The UFC’s final pay-per-view event of 2024 will look to close out the year with a bang, with the final world title fight of the year set to determine who’ll enter 2025 as the undisputed flyweight champion of the world.
In the red corner, the defending champion Alexandre Pantoja, a Brazilian who built himself up from a talented prospect to an undeniable world champion. In the blue corner, Kai Asakura, a superstar in his native Japan who captured championship gold for Japanese fight promotion RIZIN FF.
The pair will do battle in Saturday night’s main event at UFC 310 with the undisputed 125-pound title on the line. PP News’ UFC tipster, Simon Head gives us the lowdown on Alexandre Pantoja v Kai Asakura.
UFC 310 betting tips
Go The Distance? No
Alexandre Pantoja to win by KO/TKO
#WhatOddsPaddy – Alexandre Pantoja to win and Round 3 to start
UFC 310
When: Saturday night/Sunday morning 7th-8th December
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
TV: TNT Sports, Discovery+
Can The Cannibal retain his title?
Pantoja captured the flyweight title with a hard-earned split-decision victory over Brandon Moreno at UFC 290 back in the summer of 2023, and has since defended the belt twice with decision victories over Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg.
The Brazilian’s all-around fighting ability has made him one of the most well-rounded talents in the flyweight division. His knockouts (eight), submissions (10), and decision victories (10) are almost evenly split.
That all-encompassing skillset, backed up by the elite coaching and training partners at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, helped Pantoja to a six-fight win streak he carries into Saturday’s clash at T-Mobile Arena.
Will Asakura make a huge impact on his UFC debut?
Asakura is a bonafide knockout artist, and an athlete whose fighting style has been like a throwback to the old PRIDE Fighting Championships days. The spectacular Asakura’s fighting philosophy has seen him to the level of superstardom in his native Japan. And now, after racking up 21 career victories, including 13 knockouts, Asakura has arrived in the UFC looking to take over the flyweight division.
The UFC matchmakers thought highly enough of the Japanese star to give him an instant title shot on his Octagon debut, and he’ll step through the cage door on Saturday night for his first-ever UFC appearance in a five-round championship bout, with the undisputed flyweight belt up for grabs.
Asakura fights to finish, and is constantly on the hunt for the knockout from the opening bell to the final second.
That style has seen him on the wrong end of knockout losses in the past, with Kyoji Horiguchi and Manel Kape both scoring stoppage victories over Asakura. But more often than not, it was Asakura delivering the finishes, with his last bout seeing him become a two-time RIZIN bantamweight champion by stopping former RIZIN champ Juan Archuleta.
Backing the finish
The relative skillsets of the two fighters suggests that we’re going to see a finish one way or the other, so backing the No in Paddy’s “Go The Distance” market at is certainly a solid option.
But I like to dig out a little more value for my UFC bets, and the odds on Pantoja getting the job done by KO/TKO look particularly appealing.
We know Asakura will come out swinging, and we also know that Pantoja plans to mix up his attack between striking and wrestling. And while Asakura has never been submitted, he’s likely to be in trouble on the mat with Pantoja, who can get the job done on the deck with ground and pound.
But, I think the greater likelihood is that, after a couple of takedowns and some lengthy time spent on the mat fending off Pantoja’s submission attack, Asakura is going to feel the pace heading into the middle rounds of the fight, and that’s where Pantoja’s power can come into its own.
The #WhatOddsPaddy pick forn Pantoja to win and Round 3 to start also looks like a nice bet, too.
UFC 310 betting tips
Go The Distance? No
Alexandre Pantoja to win by KO/TKO
#WhatOddsPaddy – Alexandre Pantoja to win and Round 3 to start
All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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