Tag: UFC 310

UFC squeezes Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders rebooking onto 2024 schedule

Canceled minutes before Saturday’s UFC 309, Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders is back on the books – at a catchweight.

The UFC’s 2024 schedule is pretty much mapped out, but the promotion created some extra room to get a recently canceled fight back on the books.

Former middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] will face [autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag] on Dec. 10 at UFC 310, the promotion announced Wednesday following a report by Newsday. The bout will take place at a 195-pound contract weight. The event takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Weidman (16-7 MMA, 12-7 UFC) vs. Anders (16-8 MMA, 8-8 UFC) was initially slated for this past Saturday’s UFC 309. However, Anders fell ill shortly before the card began and the fight was scrapped as a result.

Now with the bout rebooked, Weidman would’ve looked to continue momentum after a win over Bruno Silva in March. Anders aims to win three of four, having recently become recreational drug-free for the first time in 14 years.

With the addition, the UFC 310 lineup includes:

  • Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura – for flyweight title
  • Ian Machado Garry vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
  • Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Doo Ho Choi vs. Nate Landwehr
  • Kron Gracie vs. Bryce Mitchell
  • Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Eryk Anders vs. Chris Weidman
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith
  • Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper
  • Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin
  • Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van
  • Martin Buday vs. Rizvan Kuniev
  • Bryan Battle vs. Randy Brown
  • Lukasz Brzeski vs. Tallison Teixeira

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Juan Archuleta happy for ex-opponent Kai Asakura’s immediate title shot at UFC 310

Juan Archuleta expects former foe Kai Asakura to do well in his return to flyweight at UFC 310.

[autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] expects former foe [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag] to do well in his return to flyweight at UFC 310.

Former RIZIN bantamweight champion Asakura (21-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) challenges Alexandre Pantoja (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) for the 125-pound title Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+).

Asakura’s last win before signing with the UFC was a TKO finish of Archuleta to claim the RIZIN bantamweight title last December. Despite Asakura having not competed at flyweight since 2017, Archuleta doesn’t expect him to struggle making weight for his title fight against Pantoja.

“I think he’s very explosive,” Archuleta told MMA Junkie of Asakura. “It seems like he’s really getting his body in tune. Last time I saw him when I was in Japan, he was a lot smaller than when we fought, and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, you’re doing well.’ I reached out to him (recently) actually because he was posting some Instagram pictures. I was like, ‘Hey, how you feeling?’ He’s like, ‘Oh, I’m so ready, I’m so excited,’

“And this is a new venture for him, this is something that he wanted and wanted to do going forward, and I’m super excited. I mean, and it’s a title fight right off the bat. Like, not many guys get a title fight in the UFC right off the bat, so it’s like, go get it, man. You have the tools and the athleticism to go get it done, and I think he’s well prepared now. I think he got down to a weight class, Japanese guys aren’t very dense in their muscles, but they’re very explosive.”

According to DraftKings, Asakura is a +180 underdog against Pantoja, who’s a -218 favorite to retain his UFC flyweight title.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Kamaru Usman: Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry only exciting ‘on paper’

Kamaru Usman won’t be surprised if the UFC 310 co-main event is “not the most electrifying fight that we’ve ever seen.”

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] isn’t confident that [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] will deliver action at UFC 310.

Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) takes on Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in a five-round welterweight co-main event Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Rakhmonov vs. Garry is a battle between two undefeated top contenders. Despite Rakhmonov boasting a 100 percent finish rate, Usman thinks Garry’s recent performances won’t result in the exciting matchup everyone is projecting.

“I like the matchup, but we have a tendency to get excited for these Ian Garry matchups, and they don’t turn out the way we think,” Usman said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo. “I’m being honest. Did I not say the same thing about the Michael ‘Venom’ Page fight? That’s not a knock. It’s just the way that Ian Garry likes to fight. Ian Garry is a guy that loves space. He loves to make it look pretty. He loves to run off his combinations and move, move, move.

