5 things to watch out for at UFC 310
With no UFC event this upcoming weekend, it's time to look forward to the first card of December. This event is a pay-per-view, and it looks like a loaded one.
UFC 310 features a flyweight title bout in the headliner, as well as other key, exciting-sounding fights up and down the card. With plenty to look forward to, then, there are a number of things to keep an eye out for at this event.
Here are five things to watch out for at UFC 310.
#5. Will UFC 310's injury curse strike again?
On paper at least, UFC 310 is one of 2024's better-sounding cards. The fact that this is the case is, in many ways, a miracle. That's because the event has already been struck by the injury bug, with no fewer than five withdrawals from the card to date.
Sure, nobody is going to mind the loss of Martin Buday and Tallison Teixeira - no offense to either fighter - but the other withdrawals definitely hurt the card.
Not only was Belal Muhammad forced out of his planned headliner with Shavkat Rakhmonov, but the event also lost top strawweight contender Tatiana Suarez from her clash with Virna Jandiroba.
To add to this, the legendary Nick Diaz was also forced out of his planned bout with Vicente Luque.
Thankfully, there's still plenty to look forward to at the event. With just under two weeks to go, though, the fans and the promotion alike will be praying that no further injury issues rear their head.
#4. Aljamain Sterling and Movsar Evloev will hope to steal the show from the prelims
The UFC's card placement is often baffling, with major fights regularly pushed onto the preliminary portion while lesser-sounding scraps are promoted to the main card.
UFC 310 is no different in this regard. While the main card is set to feature two fun-sounding, if inconsequential fights at 145 pounds (Kron Gracie vs. Bryce Mitchell and Doo Ho Choi vs. Nate Landwehr), the most intriguing featherweight bout is on the prelims.
The bout in question pits former bantamweight kingpin Aljamain Sterling against the still-unbeaten Movsar Evloev. If there's any justice, the winner of this one could go onto fight for the title next year.
So why has it been positioned so low? The only explanation is that Evloev hasn't gained a reputation for putting on thrilling fights, with all eight of his octagon wins going the distance.
Sterling, though, often puts on excellent bouts, and 'Funk Master' will be hoping to coax - and beat - something special out of his Russian foe.
If these two men fight to their potential, then, there's every chance they could steal the show - something they'll need to do to realise their title dreams next year,
#3. Will Alexander Volkov flip the script in his rematch with Ciryl Gane?
Back in June 2021, Alexander Volkov came into his headline bout with Ciryl Gane hoping to steal the thunder of a fighter quickly becoming known as the heavyweight division's best prospect.
'Drago' was fresh off a big win over Alistair Overeem, but against Gane, he couldn't get anything going. 'Bon Gamin' stalked him and outstruck him across five rounds, with Volkov left looking both plodding and gunshy.
It felt like the end for Volkov's hopes of climbing into title contention, while for Gane, it was a further sign of him heading in the right direction.
Since then, though, 'Drago' has flipped the script somewhat, and upped the aggression. It's a move that has served him well. He's lost just one further fight - to current interim heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall - and has destroyed the likes of Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Tai Tuivasa. Most recently, he defeated one of the division's boogeymen in Sergei Pavlovich.
Gane has found things a little harder. After winning the interim title in the next fight he took after beating Volkov, he's only gone 2-2, losing to Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou while defeating Tuivasa and Serghei Spivac.
Despite the dull nature of their first tilt, then, there's a lot on the line in this fight. The big question, though, is whether Volkov's more aggressive approach can lead him to victory, or whether it'll play into the counterstriking hands of 'Bon Gamin'.
A big finish could propel either man into genuine title contention in 2025, while another dull fight might signal the end of the hopes of both men. That makes this one worth keeping an eye on.
#2. Who's '0' is going to go in the co-headliner between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry?
Initially, UFC 310 was set to see Shavkat Rakhmonov make his long-awaited challenge for the welterweight title against reigning champ Belal Muhammad. However, with Muhammad now off the card with a bone infection, 'Nomad' will instead be faced with Ian Machado Garry in a truly wicked top contender's fight.
Not only are both of these 170-pounders incredibly talented fighters, but they're also unbeaten in their MMA careers, making this a rare example of two undefeated prospects going head-to-head.
So who's '0' is more likely to go in Las Vegas next weekend? It's honestly hard to say.
Rakhmonov has been the more impressive of the two, as he's not only beaten everyone he's faced, he's finished them too, including the likes of Neil Magny and Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson.
However, Garry has hardly been disappointing. 'The Future' has scored three nasty finishes, and has beaten Magny, Geoff Neal and Michael 'Venom' Page.
Basically, either man would be a worthy title challenger to Muhammad's throne, and in many ways, it's sad that they have to face off and one has to lose. Thankfully, though, the fact that this should be a great fight will make up for that!
#1. Is Kai Asakura ready for the top level of the UFC?
Perhaps the most intriguing thing about UFC 310 is that the headline bout will see a rare example of a fighter making their octagon debut in a title fight.
Kai Asakura, who was a two-time bantamweight champion in Japan's RIZIN promotion, will challenge Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight title in his first-ever UFC fight.
So can the Japanese star make the step up, and is he ready for the very top level of MMA? It's obviously a big question mark.
Nobody can really question Asakura's talent. Not only does he sport a record of 21-4, but he's beaten the likes of Manel Kape and Kyoji Horiguchi. He's also a dangerous finisher, with 13 of his 21 wins coming via KO or TKO, including his infamous jaw-breaking win over Ulka Sasaki.
However, Pantoja is a battle-hardened veteran who has outlasted the likes of Brandon Moreno and Brandon Royval. He's headlined big shows before and has gone five rounds with no issue on multiple occasion.
Asakura, on the other hand, will be feeling the pressure that comes with being a UFC headliner for the very first time. He's never even fought in the US before, in fact.
If the Japanese star can pull this off, then, it'd probably have to be considered one of the greatest title victories in octagon history. He should come in as an underdog, but based on what he's done so far, it's impossible to fully write him off.