UFC 310: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura: Full results

UFC 310 has just wrapped up. The last pay-per-view event of 2024 took place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 7. It showcased 14 fights across seven weight classes. This article recaps the fights and comprehensively overviews the UFC 310 results.

In the main event, UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja attempted his third title defense against newcomer Kai Asakura. The fight featured a classic 'grappler versus striker' dynamic, highlighting Pantoja's relentless grappling and Asakura's dynamic striking.

Asakura, the former RIZIN bantamweight champion, was relatively inexperienced in fighting inside the cage. This added a layer of intrigue to the fight.

In the fight, Asakura defended a few takedowns and survived Pantoja's grappling after getting taken down, springing back to his feet where he was most comfortable. However, Pantoja continued to press the action.

As the fight appeared to be settling into a rhythm, the champion jumped on Asakura's back and sunk in a tight rear-naked choke. Asakura fought it for a few seconds but tapped out due to the mounting pressure.

With the win, Pantoja became the second UFC flyweight champion in history to defend the title three consecutive times or more, after Demetrious Johnson.

In the co-main event, No.3-ranked welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov fought No.7-ranked Ian Machado Garry in a title eliminator bout. The fight marked the first major showdown between next-generation fighters. Both men carried the burden of their undefeated records into the battle, with one bound to lose the '0'.

The high-staked bout started cautiously, with Rakhmonov mainly pinning Garry against the cage during the early rounds. While Garry's takedown defense stood firm, he took some clean strikes in open exchanges.

Rakhmonov, aware of Garry's striking skills, strategically closed the distance to put his opponent in the clinch. Garry enjoyed some success, mainly with his kicks, but eventually fell victim to Rakhmonov's relentless takedown attempts in Round 4. Although the 27-year-old avoided serious damage from the bottom, Rakhmonov's control time was significant.

Garry nearly secured a rear-naked choke after a failed takedown by Rakhmonov in Round 5, but 'Nomad' reversed the position and maintained control until they returned to their feet in the closing seconds of the fight. The judges scored the bout in Rakhmonov's favor, declaring him the winner by unanimous decision.

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UFC 310: Main card results

On the main card, No.2-ranked heavyweight Ciryl Gane rematched No.3-ranked Alexander Volkov. This was the rematch of their June 2021 fight, which Gane won by unanimous decision.

Gane, who had not competed since defeating Sergey Spivak in September 2023, showcased competitive striking as expected. However, Volkov appeared to have an edge when the fight hit the ground. Two judges scored the competitive fight in Gane's favor, declaring him the winner by split decision.

No.13-ranked featherweight Bryce Mitchell faced Stockton's Kron Gracie on the main card, making his return after a KO loss to Josh Emmett in December 2023. Meanwhile, Gracie was back inside the octagon after a 19-month break.

Gracie repeatedly pulled guard to implement his jiu-jitsu game as Mitchell got the better of him in striking. Although Gracie nearly secured an armbar finish in Round 2, Mitchell adjusted well to the repetitive technique.

'Thug Nasty' finished Garcie with vicious elbows after he tried to pull the guard in Round 3, becoming the first man to stop the jiu-jitsu ace in a professional MMA fight.

Nate Landwehr and Doo-ho Choi engaged in a three-round battle in the main card opening bout. Choi took control through the first two rounds, stinging Landwehr to the body and head with clean strikes and landing takedowns.

Realizing the need for a finish, Landwehr took a more aggressive posture in Round 3. However, Choi proved to be the better fighter and finished Landwehr with strikes in the crucifix position.

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UFC 310: Preliminary card results

Former light heavyweight title challengers Dominick Reyes and Anthony Smith fought in the UFC 310 preliminary card headlining bout. Both men started aggressively but Reyes, the No.12-ranked contender, slowly gained confidence and improved his output.

As Smith went for a takedown against the cage in Round 2, Reyes clobbered him with elbows and hammer fists whenever an opening showed up. Smith gave up the control of Reyes' leg and turtled up on the canvas with his opponent on his back. Reyes continued to land vicious strikes until the referee stopped the action.

