LAS VEGAS (AP) — Following a Jon Jones-headlined card is never an easy task, and without a doubt, UFC 310 won't sell a lot of pay-per-views based on Saturday night's main event alone.
But the card as a whole — even the preliminaries — is filled with intriguing matchups and storylines to close out 2024.
Whether that's enough to match the attention Jones received for a third-round technical knockout of Stipe Miocic on Nov. 16 at New York's Madison Square Garden is another matter.
As for the main event, Alexandre Pantoja will defend his flyweight championship against Kai Asakura, who is making his UFC debut.
They replaced what was to be the main event when welterweight champion Belal Muhammad pulled out because of a bone infection in his foot. Muhammad was to fight Shavkat Rakhmonov, who now takes on Ian Machado Garry in the co-main event. Rakhmonov (18-0) is the third-ranked challenger and Garry (15-0) is seventh.
Three other matches include former champions — heayweight Ciryl Gane, bantamweight Aljamain Sterling and middleweight Chris Weidman. Gane takes on Alexander Volkov, Sterling will fight as a featherweight against Movsar Evloev and Weidman meets Eryk Anders.
Pantoja (28-5) is making his third title defense since winning a split decision over Brandon Moreno at UFC 290 on July 8, 2023. The 34-year-old followed that with a pair of one-sided unanimous-decision victories.
Those performances established him as the clear fighter in his class, and now Pantoja is headlining his second pay-per-view card this year. The first was in his native Brazil for UFC 301 on May 4 and now this one in what is still proclaimed by many to be the fight capital of the world.
“That's a gift God gave to me,” Pantoja said. “That's an opportunity to come here and make this main event. I think 2024 was a very good year for flyweights. I think maybe it's the best year for us.”
Asakura (21-4) will test his skills in the UFC for the first time at age 31. He was the Rizin Fighting Federation bantamweight champion, so entering the octagon for mixed-martial arts premier organization is quite a leap for the Japan native.
BetMGM Sportsbook makes Pantoja a 2-5 favorite.
“The UFC fans have never seen anybody fight like me ever before,” Asakura said through an interpreter. “I always aim to go for a KO finish. I'm an exciting fighter and I'm here to bring excitement back to the flyweight division.”
Asakura said he has created interested since announcing he was joining the UFC and even has been stopped in Las Vegas by fans curious about how his debut might go.
“I realize there are some expectations on this event and this fight, and I'm going to do my best to exceed those expectations and give those fans something very exciting,” Asakura said.
Pantoja said it made sense for the UFC to pair him with Asakura, a champion in another organization, because he had beaten the top two contenders twice each.
“I looked at my rank and tried to figure out who's going to be my next opponent,” Pantoja said. “Then the UFC contacted Askaura. I think that's a very good move. That's the power about UFC, to bring a champ from another promotion.
“If you want to be the best fighter in the world — that's what he thinks — you need to win the UFC belt.”
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Mark Anderson, The Associated Press
