Tag: ufc 310

Vicente Luque On Second Nick Diaz Fight Cancellation: ‘I Hope He Seeks Help’

UFC welterweight contender Vicente Luque is concerned for Nick Diaz after their matchup once again hit a roadblock en route to the Octagon. Luque was originally set to welcome Diaz back to the cage at the UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi this past August. That fell through weeks beforehand, with travel issues being cited […]

UFC welterweight contender Vicente Luque is concerned for Nick Diaz after their matchup once again hit a roadblock en route to the Octagon.

Luque was originally set to welcome Diaz back to the cage at the UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi this past August. That fell through weeks beforehand, with travel issues being cited as the reason.

It was later rescheduled for the final pay-per-view of 2024, UFC 310 in Las Vegas next month. But doubts over that coming to fruition arose when a video emerged appearing to show the shirtless Stockton native attempting to light grass on fire in the street.

People’s fears were realized when the bout’s cancellation was confirmed, with rising prospect Themba Gorimbo taking Diaz’s place to face Luque inside T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 7.

During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, “The Silent Assassin” reacted to losing his planned opponent again, this time expressing more concern given the apparent circumstances.

“I don’t know exactly why (it was canceled),” Luque said, before commenting on the apparent video of Diaz. “I saw that video of him in the streets, and he didn’t look OK. And more than anything, I hope his family and he’s taking care of himself. I hope he recovers and goes back to his best state possible. … I didn’t know if it was a recent video or not, but I kept thinking, if it’s recent, I hope he really seeks help to get out of the situation he’s in because Nick is a fighter I follow since before I was in the UFC. He has inspired me a lot in the past. … You see his accomplishments, and see his state at 40 years of age, that’s not how I want to see any fighter.

“This sport is very tough and we dedicate so many years to be able to make a living off this, and to see him in that situation, at his age… We don’t know what he’s going to do from now on, if he’s going to recover, if he’s going to be able to fight again, maybe open a gym and teach, whatever, but we hope for the best,” Luque continued. “It’s very sad to see him at that stage, because I don’t want that for anyone, much less a man that has inspired so many.”

While fight fans wish the best for Diaz, a big opportunity has opened up for Gorimbo.

The Zimbabwean gained prominence when his inspirational story was noticed by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who subsequently bought the fighter a house in Miami.

That came after Gorimbo’s first UFC win, and “The Answer” has since had his hand raised in three straight fights this year to put him on the brink of a number next to his name at 170 pounds.

UFC 310 Loses Two More Fights Following Main Event Switch-Up

The year-ending UFC 310 pay-per-view has already taken plenty of damage to its lineup, and the withdrawals don’t appear to be slowing down. Things haven’t been easy going for the MMA leader’s final numbered card of 2024, which has already undergone some notable changes. The original co-headliner between UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja and newcomer […]

The year-ending UFC 310 pay-per-view has already taken plenty of damage to its lineup, and the withdrawals don’t appear to be slowing down.

Things haven’t been easy going for the MMA leader’s final numbered card of 2024, which has already undergone some notable changes. The original co-headliner between UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja and newcomer Kai Asakura is now in the main event spotlight.

That’s following the cancellation of Belal Muhammad’s title defense against Shavkat Rakhmonov after an injury to the champ. “Nomad” has remained on the card and will instead do battle with a fellow undefeated contender in Ian Garry.

Further down the UFC 310 lineup, a crucial strawweight clash between Tatiana Suarez and Virna Jandiroba was scrapped under mysterious circumstances, while Nick Diaz’s planned return against Vicente Luque fell through for the second time this year.

And this week, the preliminary card took a pair of blows with the cancellation of two heavyweight bouts.

News of the first came by way of Eurosport Nederland’s Marcel Dorff, who revealed that Slovakia’s Martin Buday is out of his UFC 310 matchup with former Eagle FC and PFL fighter Rizvan Kuniev.

Minutes later, MMA Junkie’s Nolan King emerged with news of another bout for the scrap heap, posting that recent Dana White’s Contender Series alum Tallison Teixeira has been forced out of his planned debut against “The Bull” ?ukasz Brzeski.

It remains to be seen whether Kuniev and Brzeski will remain on the card. Given that they both compete in the same weight class, perhaps the promotion will simply pair them together for UFC 310.

As it stands, the Dec. 7 card does still boasts 13 fights, partially thanks to the rescheduling of Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders after that bout’s fight-day cancellation last weekend in New York City.

UFC Analyst References Training Footage To Break Down Rakhmonov vs. Garry

The co-main event of UFC 310 next month may be a replacement match-up but as far as a stand-in fights go, they don’t get much better than this one. One undefeated streak will come to an end in Las Vegas as Shavkat Rakhmonov faces Ian Machado Garry over five rounds. Though there isn’t an interim […]

The co-main event of UFC 310 next month may be a replacement match-up but as far as a stand-in fights go, they don’t get much better than this one. One undefeated streak will come to an end in Las Vegas as Shavkat Rakhmonov faces Ian Machado Garry over five rounds.

