*Alexandre Pantoja connects with a stiff jab on Brandon Moreno. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

The UFC returns to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with an outstanding pay-per-view card. Full of fantastic matchups, established veterans, and quickly rising stars, this card is sure to deliver. In the co-main event, a highly anticipated matchup of red-hot undefeated fighters occurs when Shavkat Rakhmonov takes on Ian Machado Garry. In the main event, we’ll witness Flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja defend his title against the debuting former Rizin champion Kai Asakura. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Nate Landwehr vs. Choi Doo-ho

*Nate Landwehr cracks David Onama with a right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Featherweight Bout

Nate Landwehr: 18-5-0, 9 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Choi Doo-ho: 15-4-1, 12 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Landwehr has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over David Onama (13-2-0), Ludovit Klein (23-4-1), and Darren Elkins (29-11-0). He is a true scrapper who’s always coming forward and engaging the fight wherever it goes. Although he loves to brawl, he’s very defensively sound, always keeping his guard high and tight and his head off the centerline. Landwehr fights behind his jab, constantly looking for opportunities to crash into the pocket and land combinations. He is willing to mix it up, averaging one takedown landed and one submission attempted per fifteen minutes. He’s more than willing to eat a shot to land one and is at his best in a dogfight, controlling the center and pushing the pace. Landwehr has earned four performance bonuses in his last five UFC appearances and always leaves everything inside the cage.

*Choi Doo-ho cracks Bill Algeo with a right hand. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Choi has won one of his last five bouts with one draw and has UFC victories over Bill Algeo (18-9-0), Thiago Tavares (22-10-1), and Sam Sicilia (17-11-0). He is a dangerous striker with impressive speed and power in his hands. He returned from a three-year layoff in 2023 and has utilized a more well-rounded, technical style, mixing takedowns and submission attempts with his striking. Choi fights behind his jab and favors power to volume, typically firing low kicks before closing the distance and unloading short combinations. Training with Busan Team, he tends to headhunt and has solid counterstriking, regularly looking to slip punches and land shots of his own. He’s strong in the clinch, has excellent submission defense, and has solid top pressure. Choi has earned five bonuses in eight UFC fights and is a Hall of Famer, with his fight with Cub Swanson being inducted into the Fight Wing of the UFC’s Hall of Fame in 2022.

#13 Bryce Mitchell vs. Kron Gracie

*Bryce Mitchell secures the second Twister submission in UFC history on Matt Sayles. Credit: MMA News.*

Featherweight Bout

Bryce Mitchell: 16-3-0, 0 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Kron Gracie: 5-2-0, 0 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Mitchell has won three of his last five outings and has wins over #14 ranked Featherweight Dan Ige (18-9-0), #15 ranked Featherweight Edson Barboza (24-12-0), and Andre Fili (24-11-0). He is a high-level grappler, averaging over three takedowns landed and nearly two submission attempts per fifteen minutes in the UFC. He usually gets the fight to the mat quickly, possessing a wrestling background and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Mitchell has excellent top control on the ground and always pursues a finish, whether ground and pound or a submission. Training at Barata MMA, he’s most dangerous early on, with eight of his nine submission victories coming in round one. On the feet, he constantly moves, cuts off the cage well, and shows decent power in his hands. Mitchell has one of three wins in UFC history via the rare twister submission and can produce submissions from anywhere and any position.

*Kron Gracie loads up a left hand on Cub Swanson. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Gracie has won three of his last five fights and has a UFC victory over Alex Caceres (21-15-0). A decorated BJJ practitioner, he’s a former ADCC and European champion with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu victories over MMA fighters such as Beneil Dariush, Gilbert Burns, and Shinya Aoki. He has an unorthodox striking style, fighting behind his jab and constantly looking to close the distance or clinch up. Gracie has a solid chin and is willing to eat one to land one, but is at home on the mat. He’s dangerous in top and bottom positions, capable of finding submissions from anywhere with impressive speed. Training at Kron Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, he’ll look to get the fight to the ground by any means necessary, including pulling guard. Gracie found 24 of his 29 professional BJJ matches by submission and has produced four first-round submission victories in MMA.

