UFC 310 results: Pantoja, Rakhmonov, and Gane secure victories
Alexandre Pantoja extended his winning streak to six fights by submitting Kai Asakura to defend his flyweight title. Shavkat Rakhmonov maintained his welterweight claim with a decision over Ian Machado Garry, while Ciryl Gane earned a split decision victory against Alexander Volkov.
Alexandre Pantoja submitted Kai Asakura with a rear naked choke at 2:05 of the second round to defend his UFC flyweight title. The 34-year-old Brazilian champion, who holds 28 wins and 5 losses, extended his winning streak to six fights. Asakura, a 31-year-old former Rizin bantamweight champion, attempted flying knees and wild punches in the first round, but Pantoja controlled the pace on the mat. Asakura is the seventh Japanese fighter to challenge for UFC gold. Pantoja holds the fifth highest control time in flyweight history and has won 10 fights by submission. He challenged Demetrious Johnson during his post-fight interview, although Johnson announced his retirement from MMA earlier this year. Pantoja claims he has cleaned the division after beating the top two ranked fighters multiple times. This victory marks his third title defense since defeating Brandon Moreno. You should note that Pantoja previously defeated Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg in previous outings.
Welterweight Contention and Heavyweight Drama
Shavkat Rakhmonov defeated Ian Machado Garry via unanimous decision to maintain his 19-0 professional record. The judges scored the five round contest 48-47, 48-47, and 48-47. Garry accepted the fight on short notice after Belal Muhammad withdrew from the scheduled welterweight title bout due to a bone infection in his foot. Garry threatened a submission in the final round, but Rakhmonov earned the victory through striking and clinch control. This win allows Rakhmonov to keep his claim to the welterweight top spot. Garry remains a top contender with 15 wins, though this loss ends his undefeated run. Shavkat Rakhmonov maintained his claim to the welterweight top spot after a gritty five round performance against Ian Machado Garry, which ended in a close unanimous decision on Saturday night.
In the heavyweight rematch, Ciryl Gane earned a split decision over Alexander Volkov. The crowd booed the decision at the T-Mobile Arena. Volkov arrived in Las Vegas with a four-fight winning streak, but Gane overcame the Russian striker to win.
| Bout | Winner | Method | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flyweight Title | Alexandre Pantoja | Submission (RNC) | Round 2, 2:05 |
| Welterweight | Shavkat Rakhmonov | Decision (Unanimous) | Round 5, 5:00 |
| Heavyweight | Ciryl Gane | Decision (Split) | Round 3, 5:00 |
| Featherweight | Bryce Mitchell | KO (Strikes) | Round 3, 0:39 |
| Featherweight | Dooho Choi | TKO (Strikes) | Round 3, 3:21 |
Bryce Mitchell defeated Kron Gracie via TKO in the third round. Mitchell used elbows from the top position to finish the bout after Gracie attempted to pull guard. This win ended the last Gracie family member’s run in the UFC. Mitchell, who is 30, previously lost two of his last three fights to Ilia Topuria and Josh Emmett. In the featherweight clash, 33-year-old Dooho Choi defeated Nate Landwehr via TKO in the third round. Choi has 14 finishes in his 20 professional MMA fights. Landwehr, who is 36, has 11 finishes in his career.
Topuria and the Fight Card Results
Paddy Pimblett wants a grudge match against Ilia Topuria, claiming that no other lightweight opponents in his division make sense for him at this time. Pimblett, who finished Benoit Saint Denis in July, wants the fight after several other top lightweights took different matchups. Topuria’s physical trainer, Jesus Gallo, stated that the fighter will not return to competition until February 2027 after he finishes his training in Miami. This follows Topuria’s first career defeat at the hands of Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 in June. Alexander Volkanovski also expressed interest in Topuria, proposing a cooking series where the former rivals discuss their shared experiences after traveling to Spain to film together. Will Topuria decide to accept the invitation from Volkanovski or will he focus on a rematch with Gaethje?
The preliminary card included several decisive victories. Dominick Reyes defeated Anthony Smith via TKO in the second round. Vicente Luque, a top 15 welterweight, beat Themba Gorimbo via submission with an anaconda choke in the first round. Movsar Evloev earned a unanimous decision over Aljamain Sterling, who won his divisional debut in April. Bryan Battle defeated Randy Brown via split decision. Joshua Van beat Cody Durden via unanimous decision. Michael Chiesa defeated Max Griffin via rear naked choke in the third round. Chase Hooper beat Clay Guida via armbar in the first round. Kennedy Nzechuktu won via TKO over Lukasz Brzeski.