Though there isn’t an interim title on the line following Belal Muhammad’s withdrawal from the card like many expected there would be, both men know what is at stake in this top level clash in the welterweight division. In fact, the two competitors also know a bit about each other already due to the period of time where they were both training out of Kill Cliff FC in Florida.

Following the fight announcement, a video of the opponents sparring some light rounds with one another went out on social media and though there wasn’t much to gain from this footage, it did show that both men have squared off in the past.

As a result, UFC analyst and fellow welterweight contender Michael Chiesa believes that this familiarity will show in the fight. He spoke in a recent interview with Sportskeeda about his thoughts on the bout that will take place the same night as his return against Max Griffin.

Chiesa believes that the element of surprise could decide this fight because of how skilled both fighters are as well as the element of already experiencing each other’s games first-hand.

“I’ll keep it short. There’s some sparring footage that came out of Ian Garry and Shavkat. I think that they’re both gonna be very familiar with each other and I will go out on a limb and say I think this fight goes to a decision. I think these guys are familiar with each other enough to where they’re going to negate a few of the attacks and it’s going to be a matter of who can come in there and throw a new wrinkle into their game to throw off the opponent.”  

What’s Next After UFC 309? Full Confirmed UFC 310 Main Card For T-Mobile Arena On Dec. 7

UFC 309 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering, UFC 310 in Las Vegas. The promotion was in New York City last week, where the iconic Madison Square Garden played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its latest major card in “The Big […]

UFC 309 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering, UFC 310 in Las Vegas.

The promotion was in New York City last week, where the iconic Madison Square Garden played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its latest major card in “The Big Apple.” Of note were headline wins for Jon Jones and Charles Oliveira, as well as important victories for Bo Nickal, Viviane Araújo, and Mauricio Ruffy.

While the aftermath of the Nov. 16 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the heavyweight title picture to the flyweight championship conversation.

At UFC 310, set for the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 7, reigning kingpin Alexandre Pantoja will compete for the second time this year, once again in defense of his 125-pound gold. After following his crowning against Brandon Moreno with retentions opposite Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg, “The Cannibal” will next face a newcomer in the form of ex-Rizin champion Kai Asakura.

Stakes will also be high in the co-headliner, as Shavkat Rakhmonov looks to defend his spot as next in line for a shot at Belal Muhammad following the welterweight titleholder’s withdrawal due to injury. The replacement fight will see “Nomad” face a fellow undefeated contender in Ireland’s Ian Garry.

Gane, Mitchell, Landwehr Set The Stage For High-Profile Headliners At UFC 310

Before Pantoja defends his belt and Rakhmonov meets the challenge of “The Future,” a number of other notable names will take to the Octagon looking to make the most of their position on the major UFC 310 card.

That includes former interim heavyweight titleholder Ciryl Gane. Having not competed since knocking out Serghei Spivac in Paris last year, the Frenchman will return after 15 months to once again collide with Alexander Volkov. “Drago” finds himself with a chance for redemption against “Bon Gamin” after rising to #3 in the division courtesy of his triumph over Sergei Pavlovich in Saudi Arabia this past June.

Prior to that, ranked featherweight Bryce Mitchell will also get his sole outing of 2024 and first fight since being brutally slept by Josh Emmett at last year’s final pay-per-view. To bounce back, “Thug Nasty” is tasked with defending his spot on the ladder opposite a fellow grappling specialist in Kron Gracie. The 36-year-old returned from a near-four-year layoff in May 2023 but disappointed in defeat versus Charles Jourdain. After another lengthy layoff, he’ll hope to record his first win since 2019 at the expense of Mitchell.

And opening the UFC 310 main card will be a sure-fire firefight between Nate Landwehr and Dooho Choi. “The Train” will enter the event off the back of a KO victory over Jamall Emmers this past March, while “The Korean Superboy” — who sits as part of the UFC Hall of Fame Fight Wing owing to his 2016 war with Cub Swanson — rebounded from a four-fight winless run by stopping Bill Algeo in July for his first triumph in eight years.

Those pairings have gotten the nod to feature on the main card over the crucial featherweight contest between the #5-ranked Movsar Evloev and former bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling, which is currently slated to be the penultimate prelim.

See below for the full UFC 310 card, as it stands.