#2 Ciryl Gane vs. #3 Alexander Volkov

*Ciryl Gane stuns Jairzinho Rozenstruik with a stiff jab. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Heavyweight Bout

Ciryl Gane: 12-2-0, 6 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Alexander Volkov: 38-10-0, 24 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Gane has won three of his last five bouts, with wins over #7 ranked Heavyweight Serghei Spivac (17-4-0), #9 ranked Heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik (15-5-0), and his current opponent, Alexander Volkov. He is one of the most technical strikers ever seen in the Heavyweight division, using efficient, brutal Muay Thai to damage his opponents. Training at the MMA Factory, he has an excellent arsenal of attacks, all of which he can throw with power and do severe damage. Although Gane has established himself as a striker, he’s also an excellent grappler with two submission wins in the UFC, one coming via heel hook. He has solid takedowns, wrestling, top control, and lethal ground and pound. He’s willing to exchange in the pocket but is also excellent at range, throwing plenty of high and low kicks and crisp combinations with his hands. Gane, on average, lands more than twice as many strikes per minute as he absorbs and has excellent volume to match his power.

*Alexander Volkov cracks Marcin Tybura with a left hook. Credit: Sportskeeda.*

Volkov has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #4 ranked Heavyweight Sergei Pavlovich (18-3-0), #8 ranked Heavyweight Marcin Tybura (26-9-0), and #9 ranked Heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik (15-5-0). He is a lengthy, technical striker who’s comfortable fighting at range or inside the pocket. He has solid footwork and head movement, tending to skirt along the outside of the cage while picking his opponents apart. Volkov is highly accurate and throws everything with purpose, always keeping his shots tight and straight. His best weapons are his front kick and right straight, and he’ll constantly look to set up both. Training with Strela Team, he’s powerful inside the clinch and uses his length very well, making him particularly hard to take down. Volkov possesses classic heavyweight cardio; he carries his power across all 15 minutes, but his pace decreases as the fight continues.

#3 Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. #7 Ian Machado Garry

*Shavkat Rakhmonov brutally submits Geoff Neal. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Welterweight Bout

Shavkat Rakhmonov: 18-0-0, 8 KO/TKO, 10 Sub.

Ian Machado Garry: 15-0-0, 7 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Rakhmonov is undefeated and has UFC victories over #10 ranked Welterweight Stephen Thompson (17-8-1), #11 Welterweight Geoff Neal (16-6-0), and Neil Magny (29-14-0). He is in perpetual motion, constantly pressuring forward, but stays patient and never telegraphs his shots. He’s outstruck all of his UFC opponents and, on average, has only absorbed about 20 significant strikes per fight in his promotional tenure. Rakhmonov holds the rank of Master of Sport in Combat Sambo and MMA and has finished all his professional fights, with only two of those bouts seeing a third round. He is an excellent grappler with great takedowns, clinch striking, and a slick submission game. All his submission wins have come via a form of choke, and he can produce a quick finish if he finds his opponent’s neck. Training at Kill Cliff FC, Rakhmonov is a highly technical fighter but also will throw some flashy strikes, particularly a devastating spinning heel kick.

*Ian Garry lands a stinging jab on Gabe Green. Credit: Action Network.*

Garry is undefeated and has UFC victories over #11 ranked Welterweight Geoff Neal (16-6-0), #15 ranked Welterweight Michael Page (22-3-0), and Daniel Rodriguez (18-5-0). He’s an excellent striker with a very fluid style, constantly moving and bouncing on his feet with an almost karate-like stance. He’s highly accurate, having landed 55% of the significant strikes he has attempted in the UFC, and remains patient, always looking for openings. Garry fights behind his jab and has excellent distance management, typically controlling the center of the cage and forcing his opponent to the outside. He has a deadly kicking arsenal and uses them to do significant damage at range, never telegraphing and constantly mixing kicks into punch combinations. Training at Chute Boxe, he holds a black belt in Judo and has solid takedown defense but rarely initiates grappling exchanges. Garry benefits from a slower, more technical fight, yet to be pulled into a knockdown, drag-out brawl.

(C) Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura

*Alexandre Pantoja exchanges blows with Brandon Moreno. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Flyweight Championship Bout

Alexandre Pantoja: 28-5-0, 8 KO/TKO, 10 Sub.

