Tag: ufc 310

Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Garry Official For UFC 310, Colby Covington Fills vs. Buckley

After a toe infection to Belal Muhammad forced the UFC welterweight champion out of UFC 310, the Dec. 7 card now has an answer to who will be headlining. Per an announcement from UFC CEO Dana White that dropped during Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, intended title challenger Shavkat Rakhmonov will no longer be competing […]

After a toe infection to Belal Muhammad forced the UFC welterweight champion out of UFC 310, the Dec. 7 card now has an answer to who will be headlining.

Per an announcement from UFC CEO Dana White that dropped during Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, intended title challenger Shavkat Rakhmonov will no longer be competing in the main event of UFC 310.

Tha Kazakh star has instead been moved to the co-main event slot and will face fellow undefeated contender Ian Garry in a five-round, non-title fight.

The UFC flyweight championship match between champion Alexandre Pantoja and his latest challenger, debutant Kai Asakura, has been promoted to the new UFC 310 main event.

Furthermore, as a result of Garry competing at UFC 310, Colby Covington will be filling in for him in the UFC Tampa main event on Dec. 14 against the Irishman’s originally booked opponent, Joaquin Buckley.

Garry Replaces Muhammad In UFC 310 Bout vs. Rakhmonov, Pantoja vs. Asakura Promoted To Main Event

Rakhmonov became next in line for the welterweight title after his finish of Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, as well as Muhammad’s title win against Leon Edwards at UFC 304. But “Nomad” will now have to put his shot on the line in a matchup with Garry.

The Irish rising star has fought twice in 2024, earning decision wins over Geoff Neal in February and Michael “Venom” Page four months later.

Garry and Covington, meanwhile, had been linked to face one another over the course of the last year due to intense hatred between the two seen across social media. “Chaos,” however, has previously stated that he does not feel “The Future” deserves a fight with him.

Covington is also on the outside looking in of the welterweight title picture, having not fought since his own disappointing outing against Edwards at UFC 296 last year.

Buckley, on the other hand, has won five straight, most recently knocking out “Wonderboy” at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City just last month.

Kamaru Usman Eliminates Himself As An Option For Shavkat Rakhmonov At UFC 310

When Belal Muhammed announced that he had withdrawn from the first defense of his welterweight title at UFC 310, a lot of fight fans quickly came to the same conclusion. In the hopes of keeping Shavkat Rakhmonov on the card, a replacement opponent would need to be found for what would likely be an interim […]

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When Belal Muhammed announced that he had withdrawn from the first defense of his welterweight title at UFC 310, a lot of fight fans quickly came to the same conclusion. In the hopes of keeping Shavkat Rakhmonov on the card, a replacement opponent would need to be found for what would likely be an interim title fight.

Rakhmonov pushed for this and like many people online, he wanted to face the former champion of the division in Kamaru Usman. “The Nigerian Nightmare” may be winless in his last three but his reign as the welterweight champion still gives him lots of pedigree at 170-pounds.

The fight got everyone excited for December 7 but it unfortunately doesn’t look like we will get to see this match-up take place in Las Vegas. Usman spoke about the fight during a recent episode of his Pound 4 Pound podcast alongside Henry Cejudo.

He said that fighting the undefeated Rakhmonov is something that greatly interests him but without giving away any clear reason why, he said that stepping inside the Octagon in just a few weeks doesn’t look like it’ll be an option for him. This leaves very few options for potential replacements meaning that the UFC’s final PPV card of 2024 could be down to one title fight as Alexandre Pantoja defends his flyweight belt against the debuting Kai Asakura.

“To be honest, it’s a fight that I’ve looked at and it’s definitely a very, very winnable fight and I know that I can, of all people, go out there and expose what hasn’t been exposed in a young, hungry, streaky guy in Shavkat Rakhmonov. He’s very talented, he’s very good but I do see the holes and I think that I can exploit that when that time is right but December 7 might be a little too early for that time.”

Continue Reading Kamaru Usman Eliminates Himself As An Option For Shavkat Rakhmonov At UFC 310 at MMA News.

Kai Asakura’s Last Opponent Analyzes How He Will Fair At Flyweight    

In the build up to UFC 310 on December 7, a lot of fights fans are going to get introduced to Kai Asakura for the very first time. The Japanese star is set to challenge Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight title on his debut with the promotion after signing to the UFC from RIZIN. Alongside […]

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In the build up to UFC 310 on December 7, a lot of fights fans are going to get introduced to Kai Asakura for the very first time. The Japanese star is set to challenge Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight title on his debut with the promotion after signing to the UFC from RIZIN.

