LAS VEGAS, Nevada (Reuters) – Alexandre Pantoja submitted Kai Asakura in the second round at UFC 310 on Saturday to retain his flyweight belt while undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov secured a shot at the welterweight title by handing Ian Machado Garry his first professional loss.
Brazil’s Pantoja took former Rizin bantamweight champion and UFC debutant Asakura’s back and sank in a rear naked choke to force the stoppage, defending his flyweight belt for the third time since becoming champion in July 2023.
Pantoja said Asakura did not have the pedigree to take the title from him.
“It’s the level, the UFC level is too high,” he said after clinching the 11th win by submission in his 34-fight professional MMA career, where he has secured 29 wins.
Irishman Garry almost secured a submission in the fifth and final round of the co-main event, but Kazakhstan’s Rakhmonov thwarted the rear naked choke attempt to secure the first win by decision in his 19-fight unbeaten professional career.
Rakhmonov, scored a 48-47 winner on all three judges’ scorecards, was originally scheduled to fight for the title before welterweight champion Belal Muhammad withdrew due to a bone infection and foot injury.
“Get ready, no more injuries. We will find out who is the best,” Rakhmonov told Muhammad as they faced off in the cage.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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