Alexandre Pantoja remains the king of the UFC’s flyweight division, and wants retired former champ Demetrious Johnson to come back next.
[autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] denied Kai Asakura’s opportunity to make history by becoming the first UFC champion from Japan.
In the main event of UFC 310 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Pantoja (29-5 MMA, 13-3 UFC) proved to be the superior fighter by choking out former Rizin champion and UFC newcomer Asakura (21-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC). The rear-naked choke submission came at 2:05 of Round 2.
This fight started in a blur. Pantoja quickly closed the distance with strikes, prompting a counter jumping knee from Asakura. The champ responded with a big punch before things slowed down in the clinch. Pantoja took the fight to the ground, but not much took place before Asakura got back to his feet.
The challenger darted in and out with a variety of strikes while Pantoja patiently countered and charged forward with hard punches and kicks when he recognized an opportunity.
Pantoja came out aggressively in Round 2, using strikes to setup a takedown attempt. Denied initially, Pantoja scrambled his way to Asakura’s back and quickly locked in a body triangle.
Soon, the rear-naked choke was slapped on, and the squeeze put Asakura to sleep.
During his post-fight interview, Pantoja called out retired former champion Demetrious Johnson.
“I’m the GOAT here,” Pantoja told Joe Rogan in the octagon. “If you want to prove you’re the GOAT, come back.”
The result marks Pantoja’s third defense of the UFC flyweight title as he extends his current winning streak to seven. Pantoja claimed the title by winning a split decision over Brandon Moreno and has since defeated Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, and now Asakura.
For the former Rizin champ, Asakura suffers defeat in a rare debut UFC title opportunity. He entered the fight as a winner of his two final Rizin bouts, which were stoppages of Yuki Motoya and Juan Archuleta.
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Full UFC 310 results include:
Alexandre Pantoja def. Kai Asakura via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:05
The MMA community reacted to Alexandre Pantoja’s dominant title defense against Kai Asakura in the UFC 310 main event.
[autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] continued to shine at flyweight champion Saturday when he spoiled the octagon debut of [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] at UFC 310.
Pantoja (29-5 MMA, 13-3 UFC) registered his third consecutive title defense with a second-round submission victory over former RIZIN FF champion Asakura (21-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in the headlining bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Check below for the top X (formerly Twitter) reactions to Pantoja beating Asakura at UFC 310.
Kai Asakura has a chance to make history in more ways than one at UFC 310, but it will be tough sledding against Alexandre Pantoja.
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC 310 main event between flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] and promotional newcomer [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag].
Supplemental info:
+ UFC flyweight champion
+ Regional MMA titles
+ Amateur muay Thai accolades
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ 8 KO victories
+ 10 submission wins
+ 10 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Counters well in combination
+ Hard leg kicks
+ Solid clinch fighter
^ Good knees and strikes off the breaks
+ Underrated wrestling ability
+ Superb transitional grappler
^ Slick submissions, good ground-and-pound
Supplemental info:
+ 2x RIZIN bantamweight champion
+ Regional MMA title
+ Zeno-kai karate black belt
+ Jiu-jitsu purple belt
+ 13 KO victories
+ 3 submission wins
+ 12 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Accurate shot selection
^ Works well to the body/in boxing range
+ Dangerous and dynamic knees
+ Strong inside the clinch
+ Improved wrestling ability
^ Strong first-layer defense
+ Urgent scrambler
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura point of interest: Flyweight power
Kai Asakura def. Juan Archuleta at Rizin 45
As his nickname “The Cannibal” would suggest, Pantoja is an offensive marauder who isn’t afraid to shed blood in order to feed himself.
An inherent pressure fighter, Pantoja is typically at his best when coming forward and looking to corrall opposition toward the cage. Although Pantoja’s technique and defense can sometimes leave much to be desired, the Brazilian bruiser can flow through offensive phases like second nature and counters well in combination.
In fact, Pantoja has quietly developed his counter-striking savvy in his latter years, which, in turn, gives him both more breathing room and options to operate from on the feet.
Demonstrating excellent instincts in the clinch, Pantoja has a good feel for body knees and strikes off the break. However, Pantoja will need to respect the knees coming back his way when facing a fighter like [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag].
A devastating striker from Japan, Asakura is more in the mold of a karate-boxing archetype.
Only unfortunate thing about Kai Asakura coming to the UFC is that we wont get to see him shatter somebody’s jaw and then knee them in the head when they turtle up pic.twitter.com/MAjIC9quNG
Embracing the sweet science – while coming from a karate background – Asakura demonstrates the inherent distance management one would associate with his style. Whether Asakura is feinting or prodding with his lead hand, the 31-year-old challenger appears to keep his rear hand on a hair-trigger.
