UFC 310 lost a Belal Muhammad main event because of his injury but there is another exciting battle about to happen. The final UFC PPV event of 2024 will feature defending UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja making the third defense of his belt against Japanese newbie Kai Asakura.

This is an amazing matchup between two veterans with the Brazilian champ already sitting at the top of the flyweight division. On the other hand, the 34-year-old’s challenger is one of the most dangerous fighters in the lower-weight divisions with a range of KOs in his resume. So who do you think might win?

UFC 310: Alexandre Pantoja Vs. Kai Asakura stats

Kai Asakura, 31, has had 7 stoppages in his last 9 wins with devastating strikes. The Japanese juggernaut is unique in many ways and is getting a shot at the title even as an organizational newcomer. He is not even known as a flyweight because of his long run in the bantamweight division. He might have a real challenge to gauge his level after coming from Rizin where he has been fighting for 7 years. Asakura is training with the best including Bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili and was stopping submissions well during his sparring session. However, Pantoja is known for his dangerous grappling so it might not be easy for Asakura during D-day.

Alexandre Pantoja has been in the combat sports world for a long time, and he turned pro back in 2007. Pantoja joined the UFC in 2017 and is now on a six-fight win streak, especially against the best of the lot in the UFC’s 125-pound division. He might not have found success with striking much but his grappling skills are up on the roof and ‘The Cannibal’ has ended ten career fights in submissions.

He might not be a flashy or exciting fighter but he is definitely a handful for his opponents. In fact, UFC veteran Chael Sonnen had declared that he put Pantoja on the same pedestal as Khabib Nurmagomedov and Georges St Pierre. While speaking about the Brazilian’s performance at UFC 301 against Steve Erceg, Sonnen said, “Pantoja is not going anywhere. He is awesome. Pantoja is awesome, and he looked awesome tonight. I put Pantoja in the category only of GSP and Khabib. There has never been anybody that can weaponize pace aside from GSP and Khabib until Pantoja, and I’m not sure he doesn’t do it better… Man, he was awesome.” So Asakura has to be ready for a hard fight against his opponent.

Pantoja vs. Asakura breakdown and prediction

Asakura’s run in the Rizin organization has been short but impactful and he also packs great size for his division and is several inches taller than the champ. He is a multi-faceted striker and is tenacious and a man who can hurt. The main issue however is not his talent but his conditioning.

Pantoja is not someone to be trifled with because he has been reigning in this division for a long time. Pantoja is extremely agile and slick with his movements. He is capable of sneaking in his submissions from any angle and can be dominant in grappling.  Pantoja has 28 MMA wins and 18 are through Submissions and KOs.

On the other hand, Asakura has 21 wins with 13 of them through KOs. The flyweight is capable in the stand-up but Pantoja is better on the ground. The champ has a well-rounded skill set with superior grappling skills which might take Asakura aback. Pantoja also has a stellar cardio that might wear Asakura down. So even though the scale tips more in favor of Pantoja we will have to wait and watch for who wins.