The UFC 310 lineup features Alexandre Pantoja defending his flyweight title against Kai Asakura in the main event, with a notable reshuffling that places former champions on the prelims and Shavkat Rakhmonov facing Ian Machado Garry in the co-main event after Belal Muhammad‘s withdrawal.
The lineup for UFC 310 is officially locked in, and it’s an intriguing mix. Former champions are lacing up for the prelims, which is a bit of a twist.
There’s been a whirlwind of changes leading up to this final UFC pay-per-view of 2024. Initially, welterweight champ Belal Muhammad was set to headline but got sidelined due to a pesky foot infection. His opponent, Shavkat Rakhmonov, was left hanging.
Now, the spotlight shifts to flyweight king Alexandre Pantoja. He’ll defend his title against Kai Asakura, who steps into the UFC octagon for the first time after reigning in RIZIN over in Japan. Quite the debut opportunity!
Rakhmonov didn’t get benched, though. He’s up against Ian Machado Garry in a five-round co-main event that’s bound to be electrifying. The stakes? A potential shot at Muhammad’s belt once he’s back in action come 2025.
Surprises abound, but it’s not just about who’s fighting—it’s about when they’re fighting. The bout order has raised some eyebrows.
Take Aljamain Sterling, former bantamweight champ making waves at 145 pounds now. He’s clashing with undefeated Movsar Evloev. Despite the high stakes, their fight’s tucked away in the prelims. Go figure.
Meanwhile, Chris Weidman finds himself headlining the early prelims after his bout with Eryk Anders got postponed from UFC 309 due to Anders falling ill. Now it’s rescheduled for UFC 310—talk about a plot twist!
The middleweights will duke it out early in what promises to be a jam-packed card overall. Here’s how the official bout order shakes out:
UFC 310 Main Card (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ pay-per-view)
MAIN EVENT: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura
Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry
Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
Bryce Mitchell vs. Kron Gracie
Nate Landwehr vs. Doo Ho Choi
UFC 310 PRELIMS (8 p.m. ET on ESPN 2/ESPN+)
Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith
Vicente Luque vs. Themba Gorimbo
Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
Bryan Battle vs. Randy Brown
UFC 310 EARLY PRELIMS (6 p.m. ET)
Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders
Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van
Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin
Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Lukasz Brzeski
It’s gonna be wild!