♛Fans of fighting sports, martial arts, and the ancient practice of face-to-face combat can rejoice once again, as it is finally time for another iteration of UFC. On Saturday, December 7, 2024, one of the last big events of the year will take place in the mixed martial arts championship and see amazing fighters close out their years in style. A lot is planned for this glorious meetup of the best the sport has to offer so it makes sense for the fans as well as sports bettors to prepare accordingly. In this article, we bring you a guide about UFC 310: Pantoja vs. Asakura, the upcoming event produced by Ultimate Fighting Championship that will take place in Vegas. Read on to learn more as we dive deep into the fights, examine the participants, and analyze what was said in Stake's ahead of his big fight.
UFC 310 Details
💯The newest main event in the long line of major spectacles will be held at the famous T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, which is in Las Vegas, Nevada. A total of 14 fights are scheduled for the event, with several previously scheduled and/or rumored fighters dropping from the event due to various causes. There was supposed to be a welterweight championship bout between current champion Belal Muhammad and undefeated contender Shavkat Takhmobov, but Muhammad had to withdraw due to a bone issue in his foot.
ꦕThe main event is a flyweight championship between current champion Alexandre Pantoja and former two-time Rizin bantamweight champion and promotional newcomer to UFC Kai Asakura. This was initially supposed to be a co-headline fight but was then promoted to the main event when the Muhammad vs Rakhmonov was canceled. Fights where new stars are brought in are usually fun and exciting so the fans should be excited about this one.
⛄A heavyweight rematch is also taking place between former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane and former Bellator heavyweight world champion Alexander Volkov. They were initially supposed to meet in the UFC 308 event, but the fight was moved because Volkov was injured. Their previous match came in UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Volkov in June of 2021 when Gane won by decision (unanimous). This will be a chance for Volkov to make things square and get back at Gane for that loss.
𒐪A welterweight bout between former WEC and Strikeforce welterweight champions Nick Diaz and Vicente Luque was expected after the pair was to initially fight at UFC on ABC: Sandhagen vs Nurmagomedov. However, that bout was removed from the slate because of travel issues. Diaz had to withdraw so Themba Gorimbo will now take his place and go against Luque. Another fight where there was already supposed to be a meeting is between former bantamweight champion Alihamain Sterling and Movsar Evloev. They were originally scheduled to beet at UFC 307, but Sterling had an injury so they are only now facing each other.
🍌On the women’s side, a strawweight was supposed to take place between Tatiana Suarez and former Invicta strawweight champion Virna Jandiroba. Suarez, however, had to withdraw from the fight due to a health issue that was not specified. Sadly, this bout was removed from the card and we have no information on a potential rematch in the future.
🍎Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman and former LFA middleweight champion Eryk Anders were supposed to originally meet each other at the previous major event, UFC 309. Andrews had to cancel on the day because of food poisoning the prior night so their fight was delayed. Now, they will meet each other in a catchweight bout of 195 pounds at UFC 310.
♓Tallison Teizeira and Lukasz Brzeski were supposed to face off in a heavyweight bout, but Teizeira withdrew because of an injury so now Brzeski will fight Kennedy Nzechukwu. There is a scrapped fight in the heavyweight bout too, as Martin Buday and Rizvan Kuniev were supposed to meet, but Buday withdrew due to injury.
Exclusive Interview With Alexandre Pantoja
𝔍In their exclusive talk with the fighter, gave the fans of the sport deep insight into the upcoming fight, his predictions, as well as some other details surrounding the sport. The UFC flyweight champion previewed his title defense against Kai Asakura, one of the best flyweight fighters in Japan, and revealed a lot that can influence the bettors’ perception of the fight and therefore their bet choices. He talked to Stake about the evolution of his division, mentioned some past and present greats, and how he would compare himself to them.
🥂To open things up, he was asked about the flyweight division and how Dan White almost shut it down in 2019. Now that it is one of the most exciting divisions, what are Pantoja’s thoughts about it? He said, “The flyweight division is the best it has ever been. The fighters before me such as Demetrious Johnson were the best fighters in the world for so many years, now Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno have done a great job in keeping the division alive.” And he is right, as they truly are some of the more popular fighters at the moment. He added, “Right now, everyone can tell you five, ten names in the flyweight division. If you go back to 2019, you wouldn’t be able to.” He continued, “We are making great moments and it is the best time to be a flyweight.”
꧂Pantoja was then asked about whether or not we could challenge Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title sometime in the future. The fighter responded, “The only time I felt I could challenge for the bantamweight belt was when Sean O’Malley was the chap, but no one thinks about that guy right now.” Continuing, he said, “I have a huge division to take care of. I have a lot of good names to fight such as Kai Kara France and Brandon Moreno. In front of me, I am fighting Kai Asakura, who was the best in Japan and a champion in RIZIN. That is huge for me.” It seems like he is happy with his upcoming choices. Showing his satisfaction with the choice of the Japanese fighter, he added, “Everybody wants to be the star in the UFC, that’s how you prove you are the best in the world by becoming a champion here.”
