Dana White Announces 2 Huge Title Fights for UFC 310
UFC 310 has found its main events.
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There weren't too many options to headline the UFC's final pay-per-view event of the year in Las Vegas, but the search is now over as UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad makes a quick turnaround to the Octagon months after winning the title from Leon Edwards in late July.
Welterweights Take Center Stage
On Saturday, UFC CEO Dana White announced Muhammad would be defending his title against none other than the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov (18-0) in the UFC 310 main event on Dec. 7. Rakhmonov's title shot comes after six-straight finishes in the UFC most recently submitting Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson last December at UFC 296.
Title Shot Out Of Left Field For Japan's Kai Asakura
The second title fight on the card, only few predicted as reigning UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja meets debutant Kai Asakura in the co-main event. Asakura (21-4) vacated his RIZIN Bantamweight Championship earlier this year to sign with the UFC.
Instant title shots are hard to come by in the UFC, but that was the case for Asakura, with White saying nobody wanted to fight the Japanese standout. Pantoja also met an unlikely title challenger in his second title defense, defeating the #10 contender at the time, Steve Erceg, at UFC 301.
Joining the double-header are two more confirmed fights. Nick Diaz returns against Vicente Luque in a welterweight matchup after their first booking fell through for UFC Abu Dhabi in August. Another rescheduled matchup is Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov —a highly anticipated rematch in the heavyweight division with massive title implications.
UFC 310 takes place on Dec. 7 from the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada - live on pay-per-view.
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