UFC 310 Betting Preview

The UFC looks to close out their numbered card for 2024 this weekend as debutant Kai Asakura gets a shot at Alexandre Pantoja’s Flyweight title in UFC 310’s main event.

The co-main event sees rising Welterweight stars Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry collide, with both putting their undefeated records on the line.

A huge card from Las Vegas awaits with Heavyweights Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov also in a featured bout on the main card, while the likes of former championsAljamain Sterling and Chris Weidman are part of the prelims.

Main Card
● Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura – UFC Flyweight title
● Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry
● Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
● Bryce Mitchell vs. Kron Gracie
● Nate Landwehr vs. Doo Ho Choi

Main Card Tips
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura – Will The Fight Go The Distance? No – 4/9 – (Paddy Power)
Shavkat Rakhmonov by Submission or on Points – 8/11 – (Paddy Power)
Bryan Battle to Win – 1/2 – (Betfred)

Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura – Will The Fight Go The Distance? No – 4/9 – (Paddy Power)

This fight between Alexandre Pantoja (28-4) and Kai Asakura (21-4) looks set to be fought at a crazy pace, which could lead to a finish for either competitor.

Pantoja looks to make the third successful defence of his Flyweight title having beaten Steve Erceg and Brandon Royval since claiming the title against Brandon Moreno in 2023.

The Brazilian is extremely tough and has never been finished in his 33-fight professional career where he has faced many of the best ever fighters at 125lbs, many of them more than once.

Half of Pantoja’s wins in the UFC have come by finish, with two KO/TKO’s and four submissions.

The 34-year-old has shown signs of slowing down, particularly against Erceg who had great success on the feet.

Although we have never seen Asakura in the UFC, he brings a similar stature to the Australian and ultimately more of a stand-up threat.

The Japanese superstar has moved over from RIZIN where he was a two-time Bantamweight champion, but will now compete down a division in the UFC.

The 31-year-old gets a title shot in his first outing and, although he has the talent to jump straight in, he will have to adapt to this being a five-round championship fight and also a change in rule sets, particularly regarding kicking grounded opponents.

There is both the potential for Asakura to bring down serious power from Bantamweight and be able to finish the Brazilian, but also that the later the fight goes he may struggle with the pace and grappling of Pantoja, which could lead to a finish for the champion.

Shavkat Rakhmonov by Submission or on Points – 8/11 – (Paddy Power)

Two undefeated fighters go head to head in the co-main event as Shavkat Rakhmonov (18-0-0) faces Ian Machado Garry (15-0-0).

Rakhmonov was due to face Belal Muhammad for the Welterweight title here, but the champion withdrew through injury.

The Kazakh fighter opted to stay on the card and put his number one contender position on the line.

The 30-year-old’s confidence in his position is backed up by the fact he has finished every single one of the opponents he has faced so far in his career.

His ruthlessness has been on display in a six fight run in the UFC, with submission wins over Stephen Thompson, Geoff Neal and Neil Magny catching the eye.

Machado Garry is 8-0 in the UFC and has shown great technical prowess and ability to execute a gameplan on his run to title contender.

The Irishman outpointed Michael Page in his last outing in June, while also has decision wins over shared opponents Neal and Magny.

Ahead of this bout sparring footage has emerged from the time the pair were briefly team-mates at Kill Cliff, which whets the appetite a little more.

The eye test is most definitely what we have seen in the Octagon, where it feels Rakhmonov currently has the edge.

Machado Garry’s game plan will be to try and keep the fight at range and take this to the later rounds. However, Rakhmonov is a devastating finisher and, over five rounds, will engineer himself an opening at some point.

Bryan Battle to Win – 1/2 (Betfred)

Bryan Battle (11-2-0, 1 NC) looks to take another scalp in the Welterweight division against top 20 opponent Randy Brown (19-5-0).

A winner of the Ultimate Fighter at Middleweight, Battle is now campaigning at 170lbs with a UFC record of 6-1-0 1 NC.

The 30-year-old was last seen riling the fierce Parisian crowd when stopping home fighter Kevin Jousset on his feet with a series of punches in the second round in September.

An accidental eyepoke rendered his other 2024 bout with Ange Loosa in March a no contest, with Battle earning back to back stoppages of AJ Fletcher by submission and a 14-second knockout of Gabe Green in 2023.

His only UFC defeat came in 2022 when losing a decision to Rinat Fakhretdinov, who remains on an 11-fight winning streak.

Composed on the feet with power in his hands and kicks, Battle is also very strong in the clinch and solid grappler.

Brown comes into this on a three-fight win streak, with victories over Elizeu Zaleski, Muslim Salikhov and Wellington Turman.

The 34-year-old is 13-5 in the UFC and has lost only twice in the last five years – to Jack Della Maddalena in 2023 and Vicente Luque in 2020.

Brown has six stoppage wins in the UFC (3 KO/TKO and 3 submission) but has only secured one stoppage win in his last six victories.

Although Brown remains a dangerous opponent, Battle can walk him down here to secure the win and possibly earn himself a late stoppage.