese champion.
Asakura towered over Pantoja at their faceoff and that’s going to be an element within the cage. He’s nice at preventing from distance, but additionally likes to combine it in up shut with thrives of violent Muay Thai. His previous two wins had been sparked by knees to the breadbasket and it’s that physique work that may very well be his path to victory towards the steel-chinned Pantoja. When you can’t hit them excessive, chop them down low.
A mixing of the martial arts ought to favor Pantoja. “The Cannibal” has top-notch grappling along with a busy placing fashion, and he’s proven he is aware of how one can grind out a choice if the chance for a end doesn’t current itself. It’s not like Asakura is a slouch on the bottom, although, he simply prefers to make use of his grappling expertise to take the motion again to the toes.
5 rounds offers Asakura loads of time to seek out his rhythm and I believe he does, turning it up from Spherical 3 on and exhibiting everybody what all of the hype is about. It’s nearly 2025, let’s get loopy.
Asakura by KO/TKO within the fourth.
Choose: Asakura
Shavkat Rakhmonov (T2, P4P-18) vs. Ian Machado Garry (7)
I’m not feeling fairly as daring with my co-main occasion name.
Ian Machado Garry is a fantastic expertise and somebody who might work his strategy to a title battle sometime, however he’s no Shavkat Rakhmonov. The Kazakh star has a ending intuition few can match and that can come into play right here. Regardless of how secure Garry tries to play it, Rakhmonov will shut the space and get in his face.
Rakhmonov’s willingness to take danger is each a fantastic energy and to his detriment as he’s taken his fair proportion of harm in fights earlier than inevitably turning the tables on his opponents. He’ll must determine early whether or not Garry has the type of energy that may knock him flat or if he’s assured drawing Garry right into a brawl. Both manner, Rakhmonov has choices.
Garry has typically crowed about his grappling potential, so if there’s any reality to these bona fides that is his likelihood to again that discuss up. He’ll get placed on his butt sooner or later and it gained’t simply be a matter of battling for place, Rakhmonov will look to complete. He at all times appears to complete.
This full-on assault will put on Garry down till the Irishman is out of choices and Rakhmonov takes him out in Spherical 2.
Choose: Rakhmonov
Ciryl Gane (6) vs. Alexander Volkov (3)
I’d actually wish to lean in the direction of Alexander Volkov right here, as a result of I really feel like his latest run of outcomes are reflective of substantive enhancements he’s made to his sport. He’s 5-1 since dropping to Gane and at the same time as he inches nearer to 50 professional bouts, he continues to evolve and discover more practical methods to make use of that unbelievable dimension and attain. He’s shored up plenty of the defensive holes in his sport that previously might need led to letdowns towards the likes of Sergei Pavlovich, Tai Tuivasa, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Of their first go round, Ciryl Gane’s velocity and athleticism had been an excessive amount of for Volkov to beat in the long term and Volkov fell quick in a five-round resolution. That bodily disparity has been Volkov’s Achilles heel as his lone loss in his previous six fights is Tom Aspinall, one other plus-athlete within the heavyweight division.
And that’s why I’ve to select Gane to win this rematch as a result of I’m not assured this battle performs out too otherwise from the primary. Three years later, Gane remains to be probably the most agile heavyweights on the planet and his motion can provide anybody within the division complications, together with Volkov. The battle solely being a three-rounder this time does add intrigue to the competition as Volkov solely must give attention to profitable a few rounds to eke out a choice versus maintaining with Gane for 25 minutes, however I’m not seeing him having sufficient within the arsenal to place Gane at an obstacle.
Gane by resolution once more.
Choose: Gane
Bryce Mitchell vs. Kron Gracie
This battle is ridiculous for therefore many causes, not the least of which is the, uh, distinctive views Bryce Mitchell and Kron Gracie select to share each time they’ve a microphone in entrance of them.
Right here’s how Jed Meshew put it in our UFC 310 roundtable:
Mitchell vs. Gracie is kind of probably a very powerful battle of the trendy period. We venerate the good males of historical past like Alexander the Nice and Julius Caesar and Marcus Aurelius as a result of they had been warrior poets, thinker kings. And the battle between Mitchell and Gracie is probably the primary time in historical past two such males will conflict contained in the octagon.
Positive.
Politics and conspiracies theories apart, this matchup is bizarre, man. Mitchell is a top-15-ish featherweight and Gracie… simply isn’t? After we final noticed Gracie, it was nearly 600 days in the past and he didn’t present a lot as he misplaced a dreadful resolution to Charles Jourdain. It regarded like which may have been the tip of his MMA experiment and, frankly, not too many individuals had been clamoring for him to vary his thoughts.
However right here we’re with a matchup that’s truly type of good for Gracie if the playing cards fall good. Mitchell will look to grapple with him a minimum of as soon as and that one time is likely to be all that Gracie wants. As efficient as Mitchell might be from high management, Gracie is actually harmful on the bottom, and it shouldn’t shock anybody if he snags a submission of his again or simply sweeps Mitchell. However, Mitchell out-muscling Gracie and holding him down for quarter-hour wouldn’t be a shock both.
Then there’s the likelihood that these two determine to do three rounds of cardio kickboxing, which might be superb in its personal manner.
Screw it, I’m going with a wonky upset, as a result of that’s what this matchup deserves. Gracie by submission.
Choose: Gracie
Nate Landwehr vs. Doo Ho Choi
The definition of a correct essential card opening banger. For these about to rock (and sock), we salute you.
That is usually the half the place I say toss a coin and decide your winner primarily based on that as a result of a slugfest is all however assured, however I’m truly snug going with Doo Ho Choi right here. Nate Landwehr is fight-for-fight possibly essentially the most thrilling man on the planet, so it’s solely doable that he attracts on the facility of the blood gods and flattens Choi. I identical to what I’ve seen from Choi since he’s come again.
“The Korean Superboy” is a person now, having grown right into a physique that fits his prodigious abilities. I genuinely suppose he’s a sleeper contender at featherweight even when he’s properly previous 30 now and his maturity, each bodily and psychological, offers him the sting on Saturday. Landwehr likes to hit and get hit and it’s the latter half that might get him into bother.
Positive, Landwehr has a knack for comebacks, but when Choi hurts him, don’t anticipate him to let Landwehr off the hook. When the massive hit comes, Choi will rapidly comply with up for the end, one that can possible earn the UFC Corridor of Fame Struggle Wing member a Efficiency of the Evening award.
Choose: Choi
Preliminaries
Dominick Reyes def. Anthony Smith
Themba Gorimbo def. Vicente Luque
Movsar Evloev (4) def. Aljamain Sterling (11)
Randy Brown def. Bryan Battle
Eryk Anders def. Chris Weidman
Joshua Van def. Cody Durden
Michael Chiesa def. Max Griffin
Clay Guida def. Chase Hooper
