UFC 310 Preview And Predictions

UFC 310 Preview And Predictions

UFC 310 is the UFC’s final pay-per-view event of the year. The card was hit was some fight cancellations, but the event is still a great night of fights. The card lacks star power, but it is stacked with interesting bouts that will appeal to hardcore MMA fans. That is a solid event to close out the year.

Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict the UFC 310 main card. You can find our prediction records below.

James: 127-86

Garrett: 124-89

Anthony: 130-83

Jerry: 111-85

Nate Landwehr vs Doo Ho Choi- Featherweight Bout 

James: The UFC 310 main card opens with a featherweight bout between Nate Landwehr and Doo Ho Choi that previews as a banger. Both of these fighters consistently provide fan-friendly scraps. Landwehr sits at 5-3 in the UFC. Choi sits at 4-3-1 in the UFC. That includes a 1-0-1 run since returning from a four-year layoff. 

Landwehr is one of the most unique fighters in the UFC. This is because of his volatile durability and all-action style. Landwehr is a hittable fighter who puts himself in dangerous positions. In the majority of his fights, he gets hit by a hard shot and gets hurt. Still, he has only been knocked out twice in his UFC career. In other bouts, he recovers after being hurt and begins to push the pace before landing his own shots. This resulted in sensational fights where he thrived in the later rounds. 

Choi is a technical striker who finds success with his boxing. The best weapons in his arsenal are his jab and straight. Plus, he lands counter hooks that do damage. This allows him to compete at range or in the pocket. It should also be noted that Choi has grappled more often in recent fights. This includes consistently chasing submissions. 

The UFC 310 main card opener previews as a great fight, but it’s a tough one to call. One interesting aspect of this fight will be the clinch. Landwehr finds success in that realm with dirty boxing while Choi will look for knees and guillotines. The fighter who wins out in those exchanges will be at a massive advantage. That said, the biggest factor will be Choi’s ability to shut off Landwehr’s lights in an early exchange. Otherwise, Landwehr will drag this fight into round two and turn up the pace. In those moments, he will have a massive cardio advantage. This feels like a fight Landwehr will be able to accomplish that. I will take Landwehr by third-round knockout. 

Garrett: Landwehr via decision

Anthony: Landwehr via KO/TKO

Jerry: Landwehr via KO/TKO

No. 13 Bryce Mitchell vs. Kron Gracie- Featherweight Bout 

James: The UFC 310 main card features a featherweight bout between Bryce Mitchell and Kron Gracie. This fight pits two primary grapplers against one another. Mitchell is looking to bounce back after a devastating knockout loss to Josh Emmett. In the UFC, Mitchell sits with a 7-2 record, but those losses have come in two of his last three fights. Meanwhile, Gracie sits at 1-2 in the UFC. 

Mitchell is a high-level grappler. The mix of wrestling and BJJ makes him a quality grappler. Mitchell’s willingness to attempt takedowns in the open is less common in this era of MMA. In the top position, he is good at using BJJ to get to solid positions that allow him to control or attempt submissions. Mitchell does have serious striking concerns. The lack of offense makes him limits his danger while he is also there to be hit. 

Gracie is a sensational BJJ grappler. That should not be a surprise, considering his last name. Kron is the son of Rickson Gracie. At 36 years old, Gracie is currently only 5-2. The lack of MMA experience is evident. Gracie brings limited striking to the octagon. Instead, he would rather attempt submission or sweep from his back. If he can utilize those skills, he can find submissions. 

This UFC 310 bout is a strange fight to preview. This is a rare situation where Mitchell should attempt to keep the fight standing. In most matchups, he should look to grapple. That is not the case when you are in an octagon with a member of the Gracie family. If Mitchell offensively grapples, he is playing directly into Gracie’s hand. If Mitchell can use his grappling to keep the fight standing, he should be the better striker despite his flaws in that realm. It is hard to trust Mitchell will fight with the proper game plan; however, he should win the fight. I will take Mitchell by decision. 