Main Card:

  • Flyweight Championship Main Event: Alexandre Pantoja (C) vs. Kai Asakura
  • Welterweight Co-Main Event: Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Garry
  • Heavyweight: Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Featherweight: Bryce Mitchell vs. Kron Gracie
  • Featherweight: Nate Landwehr vs. Dooho Choi

Preliminary Card:

  • Welterweight: Vicente Luque vs. Themba Gorimbo
  • Featherweight: Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Light Heavyweight: Anthony Smith vs. Dominick Reyes
  • Welterweight: Randy Brown vs. Bryan Battle

Early Preliminary Card:

  • Heavyweight: Tallison Teixeira vs. ?ukasz Brzeski
  • Flyweight: Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van
  • Lightweight: Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper
  • Welterweight: Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin
  • Heavyweight: Martin Buday vs. Rizvan Kuniev
Aljamain Sterling
Aljamain Sterling faces Movsar Evloev at UFC 310 (Image: UFC.com)

What’s Next After UFC 309? Full Confirmed UFC 310 Main Card For T-Mobile Arena On Dec. 7

UFC 309 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering, UFC 310 in Las Vegas. The promotion was in New York City last week, where the iconic Madison Square Garden played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its latest major card in “The Big […]

UFC 309 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering, UFC 310 in Las Vegas.

The promotion was in New York City last week, where the iconic Madison Square Garden played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its latest major card in “The Big Apple.” Of note were headline wins for Jon Jones and Charles Oliveira, as well as important victories for Bo Nickal, Viviane Araújo, and Mauricio Ruffy.

While the aftermath of the Nov. 16 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the heavyweight title picture to the flyweight championship conversation.

At UFC 310, set for the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 7, reigning kingpin Alexandre Pantoja will compete for the second time this year, once again in defense of his 125-pound gold. After following his crowning against Brandon Moreno with retentions opposite Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg, “The Cannibal” will next face a newcomer in the form of ex-Rizin champion Kai Asakura.

Stakes will also be high in the co-headliner, as Shavkat Rakhmonov looks to defend his spot as next in line for a shot at Belal Muhammad following the welterweight titleholder’s withdrawal due to injury. The replacement fight will see “Nomad” face a fellow undefeated contender in Ireland’s Ian Garry.

Gane, Mitchell, Landwehr Set The Stage For High-Profile Headliners At UFC 310

Before Pantoja defends his belt and Rakhmonov meets the challenge of “The Future,” a number of other notable names will take to the Octagon looking to make the most of their position on the major UFC 310 card.

That includes former interim heavyweight titleholder Ciryl Gane. Having not competed since knocking out Serghei Spivac in Paris last year, the Frenchman will return after 15 months to once again collide with Alexander Volkov. “Drago” finds himself with a chance for redemption against “Bon Gamin” after rising to #3 in the division courtesy of his triumph over Sergei Pavlovich in Saudi Arabia this past June.

Prior to that, ranked featherweight Bryce Mitchell will also get his sole outing of 2024 and first fight since being brutally slept by Josh Emmett at last year’s final pay-per-view. To bounce back, “Thug Nasty” is tasked with defending his spot on the ladder opposite a fellow grappling specialist in Kron Gracie. The 36-year-old returned from a near-four-year layoff in May 2023 but disappointed in defeat versus Charles Jourdain. After another lengthy layoff, he’ll hope to record his first win since 2019 at the expense of Mitchell.

And opening the UFC 310 main card will be a sure-fire firefight between Nate Landwehr and Dooho Choi. “The Train” will enter the event off the back of a KO victory over Jamall Emmers this past March, while “The Korean Superboy” — who sits as part of the UFC Hall of Fame Fight Wing owing to his 2016 war with Cub Swanson — rebounded from a four-fight winless run by stopping Bill Algeo in July for his first triumph in eight years.

Those pairings have gotten the nod to feature on the main card over the crucial featherweight contest between the #5-ranked Movsar Evloev and former bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling, which is currently slated to be the penultimate prelim.

See below for the full UFC 310 card, as it stands.

Main Card:

  • Flyweight Championship Main Event: Alexandre Pantoja (C) vs. Kai Asakura
  • Welterweight Co-Main Event: Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Garry
  • Heavyweight: Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Featherweight: Bryce Mitchell vs. Kron Gracie
  • Featherweight: Nate Landwehr vs. Dooho Choi

Preliminary Card:

  • Welterweight: Vicente Luque vs. Themba Gorimbo
  • Featherweight: Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Light Heavyweight: Anthony Smith vs. Dominick Reyes
  • Welterweight: Randy Brown vs. Bryan Battle

Early Preliminary Card:

  • Heavyweight: Tallison Teixeira vs. ?ukasz Brzeski
  • Flyweight: Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van
  • Lightweight: Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper
  • Welterweight: Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin
  • Heavyweight: Martin Buday vs. Rizvan Kuniev
Aljamain Sterling
Aljamain Sterling faces Movsar Evloev at UFC 310 (Image: UFC.com)

UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Bryce Mitchell vs. Kron Gracie Joins UFC 310 Card

MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming fight cards. With events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week. Between Monday, November 10, and […]

MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming fight cards.

With events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.

Between Monday, November 10, and Sunday, November 17, a number of fights were made official by the UFC or reported by reputable sources. For those matchups, check out the list below:

But it wasn’t all positive, with two fights falling through or being adjusted. For those, see below: