UFC 310 Recap: Who Can Stop The Cannibal?

Alexandre Pantoja via MMA Junkie

Year-end Review:

The final pay-per-view of the year, UFC 310, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 7, was a fitting end to a historic year for the UFC and mixed martial arts. In a year filled with spectacular finishes, underdog victories, and record-breaking numbers, the UFC continues to outdo themselves year after year. Appropriately, this violence-filled year kicked off with the middleweight title on the line between former champion Sean Strickland, coming off a shocking upset at UFC 293, versus surging contender and current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis. The fight was a bloody five-round war, with both men feeling they deserved the strap. Ultimately, in a narrow split decision, Du Plessis, with all of South Africa on his back, became the division's new champion. Fast forward to April 13, 2024, a date immortalized in combat sports history when fans gathered in Las Vegas and worldwide to watch UFC 300 take place. The card was a spectacle; fans could not leave their seats from the first prelim bout until the main event. Regarding the fights themselves, they certainly did not disappoint. Whether it be the award-winning knockout of the year courtesy of the BMF, Max Holloway, to the technically brilliant battle between Arman Tsrukyan and Charles Oliveria, or the biggest star in the company, Alex Poatan Pereira’s stunning first-round finish, the card not only did landmark numbers but brought millions of violence craving fans together for a night of combat euphoria.

Sterling vs. Evloev:

Fast forward to December 7, and to no one's surprise, Dana White and Hunter Campbell put together a masterpiece of an event. The card featured seven ranked fights, and we begin with the first, a pivotal matchup in the featherweight division between undefeated Movsar Evloev and former Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. When this fight was announced, fans protested about being assigned to the prelims. With the fight essentially being a title eliminator, this could be a featured bout, let alone simply on the main card. However, the fight lived up to its compelling hype, with two masters in the grappling department putting on an exhibition. The fight was razor close, with both fighters feeling like they did enough to secure the victory. However, it was Movsar Evloev who came away with the unanimous decision. Movsar's conflict-generating style, which may not be a fan favorite, has now put him in the position to fight for the title or one bout away. With talks of Ilia Topuria potentially vacating the belt and Volkanovski and Lopes waiting in the wings, Evloev may need to step back and see how the dominos fall before signing another contract.

Luque vs. Gorimbo:

The next bout in the welterweight division featured veteran Vicente Luque taking on up-and-comer Themba Gorimbo, a fight which lasted all but 52 seconds. A vintage performance from the Silent Assasin saw him wrap up a devastating d’arce joke, demonstrating that he is anywhere but on the way out. Many top-ten matchups look compelling for Luque, and he will need to continue stringing together highlight performances if he wants to rise to contention once more.

Reyes vs. Smith

In the light heavyweight division, Dominick Reyes took on Anthony Smith; however, for Lionheart, it was more than just a fight. Longtime coach and close friend Scott Morton passed away shortly before Smith’s fight, and heading into the contest, his mind was not on the outcome but on simply feeling something. For Reyes, the goal was to regain prior momentum from his performance at UFC 247, with many thinking he did enough to be victorious over Jon Jones. He then suffered three straight knockout defeats from a murderer's row of opponents; however, with his recent victory over a talented Dustin Jacoby, Reyes carried that momentum into the fight with Smith, dominating from start to finish, securing a second-round TKO. After the fight, an emotional Smith contemplated whether he would continue his fighting career or not. If he does decide to hang the gloves up, his legacy will be forever appreciated by fans for years to come. For Reyes, his climb towards title contention continues, and a matchup inside the top ten is certain.

Choi vs. Landwehr

Shifting to the main card, Doo Ho Choi put on a spectacular performance, outclassing a scrappy Nate Landwehr in every facet of the fight. A contest in the top 15 is a sure thing for The Korean Super Boy, and judging by his performance on Saturday night, he will be a nightmare matchup for all contenders in the featherweight division.

Mitchell vs. Gracie

Another exciting matchup in the Featherweight division featured Bryce Mitchell and Kron Gracie from the legendary Gracie family. Mitchell was looking to regain the momentum he once had after losses to Ilia Topuria and a brutal knockout loss to Josh Emmett at UFC 296. For Gracie, the goal was not only to be victorious but to demonstrate a greater variety of skills, with many critics labeling him as a one-dimensional jiu-jitsu fighter. Mitchell was in fantastic shape, pushing the pace for most of the fight, securing a brutal third-round finish with a knockout via elbow. With the victory, Mitchell continues his attempt to regain traction in the division, and Saturday night's performance is an encouraging sign.