“Make it look pretty to where you have a guy like Shavkat, who is kind of a seek and destroy type of guy. He wants to get into the action. So, I like the matchup, of course. … I think it’s a good fight. Shavkat is going to come forward. He’s going to try to seek and destroy as he always does, and Ian Garry is going to move around to create the space, to try to find the good strikes. So, it’s a good fight on paper. I don’t know how it’s going to look on fight night.”

Having trained with both fighters at Kill Cliff FC, former UFC welterweight champion Usman didn’t address the rumors of Rakhmonov getting the best of Garry in practice. He expects their history on the training mats to add a little spice to the buildup.

“It’s an intriguing fight because there’s a little bit of backstory,” Usman said. “So, I think it’s going to make for a little bit more animosity as we get closer to the fight, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s not the most electrifying fight that we’ve ever seen like we’re expecting.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Shavkat Rakhmonov vs Ian Machado Garry: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 310 co-main event

Ian Machado Garry is the betting underdog against fellow unbeaten UFC welterweight contender Shavkat Rkhmonov, but by how much?

After welterweight champion Belal Muhammad fell out of the UFC 310 main event, [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] stepped in for a five-round, non-title matchup with fellow undefeated contender [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] that UFC CEO Dana White says will be a title eliminator.

Ian Machado Garry vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov preview

Machado Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is on the cusp of being the only Irish athlete outside of Conor McGregor to fight for a UFC championship. He earned the opportunity through a lengthy winning streak to begin his promotional tenure, and his run includes the likes of Michael Page, Geoff Neal and Neil Magny.

Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) already secured his opportunity to challenge for the belt but is putting that on the line by taking another fight. He has no reason to lack confidence, however, as thus far Rakhmonov has not only defeated every opponent he’s come across, but he’s finished every single one of them by knockout or submission.

Ian Machado Garry vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov odds

DraftKings released the opening odds, in which Rakhmonov is a +235 betting favorite over Machado Garry, who is a -290 underdog.

How to watch Ian Machado Garry vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310

  • When: December 7, 2024
  • Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Broadcast/streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

UFC 310 adds grappler’s delight with Kron Gracie vs. Bryce Mitchell

Grapple-heavy Bryce Mitchell and Kron Gracie will collide at UFC 310 in Las Vegas.

A fight between two notable grapple-centric featherweights has been added to UFC 310.

[autotag]Kron Gracie[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] will collide in a three-round bout Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the promotion announced during Saturday’s UFC 309 broadcast.

Both fighters look to rebound from losses that were brutal, though for different reasons. For Mitchell (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC), he was devastated by a massive (and scary) knockout blow by Josh Emmett in December 2023. Gracie (5-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) lost an extremely lackluster affair vs. Charles Jourdain in May 2023.

The two fighters combine for 14 submissions in their 21 career victories. Mitchell has nine of his 16 wins via submission, while all five of Gracie’s have come by that method.

With the addition, the current UFC 310 lineup includes:

  • Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura – for flyweight title
  • Ian Machado Garry vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
  • Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith
  • Virna Jandiroba vs. TBA
  • Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper
  • Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin
  • Nick Diaz vs. Vicente Luque
  • Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van
  • Martin Buday vs. Rizvan Kuniev
  • Bryan Battle vs. Randy Brown
  • Lukasz Brzeski vs. Tallison Teixeira
  • Doo Ho Choi vs. Nate Landwehr
  • Kron Gracie vs. Bryce Mitchell

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Shavkat Rakhmonov meets Ian Machado Garry in five-round bout at UFC 310

Undefeated welterweights Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry will clash for No. 1 contender position at UFC 310.

Undefeated welterweights will battle it out for top contender position at UFC 310.

When welterweight champion Belal Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) was forced out of his title defense against [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) on Dec. 7 due to a bone infection in his foot, Rakhmonov called for an interim title fight against Kamaru Usman.

Both [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and Joaquin Buckley, who were scheduled to face each other in the UFC on ESPN 63 headliner on Dec. 14, threw their name in the hat to face Rakhmonov.