Kai Asakura: 21-4-0, 13 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Pantoja is on a six-fight win streak and has UFC victories over #1 ranked Flyweight Brandon Royval (17-7-0), #2 ranked Flyweight Brandon Moreno (22-8-2), and #6 ranked Flyweight Alex Perez (25-9-0). He’s a fast starter and an exceptionally well-rounded fighter with solid power in his hands. He’s constantly pressuring forward, throwing everything in combination, and varying his strikes well, attacking the head and body evenly. Pantoja transitions incredibly quickly on the ground and always looks for a finish, typically preferring submissions to ground and pound. Training at American Top Team, he’s never looking just to touch his opponents, always throwing power shots with knockout intentions. He is willing to eat a shot to land one and can get drawn into brawls in the feet, often swinging wildly in the pocket. Pantoja is impressively calm in deep waters and can find a finish anywhere, any time.

*Kai Asakura catches Juan Archuleta with a right hook. Credit: Rizin FF.*

Asakura has won four of his last five fights and is making his UFC debut. A former Rizin Bantamweight champion, he’s a powerful, well-rounded scrapper who pushes a heavy pace throughout. He has serious power in his hands and particularly dangerous knees, constantly varying his attacks between the head and body. Asakura often looks to counterstrike, using his distance management and head movement to catch his opponents as they enter the pocket. He throws everything with power and in combination but remains elusive and won’t telegraph his shots. Training at Japan Top Team, he has excellent takedown defense and scrambles, often finding himself in top position after grappling exchanges. Asakura is at his best when he’s controlling the pace and the center of the cage, but he is willing to brawl and has a solid chin.

Best Bets

Nate Landwehr Moneyline: Arguably one of the most pure-action matchups on the card, this fight will surely produce highlights. Although both are exciting fighters, they have rather different styles; Landwehr tends to use his pace, volume, and pressure to wear down opponents, whereas Choi favors power and accuracy. Despite the difference in styles, both are always willing to hang in the pocket and brawl, which always makes for an exciting fight. Choi likely has the power advantage, with the cardio advantage going to Landwehr. I anticipate lots of high-pace, wild exchanges inside the pocket, a pace that will ultimately benefit Landwehr. As the fight continues and the pace remains high, Choi is likelier to slow down and lose power, while Landwehr’s pace typically increases as fights continue. Assuming Landwehr can survive the early power shots, I expect him to wear down Choi and earn another impressive victory.

Shavkat Rakhmonov Moneyline: An extremely high-profile matchup of undefeated rising stars, this is a fascinating fight. There are plenty of similarities between these fighters on paper, with similar records and similar UFC opponents, but ultimately, they’re very different fighters. Garry has proven his ability as a striker but has become more cautious lately, mainly resorting to his grappling in his last appearance against Michael Page. Even in his UFC fights where he didn’t take it to the mat, he’s been comfortable using a slower-paced, risk-averse style. Alternatively, Rakhmonov has not seen the judges’ scorecards in his UFC tenure, scoring finishes in all his appearances and always pushing a wild pace. While fighting slow and technically isn’t necessarily a bad style, Garry will likely not have the option to do so in this matchup. I expect Rakhmonov to always stay in his face, forcing him to constantly engage on the feet or the ground. Regardless of where the fight ends up, if Rakhmonov stays on his front foot and controls the pace, he will take Ian Garry’s 0.

Alexandre Pantoja by Submission: A fight with plenty of questions around it, Asakura comes into this matchup as a relative unknown for casual fans. Pantoja is a highly underrated champion, oddly catching flak from fans for having a “boring” style despite consistently entertaining performances. He’s pushed a wild pace in his three fights for gold, landing, on average, 115 significant strikes per fight. Asakura is exceptionally dangerous and powerful, capable of producing flash knockouts in multiple ways. While well-rounded, Asakura is most comfortable on his feet, where he can control the distance and the pace. Pantoja is seemingly comfortable anywhere and has never been finished in his professional career. While Asakura is willing to brawl, he has proven hittable, regularly absorbing big shots in recent fights and having had two KO losses in the last five years. Asakura does have excellent takedown defense and likely will be able to keep it standing early, but as the fight goes on and his energy decreases, I expect Pantoja to start landing takedowns and controlling Asakura on the mat. Once in top position, Pantoja is incredibly dangerous and will constantly hunt for a finish, and I anticipate him securing a submission and earning another successful title defense.

UFC 310 Preview