The UFC returns to Las Vegas for the final numbered card of 2024 for UFC 310 when the highly-anticipated undisputed flyweight title fight between Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Asakura finally goes down.
Pantoja comes into this bout on the back of a six-fight winning streak as he looks to make his third defense of the championship he won back at UFC 290, while Asakura makes his UFC debut in this fight having left Rizin as their bantamweight champion to make the move to the organization.
We'll take a look at the clash and provide you with our best free UFC betting picks, as we look to earn you some extra cash while you take in the action from inside the octagon.
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UFC 310 information
- Saturday, December 7th 2024
- T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Las Vegas
- Undisputed Flyweight Championship (125lbs limit)
- 5 x 5 minute rounds
- 22:00 ET main card start time
Alexandre Pantoja v Kai Asakura
Widely considered as one of the best flyweights in the world, Pantoja has been on a tear in the UFC and comes into this fight as a 15-fight veteran under their banner. Pantoja has a professional record of 28-5, including going 12-3 in the UFC with eight knockouts and ten submissions in his career.
After suffering defeat to former champion Deiveson Figueiredo back at UFC 240, Pantoja claimed a fantastic first-round knockout win over Matt Schnell in his next fight, before another defeat to Askar Askarov in July 2020. Since then, it's been nothing but victory for the Brazilian.
Pantoja welcomed another former RIZIN champ in Manel Kape and claimed a unanimous decision victory, before submitting Brandon Royval in the second-round to earn a performance bonus. He earned his title shot with a 91-second neck crank submission win over Alex Perez, and won the belt with a stunning split decision win over Mexican Brandon Moreno at UFC 290.
His first defence saw him face off against Royval once again and he dominated to win that fight comfortably on the scorecards before a close-fought decision win over Steve Erceg at UFC 301 in his last bout back on home soil in Rio de Janeiro.
He'll be facing a very dangerous opponent in this one in Asakura, who comes into this fight with a professional record of 21-4 including 13 wins by knockout.
The Japanese fighter first won the RIZIN bantamweight title back in August 2020 when he knocked out Hiromasa Ougikubo in the first round, before a first-round knockout win over Shoji Maruyama in his next bout. He lost the belt against Kyogi Horguchi in December 2020, before a three-fight win streak against Shooto Watanabe, Alan Yamaniha and Kenta Takizawa. The same night as that latter victory saw him Ougikubo in the final of the Grand Prix, but he lost via unanimous decision.
His next fight saw him stop Yuki Motoya with a brutal knee to the body, before a vicious knockout win over Juan Archuleta saw him reclaim the RIZIN championship in his last fight. He vacated the belt to join the UFC and makes his company debut at UFC 310.
Route to victory
As is becoming more common in UFC title fights, this is a big clash of styles in the flyweight division when grappling-heavy Pantoja takes on strike-heavy Asakura at UFC 310.
The Brazilian champion is a solid boxer in his own right, with excellent combinations and a fierce jab, his biggest advantage in this fight will come with his jiu-jitsu background and ground control that he possesses. A fine wrestler with great control on the mat, expect the champion to use his forward pressure to get the challenger against the cage and then work for takedowns and control on the mat where the threat of being knocked out is greatly reduced.
For Asakura, the opposite is true. He needs to keep this fight standing and try to convince Pantoja to get into a striking war with him where he can use his clinch game, leg kicks and savage punching power to try and overpower the current champion. He'll also need to do it quickly though, since he is dropping down to 125 pounds for the first time in over seven years.
Asakura will have to find a way to ensure he doesn't blow his load early too, with five rounds to play with and with volume likely to be a key factor considering Pantoja has never been stopped in his 33-fight professional career.
Check out our review for Bovada sports betting here.
UFC Picks: Pantoja to retain his belt @ -235
While Asakura is a supreme talent and a genuine threat to Pantoja, there is a lot going in favor of the champion to retain his belt.
Firstly he's a natural at this weight, while Asakura will be making a big cut which will no doubt affect his physicality for this bout. Secondly, Pantoja's grappling and control give him the chance to dictate where this fight takes place. His five-round experience, and experience going the distance in title fights, will also play a huge part.
Ultimately, it's going to win him the fight too. Asakura will be adapting to new rules, where one of his biggest attributes (the soccer kick) will be taken away. Expect Pantoja to dominate the grappling in the early rounds, and when the weight cut starts to negatively affect Asakura it could lead to a finish in the championship rounds. Either way, Pantoja to retain is the obvious and best value bet here.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
