UFC 310 pre-event facts: Clay Guida looks to avoid dubious all-time record
December 3, 2024 11:00 am ET
The 14th and final numbered UFC event of 2024 takes place Saturday with UFC 310 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card is on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
In the main event, flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja (28-5 MMA, 12-3 UFC) returns to put his title on the line for the third time against octagon newcomer and former RIZIN FF champion Kai Asakura (21-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC).
The card is also filled with a plethora of notable names, from former champions to title challengers and contenders. For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts about UFC 310.
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Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura
Alexandre Pantoja
Alexandre Pantoja
Pantoja is one of five undisputed UFC flyweight champions.
Pantoja’s three victories in UFC flyweight championship fights at tied for second-most in divisional history behind Demetrious Johnson (12).
Pantoja is one of four fighters in UFC history to force a title change by split decision when he won at UFC 290. Robbie Lawler, Henry Cejudo and Carla Esparza also accomplished the feat.
Pantoja’s 12 victories in UFC flyweight competition are third-most in divisional history behind Johnson (13) and Joseph Benavidez (13).
Pantoja’s six-fight UFC winning streak at flyweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Pantoja’s six stoppage victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Johnson (seven) and Deiveson Figueiredo (seven).
Pantoja’s four submission victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Johnson (five).
Pantoja’s five fight-night bonus for UFC flyweight bouts are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Johnson (nine), Brandon Moreno (seven) and Kai Kara-France (six).
Kai Asakura
Kai Asakura
Not counting special circumstances, Asakura is just the fourth fighter in modern history to make his promotional debut against an established UFC champion.
Asakura is 5-1 in his past six fights dating back to June 2021.
Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Machado Garry
Shavkat Rakhmonov
Shavkat Rakhmonov
Shavkat Rakhmonov’s (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) six-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Ian Machado Garry (eight) and Jack Della Maddalena (seven).
Rakhmonov has earned all 18 of his career victories by stoppage.
Rakhmonov’s six-fight UFC stoppage streak is longest among active fighters in the company.
Rakhmonov’s five submission victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Gunnar Nelson (seven), Demian Maia (six) and Chris Lytle (six).
Rakhmonov is one of 15 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning wheel kick. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 200.
Ian Machado Garry
Ian Machado Garry
Ian Machado Garry (15-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is one of two welterweights in UFC history to start 8-0 with the promotion. Kamaru Usman also accomplished the feat.
Machado Garry’s eight-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Machado Garry’s eight-fight UFC unbeaten streak at welterweight is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Belal Muhammad (11).
Machado Garry lands 55.4 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the third-highest rate in divisional history behind Nelson (60.5 percent) and Matt Brown (55.4 percent).
Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
Ciryl Gane
Ciryl Gane
Ciryl Gane (12-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) is the only French-born fighter in history to win a version of a UFC title.
Gane is one of 16 fighters in history to win a version of a UFC title with an undefeated record.
Gane is one of three heavyweights in modern UFC history to start his career 7-0 inside the octagon. Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos also accomplished the feat.
Gane lands 60.9 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the division.
Gane defends 63.2 percent of all opponent significant strike attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Gane’s +82 significant strike differential against Derrick Lewis at UFC 265 is the largest margin in a UFC heavyweight title fight.
Alexander Volkov
Alexander Volkov
Alexander Volkov’s (38-10 MMA, 12-4 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is tied with Mick Parkin for the longest active streak in the division.
Volkov earned just the fourth Ezekiel choke submission in history at UFC 293. Aleksei Oleinik (twice) and Remco Pardoel have also won with the technique.
Bryce Mitchell vs. Kron Gracie
Bryce Mitchell
Bryce Mitchell (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) is 1-2 in his past three fights after starting his career 15-0.
Mitchell absorbs just 1.63 significant strikes per minute in UFC featherweight competition, the third-best rate in divisional history behind Rani Yahya (1.05) and Pat Sabatini (1.47).
Mitchell lands 58.5 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
Mitchell is one of three fighters in UFC history to earn a Twister submission victory. He accomplished the feat at UFC on ESPN 7. Chan Sung Jung and Da’Mon Blackshear also won with the technique.
Kron Gracie (5-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career 5-0.
Nate Landwehr vs. Dooho Choi
Dooho Choi
Dooho Choi’s (15-4-1 MMA, 4-3-1 UFC) 18-second knockout of Juan Puig at UFC Fight Night 57 stands as the second-fastest debut in UFC featherweight history behind Makwan Amirkhani’s eight-second win at UFC on FOX 14.
Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith
Dominick Reyes
Dominick Reyes (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) is 1-4 in his past five fights after starting his career 12-0.
Reyes’ 29-second knockout of Joachim Christensen at UFC Fight Night 112 marked the second fastest stoppage by any debuting light heavyweight in UFC history behind Ryan Jimmo’s seven-second win at UFC 149.
Anthony Smith (37-20 MMA, 13-10 UFC) is 9-7 since he moved up to the UFC light heavyweight division in June 2018.