From intercepting uppercuts to overhands, Asakura will offer plenty of power threats that are capable of putting out opponents, regardless of the weight class. And though Asakura is good about going to the body with punches, the Japanese standout keeps some nasty knees in his back pocket for anyone trying to change levels on him.
朝倉海
Kai Asakura’s boxing skills setting up Knee to the body.
When Kai had Motoya in the corner, he landed a body-head combo and Motoya’s defense was not up to par. This cost him a Knockdown.
Later in the fight, Kai works in the clinch and keeps Motoya’s right arm high in… pic.twitter.com/HCTnM9RwNC
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura breakdown: Potential grappling threats
Alexandre Pantoja (red gloves) fights Brandon Royval (blue gloves) during UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena. (Stephen R. Sylvanie, USA TODAY Sports)
Considering where the biggest on-paper disparity is in this fight, no one should be shocked if the champion tries to take this party to the floor.
However, as alluded to in the previous section, Asakura – outside of some solid first-layer takedown defense – presents some potent threats with his knees at multiple ranges.
Not only can Asakura catch opponents coming in with reactionary lifting or flying knees, but the RIZIN champion is also good about punishing opponents in the clinch.
Luckily for Pantoja, he seems to prefer almost chest-level takedown entries and works well from bodylock positions (which are great for avoiding front-headlock scenarios and closing the space needed for knees).
Despite not officially working on his wrestling until teaming up with Henry Cejudo post-“TUF,” Pantoja has always been a dangerous threat from the bodylock.
Parlaying off of his previously mentioned clinch striking, Pantoja is quick to lock his hands around his opposition and shuck them off to a side whenever possible.
Displaying good cage awareness, Pantoja wastes little time when it comes to wedging himself in between the fence and the back of his opposition. And once Pantoja is able to get the slightest bite on a position, the Shooto Brazil vet will jump at the opportunity to shift the fight’s dynamic.
In victory or defeat, seldom will you see anyone get to Pantoja’s back for prolonged periods or put him in precarious submission threats. In fact, the 17-year pro has a knack for turning negative positions around through his superb legwork and scrambling ability.
Forgot how good the legwork was between Pantoja and Royval throughout the initial minutes of the 1st round… the leg lock attempt/entanglement from Royval is fun, but man do I appreciate what Pantoja is trying to do prior with influential insteps and vines as he goes for the back pic.twitter.com/yNnwqvBPtc
Pantoja, who has incredible transitional instincts and chair sits, will have an edge when it comes to finding the back. And if Pantoja ends up on top, the American Top Team rep has some fantastic ground striking that’s not talked about enough.
Like a snake striking its prey on the nature channel, Pantoja possesses incredible accuracy and pop to the punches that slightly arc around his opponent’s guard.
Asakura, to his credit, has a solid butterfly guard and is an urgent scrambler who seldom accepts negative positions. That said, I’m not sure how his propensity to turtle will stack up with the champion’s back-taking sensibilities.
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura odds
The oddsmakers and the public are currently favoring the sitting champion, listing Pantoja -280 and Asakura +210 via FanDuel.
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura prediction, pick
Despite the betting public typically disrespecting Pantoja, I can’t say that I disagree with the spread listed above.
Although Pantoja is the deserved favorite, you can argue that respect is still being shown to Asakura’s chances – and rightfully so.
Pantoja has thus far proven to be unfinishable over his 17-year career, but Asakura will arguably be the hardest hitter the champ has seen since his 2019 loss to Deiveson Figueiredo. And if Asakura can be the one to crack Pantoja’s chin, then he’ll be making history in more ways than one this Saturday.
However, as much as I would love to see Japan finally get a UFC title, there are ultimately too many checkmarks in Pantoja’s favor to pick against him here.
Aside from this being Asakura’s first professional competition overseas, this will also be the first time Asakura has had to make the flyweight limit since 2017 (where he officially weighed in at 126 lbs.). And as far as the striking goes, Pantoja will have some quiet advantages there, as well.
Not only does Asakura’s lack of head movement and defense tend to fall apart on the back foot, but Pantoja – who has a background in muay Thai – has a knack for dictating the knee traffic in his fights (which will be crucial against this opponent).
Couple all that with the fact that Pantoja’s takedown chains along the fence will likely be even more effective against an opponent who is used to fighting in a ring, and I can’t help but see the UFC champion grounding Asakura and thriving inside of scrambles given the challenger’s propensity to turtle.