♈“Currently, we are already bringing another champion Kai Asakura to the UFC to fight me. After that fight, I think it will be better for me to fight someone within the rankings and give them a title shot too.” He was not shy about his prior success, saying, “I have beaten everyone in the division already and the guys I haven’t beaten have been beaten by the guys I beat. Right now, I focus on UFC 310 with a great opponent.”
🥀Of course, they touched on a potential Demetrious Johnson fight before he had retired, with the fighter saying, “Johnson was my dream fight, if I can choose one fight to have it would be him.” He adds, “I understand he has a good life in retirement and the flyweight division is much bigger now, it’s time for the new flyweights to have that opportunity.”
🌼Pantoja was asked about his two countrymen, Alex Pereira and Charles Oliveira. Jon Jones has recently beaten Stipe Miocic and now wants a fight against Pereira, so Pantoja weighed in, “This will be a great fight, Dana White doesn’t want to make that fight because one of them will lose, but that’s the fight to make. Jones looked incredible and Pereira’s last three fights have been amazing. I think Jones has a 60-40 advantage over Pereira because of his experience and wrestling.”
▨About Oliveira, he talked potential championship against Islam Makhaechev. “Oliveira had an easy job against Michael Chandler. Chandler and Makhachev are two very different fighters. When Islam steps into the Octagon, he is ready for war and is coming to kill or die. You can see it in his eyes. If Charles can have these eyes too, he can bet whoever.”
🎐Finally, Pantoja talked about his country’s big success in MMA right now. “It’s great to be a part of Brazil’s greatest fighters. We know how to fight and have the mentality to absorb Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu from Japan, and now the opportunities I have in America to train wrestling against all the best in the world. About giving advice to fellow Brazilians, he said “I say to my fellow Brazillian fighters that you need to travel and find yourself and that is how you evolve.”
UFC 310 Predictions and Odds
ওIt is now time to take a look at the official on Stake and see who the sportsbook favors to take the fights. For the main event, Alexandre Pantoja is a heavy favorite against Kai Asakura. The Brazilian champion has 1.38 odds while the Japanese newcomer is at 3.15 right now. It makes sense for the established UFC fighter to be favored against a promotional fighter. The 34-year-old Alexandre Pantoja PAssidomo, nicknamed “The Cannibal”, has a record of 28 wins, 8 knockouts, 10 submissions, and 10 wins by decisions. He has 5 losses all by decision. He stands at 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) and weighs 125 lb (57 kg). His reach is 68 in (173 cm). Kai Asakura is 31 years old, stands at 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m), and weighs 134 lb (61 kg). His reach is 69 in (175 cm). His record so far is 21 wins, 13 by knockout, 3 by submission, and 5 by decision, with 4 losses, 3 by knockout, and 1 by decision.
♐Between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Garry Ian, it is Shavkat with a better likelihood of winning with 1.28 over Garry’s 3.90. Ain another lopsided affair, Ciryl Gane is the sportsbooks’ favorite to win his match against Alexander Volkov, again, at 1.30 versus 3.70 odds. The most one-sided fight according to the odds should be the Bryce Mitchell versus Kron Gracie bout. Mitchel is the absolute favorite with 1.16 odds, as Gracie is only at 5.60 at the moment.
ꦓBetween Nate Landwehr and Doo Ho Chou, it is a more balanced bout in terms of odds as Choi has 2.19 while Landwehr is at 1.71 odds. Dominic Reyes (1.30) fares much better in the fight than his opponent Anthony Smith (3.65) while Movsar Evloev (1.39) is the favorite against Aljamain Sterling (3.15). Bryan Battle is with 1.45 odds versus Randy Brown with 2.85.
🎐As you can see, plenty of fights are there to bet on with some of the early preliminary and preliminary cards giving us great action to watch, cheer, and bet on. Continuing our odds guide, the fight between Aryk Anders and Chris Weidman is as close as it gets in terms of odds. It is almost the same since Eryk is at 1.90 while Weidman is at 1.95. If this showcases their similarity in form and skill, it could be one of the better fights that UFC 310 has to offer.
🦋Joshua Van and Cody Durden as not as close though with 1.65 and 2.31 odds, respectively. Max Griffin is scheduled to face off against Michael Chiesa, where Griffin is the slight favorite with 1.74 over Chiesa’s 2.15. Themba Gorimbo is the favorite against Vicente Luque. Gorimbo’s odds are sitting comfortably at 1.61 while Luque has 2.38.
🧜In terms of the most lopsided bouts of this UFC major event, none get as close to the Chase Hooper versus Clay Guida fight. Hooper has 1.11 odds while Guida is at 7.40, meaning this will be a sparing match for one of them as the other will hold on for dear life. Somewhat similar but almost equally as dire chances await Lukasz Brzeksi with 5.20 odds versus Kennedy Nzechukwy with 1.18. It will take a miracle in these two fights for the underdogs to come out on top.