Welterweight contender Vicente Luque fought Zimbabwe's Themba Gorimbo after his original opponent, Nick Diaz, pulled out of the fight for unknown reasons.

In the fight, Luque dropped Gorimbo during a close-range exchange and grabbed a tight anaconda choke. Gorimbo, unable to respond to the rapidly changing situation, lost consciousness before he could tap out. The fight ended at the 52-second mark of Round 1.

In a pivotal matchup in the featherweight title race, No.5-ranked Movsar Evloev fought the resurgent Aljamain Sterling. The fight marked the clash of their unique grappling styles, which have been effective in their own right.

The bout was a technical grappling contest where both men had their moments. Sterling, the smaller fighter, landed more takedowns, while Evloev managed to reverse positions in the later stages of each round. The judges scored two of the three rounds for Evloev, awarding him a unanimous decision victory.

In the preliminary card opening bout, streaking welterweights Randy Brown and Bryan Battle fought to further their journeys in the division. Battle started slow but gained momentum as the rounds progressed, showcasing superior striking and clinch work to maintain a steady lead. Brown landed some clean strikes, but it wasn't enough to convince all the judges, resulting in a split decision win for Battle.

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UFC 310: Early prelims results

Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman fought Eryk Anders in the early prelims headlining bout. Weidman started strong, dropping Anders in Round 1, but Anders dominated the second round on the ground, resulting in the referee stopping the fight.

Elsewhere, Joshua Van won a unanimous decision against Cody Durden, showcasing superior striking skills. Although the first round was tightly contested, Durden's unsuccessful takedown attempts ultimately affected his cardio, paving the way for Van's victory.

Michael Chiesa returned to action against Max Grifin in the early prelims. Chiesa controlled the action by mixing up striking and grappling until he got a takedown in Round 3, leading to a submission win by a rear-naked choke.

In a lightweight bout, veteran Clay Guida faced Chase Hooper, who's 17 years younger than 'The Carpenter'. The 25-year-old Hooper dominated with a grappling-heavy approach, ultimately forcing Guida to tap out to an armbar in Round 1.

Kennedy Nzechukwu kicked off the event with a first-round KO of Lukasz Brzeski. A short left hook dropped Brezski, and 'The African Savage' finished him with powerful hammer fists. With the win, Nzechukwu improved to 2-0 in the heavyweight division.

Check out the UFC 310 full results below:

Main card

Flyweight - Alexandre Pantoja def. Kai Asakura by submission (Rear-naked choke) (R2, 2:05) (Title fight)

Welterweight - Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision (48-47 X 3)

Heavyweight - Ciryl Gane def. Alexander Volkov by split decision (29-28 X 2, 28-29)

Featherweight - Bryce Mitchell def. Kron Gracie by T/KO (R3, 0:39)

Featherweight - Doo-ho Choi def. Nate Landwehr by TKO (R3, 3:21)

Preliminary card

Light heavyweight - Dominick Reyes def. Anthony Smith by TKO (R2, 4:46)

Welterweight - Vicente Luque def. Themba Gorimbo by submission (Anaconda choke) (R1, 0:52)

Featherweight - Movsar Evloev def. Aljamain Sterling by unanimous decision (29-28 X 3)

Welterweight - Bryan Battle def. Randy Brown by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) (Battle missed weight by 4 pounds)

Early Prelims

Catchweight (195-pound) - Eryk Anders def. Chris Weidman by TKO (R2, 4:51)

Flyweight - Joshua Van def. Cody Durden by unanimous decision (30-26,30-27, 29-28)

Welterweight - Michael Chiesa def. Max Griffin by submission (Rear-naked choke) (R3, 1:56)

Lightweight - Chase Hooper def. Clay Guida by submission (Armbar) (R1, 3:41)

Heavyweight - Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Lukas Brzeski by TKO (R1, 4:51)