I’ll pick Pantoja to survive some early scares and lock up a submission by the end of Round 2.
Join MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” for a live-streamed watch-along of UFC 310 in Las Vegas.
UFC 310 goes down Saturday night with a flyweight championship showdown atop the bill, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” will host a live-streamed watch-along right here at 8 p.m. ET.
In the headliner, flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) takes on [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who will make his promotional debut in a title fight – a rarity. The co-feature is a fight between unbeaten welterweights [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC).
UFC 310 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN+ and ESPN2.
Below is the lineup of fights included in the watch-along:
UFC 310 main card (pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Champ Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura – for flyweight title
Ian Machado Garry vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
Kron Gracie vs. Bryce Mitchell
Dooho Choi vs. Nate Landwehr
UFC 310 preliminary card (ESPN2, 8 p.m. ET)
Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith
Themba Gorimbo vs. Vicente Luque
Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
Bryan Battle vs. Randy Brown
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.
Before the fights get underway, join MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun for a live-streamed preview of UFC 310 in Las Vegas.
UFC 310 goes down Saturday night with a flyweight championship showdown atop the bill, and before the fights get underway, Farah Hannoun will host a live-streamed preview show right here at 5 p.m. ET.
In the headliner, flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) takes on [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who will make his promotional debut in a title fight – a rarity. The co-feature is a fight between unbeaten welterweights [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC).
UFC 310 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN+ and ESPN2.
Below is the full UFC 310 lineup:
UFC 310 main card (pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Champ Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura – for flyweight title
Ian Machado Garry vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
Kron Gracie vs. Bryce Mitchell
Dooho Choi vs. Nate Landwehr
UFC 310 preliminary card (ESPN2, 8 p.m. ET)
Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith
Themba Gorimbo vs. Vicente Luque
Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
Bryan Battle vs. Randy Brown
UFC 310 early preliminary card (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
Eryk Anders vs. Chris Weidman
Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van
Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin
Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper
Lukasz Brzeski vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.
Here’s when to expect Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Asakura to make their cage walks at UFC 310.
A flyweight title fight headlines UFC 310 as champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] puts his belt on the line against newcomer [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag]. This bout scheduled for five rounds is taking place Saturday, Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Pantoja (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC), who enters UFC 310 on a six-fight winning streak, is in search of his third consecutive title defense. Pantoja defeated Brandon Moreno by split decision to claim the 125-pound title in July 2023 and since then has followed up with unanimous decision wins against Brandon Royval and most recently Steve Erceg this past May at UFC 301.
Asakura (21-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has built his career in his native Japan as a former RIZIN FF bantamweight champion, now looking to immediately make a splash in a rare UFC debut title fight. Asakura holds notable victories over former Bellator and RIZIN champ Kyoji Horiguchi, as well as former Bellator champ Juan Archuleta.
Here are the walkout times for the UFC 310 main event between Pantoja and Asakura.
What time does UFC 310 start tonight?
The UFC 310 lineup consists of 14 fights. Early prelims start at 6 p.m ET, prelims at 8 p.m. ET, and the pay-per-view main card is at 10 p.m. ET.
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura walkout time
As the main event, Pantoja and Asakura are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 12:30 a.m. ET (9:30 p.m. locally in Las Vegas).
Analyzing Saturday’s UFC 310 odds between Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura, with MMA picks and predictions.
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In a 5-round flyweight championship bout in the main event, Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Asakura battle Saturday at UFC 310 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s UFC odds around the UFC 310: Pantoja vs. Asakura odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.
The early prelims begin at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+, while the prelims begin at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2/FX/ESPN+. The main card begins at 10 p.m. ET on Pay-Per-View (PPV).
Records: Pantoja (28-5-0) | Asakura (21-4-0)
Pantoja secured the flyweight belt at UFC 290 with a split-decision victory over Brandon Moreno, and he has a pair of successful title defenses with unanimous-decision wins over Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg.
Pantoja’s last fight against Erceg was at UFC 301 back in early May. He has 6 straight victories, including 2 via submission, and 4 by way of decision, since his last loss to Askar Askarov in a unanimous-decision setback in a fight night in July 2020.
Asakura is making his UFC debut, and he gets a title shot. The Japanese fighter is a punching machine with tremendous power, and he is known for his knees to the body of the opponent, too, so that will be something Pantoja will want to avoid.
One thing absent from Asakura’s history is wins and losses by way of submission. He last won via the method in July 2, 2016 against Xiaoyang Liu at Road Fighting Championship 32 via rear-naked choke. Meanwhile, Pantoja has 2 victories via the method in his past 5 fights at the UFC level.
Pantoja (-260) is going a little bit against the unknown, heading into a fight against Asakura (+215) in his UFC debut. But, we know what we’ll get some Pantoja. While Asakura can deliver devastating knees to the body in close quarters, Pantoja delivers leg kicks with the best of them, too.
In addition, Pantoja knows what it takes to be a champion, successfully defending his strap twice. He isn’t going to lose it to a newcomer. He has 8 victories in his career via KO/TKO, so knows a thing or two about power, too. And, he is outstanding in the clinch, and just a good all-around fighter.
However, you can’t bet Pantoja straight up, risking more than 2 1/2 times your potential return. PANTOJA BY SUBMISSION (+175) might be the best value. He has 2 finishes via the method in the past 5 fights, and he isn’t going to want to go toe-to-toe with a fighter of Asakura’s ilk, even if he is making his UFC debut. Getting into a brawl makes it a 50-50 proposition, but getting the fight to the mat tips the scales in the Brazilian champ’s favor.
No: Will the fight go the distance? (-240) is way too expensive, costing you nearly 2 1/2 times your potential return.
However, OVER 2.5 ROUNDS (-134) might not be a bad play. Again, Asakura is a bit of a wild card, and Pantoja might want to do a little bit of feeling out before he elects to get close.
Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.
On the final episode of UFC 310 “Embedded,” Alexandre Pantoja receives support from his kids as he sheds the final pounds before weigh-ins.
The UFC is back in Las Vegas for UFC 310, its final pay-per-view of the calendar. year, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.
UFC 310 (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
In the headliner, flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) takes on [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who will make his promotional debut in a title fight – a rarity. The co-feature is a fight between unbeaten welterweights [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC).
The sixth and final episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:
Ciryl Gane has a cold plunge; Bryce Mitchell cuts weight with his team; Champ Alexandre Pantoja sheds the last few pounds with his kids; athletes step on the scales at the official weigh-ins; Themba Gorimbo paints his African pride on his chest; the stars of UFC 310 have final face offs at the ceremonial weigh-ins.
UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja sent Muhammad Mokaev some encouraging words.
LAS VEGAS – UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] sent [autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag] some encouraging words.
Undefeated contender Mokaev (13-0) was on the cusp of a title shot after defeating Manel Kape at UFC 304 in July, but instead, was surprisingly not re-signed by the UFC.
Mokaev and the UFC parting ways took many by surprise, especially with Pantoja (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) having already cleared out the majority of the contenders in his division. Pantoja was asked his thoughts on Mokaev’s release, and the champion thinks we could be seeing him in the octagon again.
“I think Mokaev is very talented,” Pantoja told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 310 media day. “He’s very young. He has a dream. He has a wish to try to be the youngest UFC champ.
“I think he has an opportunity to get back to the UFC. He’s a very good talent, and of course he’s someone that can show the UFC he’s a very good fighter, and he has a chance to fight for the belt.”
Pantoja’s next title defense comes against newcomer Kai Asakura (21-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 310 (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+) main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Mokaev gave his breakdown on the title fight.
“If the fight goes to the decision, I think Pantoja is going to win,” Mokaev told MMA Junkie. “But if it’s a finish, if it comes to striking, I think Kai Asakura has a better chance, whereas Pantoja has a better ground game. For me, it depends where the fight will go – but I think Pantoja will beat him.”
Mokaev booked his first fight after parting ways with the UFC. He takes on former EFC champion Luthando Biko (12-3) in a flyweight bout Dec. 13 at Khalifa Sports City in Bahrain.
Ahead of their UFC 310 clash, champ Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Asakura got one final look at each other at ceremonial weigh-ins.
LAS VEGAS – UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] and title challenger [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] got one final look at one another Friday ahead of Saturday’s fight.
The two fighters headline UFC 310 at T-Mobile Arena (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). Friday, they faced off during ceremonial weigh-ins at the same venue.
As has been the case with much of the build-up Pantoja (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) and Asakura (21-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) were respectful but intense. They shook hands after being squared off by UFC CEO Dana White.
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Pantoja aims to successfully defend his title for the third time. After he defeated champion Brandon Moreno, he retained his title against Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg.
Asakura enters the UFC as a former champion for RIZIN. A mega Japanese star, Asakura will compete at 125 pounds for the first time since 2017.
Check out the faceoff in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.
