Pantoja Closes UFC 310 After a Main-Event Shake-Up
Alexandre Pantoja submitted Kai Asakura in the UFC 310 main event on December 7, 2024, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Their flyweight championship fight closed the promotion’s final pay-per-view card of the year after the original welterweight headliner fell through.
A changed lineup reaches fight night
Belal Muhammad had been scheduled to defend against Shavkat Rakhmonov before withdrawing because of a foot infection. The completed card instead placed Pantoja and Asakura at the top, with Rakhmonov facing Ian Machado Garry in a five-round co-main event.
Pantoja ended his defense with a rear-naked choke at 2:05 of the second round. Asakura’s promotional debut therefore became a championship defeat, while the Brazilian champion maintained his position at the head of the 125-pound division.
Rakhmonov survives Garry’s late threat
Rakhmonov and Garry went the full distance in a meeting of unbeaten welterweights. Rakhmonov won a unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 48–47. Garry threatened from the back in the final round, but Rakhmonov defended the submission and completed the victory.
Elsewhere, Ciryl Gane defeated Alexander Volkov by split decision, and Movsar Evloev outpointed Aljamain Sterling. The revised lineup still delivered important results in several divisions. Pantoja supplied the championship finish, Rakhmonov preserved his unbeaten record, and a card disrupted by a withdrawal concluded with a complete set of competitive outcomes.
Sources
- ufc.com: main card results highlights winner interviews ufc 310 pantoja vs asakura
- ufc.com: official judges scorecards ufc 310 pantoja vs asakura
Article Tags
Alexandre Pantoja, Kai Asakura, UFC, MMA