The UFC opted to go with Machado Garry, who will meet Rakhmonov in a five-round non-title co-main event bout at UFC 310 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Dana White announced Friday. Buckley will now face Colby Covington.

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Garry is coming off a unanimous decision win over Michael Page at UFC 303 in June. Meanwhile, Rakhmonov notched his sixth octagon victory when he became the first to submit Stephen Thompson at UFC 296 in December.

Rakhmonov expressed disappointment in the welterweight division, as a whole, on X after the fight was announced.

The winner of the UFC 310 matchup is expected to challenge Muhammad for the belt upon his return to competition.

With the addition, the current UFC 310 lineup includes:

  • Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura – for flyweight title
  • Ian Machado Garry vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
  • Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith
  • Virna Jandiroba vs. TBA
  • Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper
  • Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin
  • Nick Diaz vs. Vicente Luque
  • Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van
  • Martin Buday vs. Rizvan Kuniev
  • Bryan Battle vs. Randy Brown
  • Lukasz Brzeski vs. Tallison Teixeira
  • Doo Ho Choi vs. Nate Landwehr

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Kamaru Usman says Shavkat Rakhmonov ‘a very winnable fight,’ but UFC 310 might be too soon

Kamaru Usman admits UFC 310 may be too soon for him to compete.

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] admits UFC 310 may be too soon for him to compete.

[autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) was scheduled to challenge welterweight champion Belal Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) in the Dec. 7 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but Muhammad was forced out due to a bone infection in his foot.

Former UFC welterweight champion Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) expressed interest in stepping in against Rakhmonov. He’s currently in Colorado getting ready in case he gets the call, and is confident in how he matches up against undefeated Rakhmonov.

However, Usman has a bit of an issue with the date of the fight.

“To be honest, it’s a fight that I’ve looked at, and I know it’s definitely a very, very winnable fight,” Usman said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo. “And I know that I can, of all people, go out there and expose what hasn’t been exposed in a young, hungry, streaky guy in Shavkat Rakhmonov.

“He’s very talented, and he’s very, very good. But I do see the holes, and I think that I can exploit that when that time is right. But Dec. 7 might be a little too early for that time. So that’s where I’m at.”

The most recent time Usman competed was also on short notice. He stepped in to face another undefeated phenom in Khamzat Chimaev, pushing him to the brink in a majority decision loss at UFC 294 in October 2023. “The Nigerian Nightmare” currently is on a three-fight losing skid, with two of those losses coming back-to-back to Leon Edwards in title fights.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Colby Covington slams Shavkat Rakhmonov for accusing him of empty UFC 310 callout

Colby Covington went off on Shavkat Rakhmonov as the pair continue to exchange words before UFC 310.

[autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] went off on [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] as the pair of welterweights continue to exchange words.

Covington (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) recently revealed to Submission Radio that he offered to step in against Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) on Dec. 7 at UFC 310. Former champion Kamaru Usman also hinted that he’s willing to fight Rakhmonov, who isn’t buying either one of their claims.

“All I hear are empty callouts!” Rakhmonov wrote on X, tagging both Usman and Covington. “No real intention, no action. Just posturing for the media and fans @USMAN84kg @ColbyCovMMA.”

Rakhmonov’s post set off Covington, who went on an explicit rant on Instagram.

“Someone just showed me (manager Danny) Rubenstein’s tweet for that big dummy, sh*t rat,” Covington said. “Listen up, junior. Translate this to whatever caveman dialect you need to and get it through that big, empty skull attached to that gumby ass body: I don’t posture, and I don’t bluff. As soon as I get off this beautiful five-star Trump golf course located in the heart of MAGA country, West Palm Beach, Florida, I’m calling Hunter (Campbell) and Dana (White), and we can all see who’s posturing for clicks, bozo.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCPWveYxnrP/?hl=en

Rakhmonov proceeded to respond in the comments of Covington’s Instagram post.

“Let’s go, I’m ready! Your talking will not help you in the octagon,” Rakhmonov wrote.