Alongside fighting in Las Vegas for the first time, this massive opportunity for Asakura also comes with a change in weight class. During his career in RIZIN, the 31-year old competed mostly at bantamweight against the likes of Manel Kape and Kyoji Horiguchi.

In his last outing in Japan before making the switch to his new home, Asakura defeated former Bellator champion Juan Archuleta to win the bantamweight title. He secured the second round finish on New Year’s Eve to cap off his run in style.

Speaking in a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Archuleta gave his thoughts on Asakura signing to the UFC and how he believes he will compete at the top of the flyweight division. Having remained in contact with his former opponent since their fight in December, he was able to share some first-hand impressions of what the UFC’s new arrival will look like at 125-pounds.

“I think he’s very explosive. It seems like he’s really getting his body in tune. Last time I seen him when I was in Japan, he was a lot smaller than when we fought and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, you’re doing well’. I reached out to him last night actually because he was posting some Instagram pictures. I was like, ‘Hey, how you feeling?’ He’s like, ‘Oh I’m so ready, I’m so excited,’ and this is a new venture for him, this is something that he wanted and wanted to do going forward and I’m super excited.

“I mean, and it’s a title fight right off the bat like not many guys get a title right in the UFC right off the bat and so it’s like go get it man. You have the tools and the athleticism to go get it done and I think he’s well prepared now. I think he got down to a weight class, Japanese guys aren’t very dense in their muscles but they’re very explosive.”   

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Jon Jones Eager to Unleash Now-Legal 12-6 Elbows Against Stipe Miocic: ‘It’s a Devastating Strike’

Jon Jones Eager to Unleash Now-Legal 12-6 Elbows Against Stipe Miocic: ‘It’s a Devastating Strike’Jon Jones can’t wait to use 12-to-6 elbows in his return to the Octagon. On November 16, ‘Bones’ will…

Jon Jones Eager to Unleash Now-Legal 12-6 Elbows Against Stipe Miocic: ‘It’s a Devastating Strike’

Jon Jones can’t wait to use 12-to-6 elbows in his return to the Octagon.

On November 16, ‘Bones’ will compete for the first time since scoring a quickfire submission victory over Ciryl Gane to claim the undisputed UFC heavyweight title 20 months ago. In the time since, much has changed when it comes to the MMA rule set.

Jon Jones

As of the first of the month, 12-to-6 elbows are no longer an outlawed maneuver, much to the chagrin of Daniel Cormier.

Of course, Jones’ only professional loss in his career came as the result of a controversial DQ for using 12-to-6 elbows against opponent Matt Hamill at The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale in 2009.

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Now that Jones can freely let his downward elbows fly, he plans on using them to punish Stipe Miocic when the two heavyweights headline UFC 310 in Madison Square Garden.

“It just makes me wish that disqualification was overturned — that’s the biggest feeling I had when I learned that rule is no more,” Jones told Kevin Iole. “On the other hand, I accept the move more than ever now, and I’ve been training extensively on different 12-6 elbow attacks.

“It’s funny because it’s been such a no-no move, so you train yourself not to go there,” Jones continued. “Now that I’m able to use that strike … it’s a very devastating strike because it opens up so many more options, both on the feet and on top. I’m excited to be one of the first UFC athletes to legally display it at Madison Square Garden” (h/t MMA Mania).

Jon Jones

Jon Jones’ controversial DQ loss likely to never be overturned despite recent rule change

For what it’s worth, the California State Athletic Commission’s executive director Andy Foster fully supports the idea of overturning Jones’ lone loss.

“I didn’t like the way it was enforced back then, but that was 14 years ago,” Foster told Ariel Helwani. I think there were — look, we’re talking about 14 years later. At the time, I thought there were other ways you could handle that situation rather than flat giving the guy a loss,” Foster said. “The rule is what it was then; it’s different now. It would be hard to go back…I’d be actually supportive of getting rid of [his loss], but it’s not my decision.”

Unfortunately, it’s not likely to happen. Perhaps we’ll see ‘Bones’ take out some of that frustration on the consensus heavyweight GOAT in New York City.

Kamaru Usman Discusses Fighting Shavkat Rakhmonov On Short Notice At UFC 310: ‘The UFC Knows Who To Call’

Kamaru Usman seems ready to step up on short notice to face Shavkat Rakhmonov and keep the UFC 310 main event intact. The headliner for the final UFC pay-per-view event between reigning welterweight champion Belal Muhammad and Rakhmonov was called off last month after “Remember the Name” disclosed he had to pull out due to […]

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Kamaru Usman seems ready to step up on short notice to face Shavkat Rakhmonov and keep the UFC 310 main event intact.

The headliner for the final UFC pay-per-view event between reigning welterweight champion Belal Muhammad and Rakhmonov was called off last month after “Remember the Name” disclosed he had to pull out due to a bone infection in his foot.