Gane vs. Volkov 2

In the featured bout of the evening, a heavyweight title eliminator took place between Ciryl Gane and a surging Alexander Volkov. This bout was a rematch, with the previous fight being a dominant decision victory for the Frenchmen. However, coming into the fight, Volkov had been riding a five-fight winning streak with victories over the likes of Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Tai Tuivasa and a dominant win over an elite Sergei Pavlovich. For Gane, the goal was to reinsert himself into title contention following an embarrassing loss to current champion Jon Jones. Gane bounced back with a TKO victory over veteran Serghei Spivac and hoped to emulate his first performance against Volkov for their rematch. When the bell rang, the fight took an unexpected twist, with Gane suffering a broken toe from a teep kick, the first kick he threw. Both fighters, not known for their grappling, shot multiple takedowns, attempting to maintain enough control time to steal the rounds. The fight was as close as possible, with Volkov feeling he had done enough to secure himself a future shot at heavyweight gold. However, it was Ciryl Gane who came away with the heavily controversial split decision victory, an outcome which had Drago and fans in dismay. Immediately, Cyril attempted to walk out of the octagon, not wanting to take part in an interview with Joe Rogan, and after being brought back into the cage, he expressed his dissatisfaction with his performance. In short, Gane stated that months of tactical training were not applied appropriately. Following Volkov’s exit, CEO Dana White met him at the tunnel, expressing his fellow displeasure with the result. A heated Volkov expressed his anger with the decision at the post-fight presser. “It was a bull**** decision,” said the Russian, perplexed as to how two judges scored in favor of Gane. Dana White backed up these comments in his interview, sharing his opinion that Volkov had done enough to be victorious. Nonetheless, regardless of the post-fight controversy, for the Frenchmen, a future title shot versus either Jon Jones or Tom Aspinall looks likely, and for a devastated Volkov, he will have to wait a little longer for his shot at UFC heavyweight supremacy.

Rakhmonov vs. Machado Garry

In the co-main event, another title eliminator took place in the welterweight division between two undefeated title contenders, Shavkat Rakhmonov and the Future, Ian Machado Garry. Rakhmonov was initially scheduled to headline the card in a title match against current champion Belal Muhammad, but due to an injury, the champion was forced to pull out of the contest. Many fighters were unwilling to step in with the 19-0 boogeyman, but the Irishman took the challenge on three weeks' notice. Mutual respect was heavy between the two fighters, and despite tense scenes at the weigh-ins, both fighters entered the contest focused and prepared for war. The fight began at a relatively slow pace, with Garry trying to maintain distance between the two and Rakhmonov attempting to close the distance and get a clinch on the fence. Garry effectively defended Rakhmonov’s takedowns, giving the Kazakh problems with implementing his game plan. Garry effectively utilized the oblique and body kicks to his advantage, maintaining distance control and avoiding the wrestling. However, with minimal action in the first three rounds, the few good clean shots landed by the Kazakh gave him the early edge in the contest. The final round was Garry’s best round, seeing him incorporate his newly developed jiu-jitsu game. Since joining the Chute Box team in Brazil, the Irishman has refined his ground game, courtesy of the mentorship from elite grapplers like Charles Oliveira and Demian Maia. With minutes remaining, Garry secured a tight body triangle, executed two submission attempts, and nearly escaped the contest with a comeback victory. However, Rakhmonov managed to hold off the late storm and survive until the bell, the first bout in which he had not finished an opponent. Ultimately, the judges awarded the victory to Nomad via unanimous decision, but both fighters demonstrated championship heart and talent. For Rakhmonov, a title match versus Belal Muhammad is the only fight to take, and for the young Garry, this was an early learning experience, and he will be sure to bounce back and reenter the title picture quickly.

Pantoja vs. Asakura

Shifting over to the main event, current flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja took on UFC newcomer Kai Asakura. In unprecedented circumstances, the UFC newcomer was granted an instant title shot; however, Asakura wasn’t gifted anything. The slick kickboxer dominated the Japanese MMA scene, becoming a two-time Rizin champion, the most prestigious organization in Japan. Asakura was known for his highlight reel knockouts, but many fans in North America knew little about the phenom. The goal remained the same for Pantoja: defending the title that took him so long to get. Pantoja won the belt at UFC 290 when he defeated Brandon Moreno for the third time in their rivalry. He subsequently defended his belt against gritty challengers, defeating Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg. For the Cannibal, unexpected challenges were something he was familiar with, and the keys to victory were quite clear for the champion: use his elite grappling game and overwhelm the twitchy challenger, taking him into the championship rounds and pulling away. However, this fight did not get to that point. Asakura came out guns blazing, throwing a vicious flying knee, putting the champion on notice. From that moment on, it was Pantoja domination. The champion caught the challenger with a left hook early, setting the tone for the fight. Initially, Asakura’s takedown defense held up, but at the midway point of the second round, Pantoja secured ahold of the challenger. With a body triangle locked, the champion secured a rear naked choke, and that was all she wrote, securing his third consecutive title defense. It was an impressive debut from Asakura, but the hole in his game was essentially exposed. In his post-fight interview, Pantoja made a surprising call out, inviting one of the greatest fighters the UFC has ever seen back into the octagon, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. If Pantoja is to receive this fight and be victorious, his legacy will immortalized in UFC flyweight history. If DJ stays retired, Pantoja is looking at limited options. One possibility is fighting the winner of Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov following UFC 311 for a chance at becoming a two-division champion. Another option is defending the 125-pound division against New Zealand's Kai Kara-France. Whatever the Brazillian decides to do next, he is building an incredible legacy that is second only to Johnson's in flyweight history.

2025:

This year has been truly special for the company, and with UFC 311 approaching in January, headlined by pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev, and UFC 312 featuring the rematch between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland, MMA fans can have great anticipation for an exciting lineup of events. 2025 will be another groundbreaking year, and if you want an in-depth analysis of it all, check into additional editions of The Ultimate Fan Connection.

Benjamin Furnish December 13, 2024