Smith’s five submission victories in UFC light heavyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Glover Teixeira (seven) and Paul Craig (six).
Vicente Luque vs. Themba Gorimbo
Vicente Luque
Vicente Luque (22-10-1 MMA, 15-6 UFC) is 1-3 in his past four fights dating back to April 2022.
Luque’s 15 victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for fifth-most in divisional history behind Neil Magny (22), Georges St-Pierre (19), Matt Brown (17) and Matt Hughes (16).
Luque’s 13 stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Brown (15).
Luque’s eight knockout victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied with Thiago Alves and Li Jingliang for second-most in divisional history behind Brown (13).
Luque’s 10 knockdowns landed in UFC welterweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Alves (13), Jake Ellenberger (11) and Brown (11).
Luque’s four D’Arce choke submission victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Luque’s eight fight-night bonuses for UFC welterweight bouts are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Lytle (10) and Brown (nine).
Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
Movsar Evloev
Movsar Evloev
Movsar Evloev’s (18-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) seven-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is tied with Ilia Topuria for the longest active streak in the division.
Evloev has earned all eight of his UFC victories by decision.
Evloev has completed 39 takedowns in his seven UFC appearances.
Evloev has landed two or more takedowns against seven of his eight UFC opponents.
Aljamain Sterling
Aljamain Sterling
Aljamain Sterling (24-4 MMA, 16-4 UFC) was successful in his featherweight debut at UFC 300 in April.
Sterling is one of six fighters in UFC history to hold the undisputed bantamweight title.
Sterling’s three consecutive UFC bantamweight title defenses are most by any champion in divisional history.
Sterling’s four victories in UFC bantamweight title fights are tied with Dominick Cruz and Renan Barao for second-most in divisional history behind T.J. Dillashaw (five).
Sterling’s total fight time of 3:55:40 in UFC bantamweight competition is the most in divisional history.
Sterling’s 14 victories in UFC bantamweight competition are most in divisional history.
Sterling’s seven stoppage victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Marlon Vera (10) and Dillashaw (eight).
Sterling’s four submission victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Urijah Faber (six) and Yahya (six).
Randy Brown vs. Bryan Battle
Randy Brown
Randy Brown (18-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) is 7-1 in his past eight fights dating back to April 2021. The only defeat in that stretch came to Della Maddalena.
Bryan Battle (11-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) is 4-1 with one no contest since he dropped to the UFC welterweight division in August 2022.
Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders
Chris Weidman
Chris Weidman (16-7 MMA, 12-7 UFC) became the first male fighter in UFC history to win a championship with an undefeated record and go on to successfully defend the belt more than once when he defeated Lyoto Machida at UFC 175.
Weidman’s four victories in UFC middleweight championship fights are third-most in history behind Anderson Silva (11) and Israel Adesanya (eight).
Weidman has completed at least one takedown in 17 of his 19 UFC appearances.
Weidman’s 43 takedowns landed in UFC middleweight competition are most in divisional history.
Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van
Cody Durden
Cody Durden (17-6-1 MMA, 6-4-1 UFC) completes 60.9 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC flyweight competition, the highest rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Joshua Van (11-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) lands 54 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC flyweight competition, the second-highest rate among active fighters in the weight class behind CJ Vergara (57 percent).
Van lands 8.39 significant strikes per minute in UFC competition, the highest rate in company history.
Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin
Michael Chiesa
Michael Chiesa (19-7 MMA, 12-7 UFC) is 5-3 since he moved up to the welterweight division in December 2018.
Chiesa’s six submission victories via rear-naked choke in UFC competition are tied for third-most in company history behind Maia (nine) and Kenny Florian (seven).
Chiesa has completed at least one takedown against 17 of his 19 UFC opponents.
Chiesa lands 66.7 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC welterweight competition, the best rate among active fighters in the weight class.
Chiesa absorbs 0.96 significant strikes per minute in UFC welterweight competition, the lowest rate in divisional history for anyone with a minimum of five appearances.
Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper
Clay Guida
Clay Guida (38-24 MMA, 18-18 UFC) competes in his 37th UFC bout, the fourth-most appearances in company history behind Jim Miller (45), Andrei Arlovski (42) and Donald Cerrone (38).
Guida competes in his 30th UFC lightweight bout, the second-most appearance in divisional history behind Miller (42).
Guida’s 78 takedowns landed in UFC competition are fourth-most in company history behind St-Pierre (90), Merab Dvalishvili (85) and Gleison Tibau (84).
Guida’s 18 losses in UFC competition are tied with Jeremy Stephens for most in company history.
Chase Hooper (14-3-1 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is 3-0 since he moved up to the lightweight division in May 2023.
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Lukasz Brzeski
Kennedy Nzechukwu
Kennedy Nzechukwu (13-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) was successful in his heavyweight debut at UFC 308 in October.
Nzechukwu earned a knockout at UFC 259 despite a -64 deficit in significant strikes landed, the biggest statistical comeback for a light heavyweight bout and third overall in UFC history.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on X @MJCflipdascript.
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