Since then, “Nomad” has voiced his desire to remain on the card, even campaigning for an interim title showdown, ideally against former longtime champion Usman. Rakhmonov’s manager, Sayat Abdrakhmanov, confirmed that the UFC is currently in talks and has proposed “The Nigerian Nightmare” as a possible opponent for the matchup.

During a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman discussed the possibility of stepping in on just a month’s notice to face Rakhmonov at UFC 310. He stated that the UFC would reach out to a fighter primed to challenge the undefeated Kazakhstani, and should the promotion come calling, he would unquestionably accept.

“I’m still in that gym, you know,” Usman said. “If the UFC is going to call who they think is going to be legit tough enough and man enough to step in there on this crazy enough to step in there on short notice and go out there and possibly shock the world, definitely the UFC knows who to call when that situation happens. And if they do give me a call, I’m going to answer the call. We get a couple of things straight, and if we have to do it, I don’t shy away from any of that.”

“The Nigerian Nightmare” is no stranger to stepping in on short notice to face undefeated fighters. Usman took on the challenge of fighting Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in October 2023 with less than two weeks’ notice, ultimately suffering a majority decision loss.

Usman is currently enduring the most challenging phase of his career, having lost his 170-pound title to Leon Edwards at UFC 278 in August 2022. Since then, he has gone 0-2 in his last two Octagon appearances.

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Colby Covington Claims He Offered To Fight Shavkat Rakhmonov At UFC 310: ‘They Can Call Me On A Week’s Notice’ 

UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington has claimed to have thrown his name in the hat to face the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov on short notice next month. Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is scrambling for a new main event to close out its pay-per-view schedule for 2024. That’s after the withdrawal of UFC Welterweight Champion Belal […]

Continue Reading Colby Covington Claims He Offered To Fight Shavkat Rakhmonov At UFC 310: ‘They Can Call Me On A Week’s Notice’  at MMA News.

UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington has claimed to have thrown his name in the hat to face the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov on short notice next month.

Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is scrambling for a new main event to close out its pay-per-view schedule for 2024. That’s after the withdrawal of UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad from the Las Vegas-held UFC 310 on Dec. 7.

“Remember the Name” was scheduled to put his 170-pound belt on the line for the first time opposite Rakhmonov, but a severe bone infection has forced him out.

Since then, “Nomad” has outlined his hopes to remain on next month’s numbered card in competition for interim gold. Among the possible opponents, the Kazakh has specifically pointed to Kamaru Usman as the most likely.

And according to a man who knows “The Nigerian Nightmare” well, those plans are firmly in motion, and have even stopped him from stepping up to the plate.

During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Covington addressed his absence from the Octagon and suggested a comeback in the first quarter of 2025 is likely.

He did, however, claim that fans could have seen him extremely soon had the UFC accepted his apparent offer to save the day at UFC 310.

“I offered (to replace Muhammad). I told the UFC that I was willing to step up to the plate. … They know they can call me on a week’s notice and I’m stepping up to the plate,” Covington said. “I would love to save the show and put on a good show for the fans. They pay their hard-earned money for big mega fights, they need a mega fight, that’s not a mega fight. They need someone who is going to put asses in seats and entertain people. So, I was excited. I wanted the fight and I asked for it but I think they have other plans.”

And had that come to fruition, “Chaos” doesn’t think he’d have had much trouble dispatching of Rakhmonov — something he expects to prove down the line.

“I can walk him down and pressure him and he’s not going to like my pressure. He doesn’t do very well with southpaws,” Covington explained. “We saw how he did with the busboy Geoff Neal. That was a very competitive fight. He hasn’t fought a top contender yet. He has fought some gatekeepers of the division, some guys on the cusp of the top 10. But he’s never fought a champion like me and a guy who’s going to come at him for five straight rounds and just walk him down.

“I match up well, he stands very tall. I don’t see anything special with him. He has some good submissions, he’s slick, but that’s when he can control the wrestling. He’s not going to control the wrestling on me,” Covington continued. “I think I can beat him pretty easily and I think it’s a favorable fight, and it’s a fight I win in the future whether he wins or loses in December.”

Whether or not his claim is true has been quickly debated in the MMA community, with many suggesting that he’s simply capitalizing on an opportunity knowing that different plans are already in the works for Rakhmonov.

Either way, the American is seemingly eyeing a 2025 return. During the same interview, he put his absence this year down to his work on the campaign trail prior to Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election this week.

Continue Reading Colby Covington Claims He Offered To Fight Shavkat Rakhmonov At UFC 310: ‘They Can Call Me On A Week’s Notice’  at MMA News.