Covington hasn’t competed since a title loss to then champion Leon Edwards at UFC 296 last December. Meanwhile, after submitting Stephen Thompson, Rakhmonov was gearing for his first title shot against welterweight champion Belal Muhammad at UFC 310, but Muhammad was forced to withdraw due to a bone infection in his foot.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Alexandre Pantoja says fresh challenge Kai Asakura makes sense for UFC 310: ‘It’s all about time’

For flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja, the division could use a new face like Kai Asakura.

For flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag], the division could use a new face like [autotag]Kai Asakura[/autotag].

Former RIZIN champion Asakura (21-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) challenges Pantoja (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) for the flyweight title at UFC 310 on Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+).

The likes of top contender Kai Kara-France took issue with a newcomer getting a title shot, but having cleared out the majority of the division, Pantoja thinks it’s the right fight.

“I think it’s all about time,” Pantoja told MMA Junkie. “In that time right now, I think it makes sense.”

Pantoja is happy to see the flyweight division being spotlighted with numerous headliners – most recently with Brandon Moreno defeating Amir Albazi in this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 246 main event.

Brandon Royval is also recently coming off a main event win, where he bounced Tatsuro Taira out of the ranks of the unbeaten at UFC Fight Night 244 in October. But with Pantoja having already beaten both Moreno and Royval twice, he likes the challenge of studying a new opponent.

“You bring Kai Asakura, the crossover – that’s what every hater of the UFC is talking about: ‘UFC needs to make a crossover,’ and when the UFC did that, the haters come back and say Asakura doesn’t deserve to fight for the belt,” Pantoja said. “But especially in my division – I love Royval too, that’s a beautiful fight he did with Taira, a contender, super fresh guy, Japanese, beautiful fight. I loved watching the grappling, the fight style. But of course, Royval lost to me twice.

“I think it makes sense. This time, nobody can say nothing. And it’s good for the whole division, too, because after my fight with Asakura, everybody is going to get the opportunity to fight with this guy, too. He’s good for the whole division. When I finished my fight with (Stephen) Erceg, and I was thinking who’s going to be my next opponent, when I looked at the top five in the UFC, I know the game plan to fight all these guys. Then you bring someone new, that’s good for me. I like that challenge.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Kamaru Usman breaks silence on potential UFC 310 fight vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov

Kamaru Usman expressed a willingness to step in on short notice at UFC 310 but wasn’t clear about being contacted by UFC matchmakers.

It’s been a week since welterweight champion Belal Muhammad revealed news of a foot infection forced him out of UFC 310, and there’s been a lot of talk about what will happen with his opponent, [autotag]Shavkhat Rakhmonov[/autotag], but still nothing has been set.

One possibility being talked about is for Rakhmonov to meet former 170-pound champ [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] for an interim belt at the Dec. 7 pay-per-view event from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While Rakhmonov has lobbied for that matchup to take place, things are still up in the air.

On Thursday’s episode of his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo, Usman expressed a willingness to step in on short notice but wasn’t clear about being contacted by UFC matchmakers as he commented on the situation for the first time.

“The UFC is gonna call who they think is gonna be legit tough enough and man enough to step in there, is crazy enough to step in there on short notice, and go out there and possibly shock the world,” Usman said. “Definitely the UFC knows who to call when that situation happens. And if they do give me a call, I’m gonna answer the call, get a couple things straight, and if we’ve got to do it, we’ve got to do it. I don’t shy away from any of that.”

Usman (20-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) has been called upon for two major short-notice fights in recent years. While he was champion, he accepted a fight with Jorge Masvidal on six days’ notice in July 2020 at UFC 251. Usman last year stepped in on less than two weeks’ notice to fight Khamzat Chimaev in a middleweight bout at UFC 294. Usman beat Masvidal by unanimous decision but lost a majority decision to Chimaev.

Usman, 37, is on a three-fight losing, having not competed since the loss to Chimaev in October 2023. Prior to that, Usman dropped back-to-back title fights against Leon Edwards – first losing his title by fifth-round knockout at UFC 278 then coming up short in the rematch (trilogy) by majority decision at UFC 286.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.