Kai Asakura & Shavkat Rakhmonov Announced as Contenders for Flyweight & Welterweight Crowns at UFC 310
The UFC’s last pay-per-view of the year may provide the organization with an opportunity to turn the page at several weight classes. According to MMAfighting latest news, UFC 310 will be held on Dec. 14 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and feature two championship fights at the top of the card. Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad will attempt to defend his belt for the first time when he squares off with undefeated contender Shavkat Rakhmonov.
While Rakhmonov has cut his teeth in the UFC and was expected to contend for the title at one point or another, the co-main event will feature a fresh face. Kai Asakura fought primarily as a bantamweight during his rise to prominence in Japan.
But the former RIZIN champion will be happy to drop a weight class to fight flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja. Pantoja didn’t have many viable challengers in the UFC rankings and will now have a new challenge to prepare for.
Muhammad Will Have Chance to Change Reputation
Muhammad hasn’t lost a fight in the UFC since 2019. Since losing a decision to Geoff Neal, Muhammad has strung together an 11-fight unbeaten streak. When Muhammad earned his title opportunity, MMA breaking news shows he dominated Leon Edwards at UFC 304 last July to become champion.
But many weren’t excited to see Muhammad become champion. He has been criticized for his points-fighting style. Muhammad is 24-3 in his career, with 20 of his fights going the distance.
Rakhmonov will provide Muhammad an opportunity to show he can do more than just hold on for decisions. It will be a major change of pace from fighting Edwards, who was often picked on for being a points fighter.
Rakhmonov is a Scary Man
Rakhmonov earning an opportunity to fight for a belt should excite fans. He isn’t a fighter who leaves things up to the judges. All 18 of Rakhmonov’s career MMA fights have ended inside the distance. During Rakhmonov’s last fight, he handled former welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson.
Rakhmonov won via second-round submission. He is hard to handle because he doesn’t have one particular skill set that he needs to lean on to win fights. Rakhmonov has eight wins by knockout and ten by submission.
The question for Rakhmonov is, how will he handle being in the main event? He hasn’t been past the third round in his MMA career. Only one of his six fights in the UFC so far has even reached the third round.
Can Asakura’s Power Translate?
Going down a weight class is always a scary proposition. Certainly, Asakura is a dedicated enough fighter to make whatever weight he needs to. But making sure all of the skills that made you successful at one weight class translate to a lighter weight can be difficult.
T.J. Dillashaw found that out when he attempted to go down to flyweight to take on Henry Cejudo. But Asakura will be more worried about Pantoja than the scales. Asakura is a veteran fighter who has 25 fights outside of the UFC. Asakura has had several impressive wins during his career. He beat No. 9-ranked Manel Kape and also has a win over former title challenger Kyoji Horiguchi.
More recently, the best MMA news site shows that Asakura reclaimed his bantamweight crown in RIZIN by beating Juan Archuleta. What makes Asakura appealing to the UFC is his power. He has 13 wins by knockout in his career.
Asakura originally signed with the UFC in June. There was a lot of anticipation for when he would debut. To see him make his debut in a title fight is an interesting way to be introduced.
Pantoja is Game for Any Challenge
Pantoja has been living on the edge during his title fights. While Pantoja’s first title defense against Brandon Royval at UFC 296 was a comfortable decision in his favor, the other title fights Pantoja was involved with were anything but easy.
Pantoja’s second title defense, against Steve Erceg at UFC 301, required a strong fifth round from Pantoja. Many people believed the fight was even at two rounds a piece. When Pantoja took the belt from Brandon Moreno, he won a split decision.
One criticism of Pantoja has been that he doesn’t finish a lot of fights. Five of Pantoja’s last seven fights have gone the distance. While Pantoja has ten wins by submission and eight knockouts in his career, the promotion would like to see those numbers go up if he stays on top.
Fresh Faces is Good Thing for the UFC
There is a feeling among fight fans that the UFC has lost a lot in terms of starpower over the past few years. Conor McGregor is basically retired and his last meaningful fight came with Jake Gyllenhal on the silver screen in the movie “Roadhouse.” Jon Jones is at the back end of his career. Ronda Rousey retired a long time ago and isn’t interested in a return to the sport. What the UFC needs is charismatic champions who can take the mantle and recapture the imagination of casual fans.
Rakhmonov and Asakura both have power in their hands and like to finish fights. Both men should provide the current champions with a difficult matchup. While the last pay-per-view of the year can be a bittersweet moment for most fight fans, as the promotion takes several weeks off at the end of the year, these two fights should provide plenty of action to push everyone into 2025.
Here’s a look at the other announced fights for UFC 310:
Heavyweight, Ciril Gane vs Alexander Volkov
Featherweight, Movsar Evloev vs Aljamain Sterling
Welterweight, Nick Diaz vs Vicente Luque
Light heavyweight, Anthony Smith vs Dominick Reyes
Women’s strawweight, Tatiana Suarez vs Virna Jandiroba
Lightweight, Chase Hooper vs Clay Guida
Welterweight, Michael Chiesa vs Max Griffin
Welterweight, Randy Brown vs Bryant Battle
Flyweight, Cody Durden vs Josh Van
Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.
By Dean McHugh.