Garrett: Mitchell via submission

Anthony: Mitchell via decision

Jerry: Mitchell via decision

No. 2 Ciryl Gane vs. No. 3 Alexander Volkov- Heavyweight Rematch

James: At UFC 310, ranked heavyweights Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov will fight in a rematch. In the first bout, Gane won a decision. In the time since, Gane has gone 3-2 while Volkov has gone 5-1. The pair have only lost to heavyweight champions in that time. This bout is massive for the heavyweight division. Gane and Volkov are the two highest-ranked heavyweights outside of Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall. The winner is not guaranteed to fight one of the champions; however, it is certainly a solid step toward getting a title fight. 

Gane’s combination of athleticism, movement, footwork, speed, and technicality make him a heavyweight. The division has a limited number of fighters with those attributes. In addition to those strengths, Gane has a solid toolbox of kicks and straight punches. These factors work together to make Gane a difficult striker to compete with. In most fights, he can land damaging shots without taking many shots in return. The serious flaw in his game comes in the grappling department. In high-profile bouts against Jones and Ngannou, Gane was dominated in the grappling phases. Jones submitted him in under a minute while Ngannou racked up significant control time. 

Volkov is a massive heavyweight. At six-foot-seven, he typically holds a height and reach advantage. This allows him to pick opponents apart with straight shots and boxing combinations. In more recent outings, he has also shown improved offensive grappling. This has helped him pick up victories. 

This UFC 310 preview is interesting because both fighters tend to have a lot of success at range. In their first matchup, Gane was the fighter who had the advantage in that area of the fight. Despite being smaller, he used his speed to dictate exchanges and land more frequently. Now, three years later, I doubt we see the same fight take place. In this iteration of the fight, I expect Volkov to learn from his mistakes and attempt to grapple more often. If he can track down Gane and have respectable takedown attempts, he should get to the top position and either control or do damage. I will take Volkov by decision. 

Garrett: Gane via decision

Anthony: Volkov via decision

Jerry: Gane via decision

No. 3 Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. No. 7 Ian Machado Garry- Welterweight Bout 

James: The UFC 310 co-main event is a welterweight bout between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry. This fight was originally set to be a welterweight title fight between Rakhmonov and Belal Muhammad. Muhammad was forced to pull out of the bout with an injury and Machado Garry stepped in. That took the welterweight title off the table. The pair of prospects will fight to become the next title challenger instead. The new matchup pits two undefeated prospects turned contenders against one another. Rakhmonov is 18-0 with six UFC victories. More impressively, he has won every bout by finish. Machado Garry is 15-0 with eight UFC victories. The winner of this bout puts themselves in a position to be the face of the next generation of the welterweight division while putting them in line for a title bout. 

Rakhmonov is a remarkable talent with a lot of impressive tools that are backed by size and physicality. This begins with his length. Rakhmonov is capable of using straight punches to find success at a distance. If he gets inside, he can go to the clinch, where he can throw strikes or attempt takedowns. This creates a bridge between his striking and grappling realms. In the grappling realm, Rakhmonov does not have elite takedowns; however, he is elite in the top position. If he lands a takedown and gets on top, Rakhmonov has outstanding submissions, top control, and strikes. 

Machado Garry is a talented distance striker. This is partially because of his six-foot-three frame and 74-inch reach. Machado Garry’s range management allows him to utilize his reach advantage. This can be seen in his ability to sit on the outside and hit his opponent with kicks. This begins with leg kicks, but it extends to body and head kicks. Plus, Machado Garry can effectively implement teeps and oblique kicks into his game. In his most recent fight against Michael Page, Machado Garry switched up his game plan and showed his grappling offense. Now, he will need to show his defensive grappling in this bout. 

The UFC 310 co-main event preview favors Rakhmonov. Machado Garry can find a path to victory, however. Rakhmonov’s lacking striking defense allows Machado Garry to land straight shots from a distance. The issue is that it is unlikely he will land the knockout. That will present Rakhmonov will too many offensive opportunities. If Rakhmonov can aggressively throw big shots, get in the clinch, and attempt takedowns, his success should snowball into a finish. I will take Rakhmonov by round-four submission. 

Garrett: Rakhmonov via decision

Anthony: Rakhmonov via decision

Jerry: Rakhmonov via submission

(C) Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura- Flyweight Title bout

James: The UFC 310 main event features a flyweight title bout between Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Asakura. Pantoja is working to assemble a lengthy title reign. This has gotten off to a solid start after he defended the title twice while adding multiple impressive wins to his resume. Now, he has an opportunity to pick up a win over Asakura. The UFC debutant is in a unique position as he is set to make his promotional debut in a title fight. Thankfully, he has earned that opportunity. Asakura has a 21-4 professional record with wins over legitimate competition. That includes Kyori Horiguchi, Manel Kape, Juan Archuleta, and others. At 31 years old, he is entering the UFC at the right time and has a chance to kickstart an impressive legacy. 

Pantoja is a dangerous fighter capable of finishing his opponent in striking or grappling exchanges. This begins with his powerful striking. Pantoja is willing to get in striking exchanges where he lands punches while eating shots. This is a plausible strategy because he hits hard and has absurd durability. This striking approach is present alongside remarkable grappling skills. Pantoja has great BJJ. The best aspect of his skillset is his back take and rear-naked choke. This has yielded him multiple submission wins. Furthermore, he has used top control to help him win close rounds in championship fights. The issue with Pantoja’s skills is his cardio and striking defense. Those are both massive concerns, but he has worked around those issues thus far in his career.

Asakura is a dangerous fighter in his own right. The majority of his danger comes in striking exchanges. Asakura can land damaging strikes while pressing his opponent or while being passive and waiting for a counter. This allows him to adapt his style to his opponent. His boxing combinations, counters, and knees are the best weapons in his arsenal. If he lands any of these shots, he can hurt his opponent and finish them. This happens frequently because he is quick, athletic, and aggressively hunts finishes. It should also be noted that his knees can hurt opponents to the body, which adds another layer to his striking. In the grappling realm, Asakura has solid defensive grappling. Although, it is not impossible to grapple him. Despite having solid takedown defense, a few opponents have landed takedowns against Asakura and neutralized his striking for several minutes. Lastly, Asakura’s aggressive striking approach gives his opponents opportunities to land massive shots in striking exchanges. 

This bout will have a lot of non-skill-related factors that could affect Asakura’s performance. The most obvious is that he is making his UFC debut in a title fight. That is an interesting dynamic that could affect his mindset. That said, more impactful factors are present alongside his transition. Asakura has not made 125 pounds since 2017. The majority of his career has been spent at 135 pounds. Additionally, he will have to transition from fighting in a ring to an octagon. That makes a massive difference in his footwork and cage wrestling. 

The UFC 310 main event preview is fascinating. Pantoja and Asakura are both potent finishers who can capitalize on each other’s flaws. Pantoja’s durability has helped negate his poor striking defense; however, Asakura is more dangerous than Pantoja’s most recent opponents. He has a better chance of cracking Pantoja’s chin than others. Pantoja’s aggressiveness will play into Asakura’s lethal counterstriking. Additionally, Asakura’s bodywork, specifically his knees, could help tax Pantoja’s gas tank at a faster rate than in previous fights. On the other hand, Pantoja should have an advantage once he can get his hands on Asakura. I expect Pantoja’s cage grappling to be a differentiating factor. In those exchanges, he should be able to land takedowns or work to the back. That is assuming he does not hurt Asakura with a flurry of strikes on the feet. 

Ultimately, both fighters will be highly aggressive and will hunt finishes. In that type of scrap, I will side with Pantoja. This is because of his potent submission offensive and durability. The submission skills give him another route to victory. Meanwhile, his durability will keep him in the fight. Eventually, his durability will fade after his multitude of wars, but I do not think it is coming in this fight. I will take Pantoja by submission in round two.

Garrett: Pantoja via decision

Anthony: Pantoja via submission

Jerry: Asakura via KO/TKO

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