NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 14: UFC President Dana White speaks in the course of the UFC 309 press … [+] convention at The Theater at Madison Sq. Backyard on November 14, 2024 in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
All eyes are on UFC 309 at Madison Sq. Backyard on Saturday evening, however MMA followers nonetheless have questions on the principle occasion of UFC 310 in Las Vegas on the T-Cellular Enviornment.
On Thursday, at the press event forward of UFC 309, UFC CEO Dana White was requested about the principle occasion, and he replied: “we’ll announce it tomorrow. It is gonna be good.”
Initially, the principle occasion was alleged to see UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad defending his title for the primary time towards undefeated Uzbekistan contender Shavkat Rahkmonov. Nonetheless, Muhammad suffered a bone an infection in his toe that pressured him out.
The UFC has tried to discover a alternative for Muhammad, however there hasn’t been an announcement. Former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman eliminated himself from consideration, saying the December 7 date could be “too soon” for him to tackle that problem.
There aren’t many different choices for Rahkmonov to face within the division, with a lot of the different guys ranked within the Prime 10 already scheduled, lately energetic, or getting back from an harm. Sean Brady, Jack Della Maddalena, and Colby Covington are the one names that make sense.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 29: Ian Machado Garry of Eire appears to be like on throughout a welterweight bout throughout … [+] UFC 303 at T-Cellular Enviornment on June 29, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photograph by Ian Maule/Getty Pictures)
We’ll see if that involves fruition; nevertheless, even when Rahkmonov does get a type of guys to step up on brief discover, it will not be for a title–except the UFC decides to make one other interim championship state of affairs. That is likely to be a untimely transfer, relying on how lengthy Muhammad is anticipated to be out of motion. If the UFC does look to make an interim title bout, they may pluck Ian Machado Garry from his UFC Tampa combat towards Joaquin Buckley and put him in with Rahkmonov.
Some smaller shops are reporting that is the case.
If Rahkmonov stays on the cardboard towards one other high welterweight, it nonetheless looks as if his combat is destined to be downgraded to the co-main occasion whereas the UFC males’s flyweight championship between title holder, Alexandre Pantoja and Japanese challenger Kai Asakura is elevated to the headliner.
The UFC often tries to keep away from flyweight headliners once they can, and that is the expectation right here as properly. So most of the UFC’s different titles are tied up in conditions that may make it troublesome or inconceivable to pop a combat from that division into the highest spot.
Jon Jones is defending the heavyweight title towards Stipe Miocic on Saturday. Tom Aspinall is the interim champ and backup, but it surely’s laborious to think about who the UFC might drop him right into a combat with or why he would threat harm or a loss when he is aware of his shot on the undisputed title is imminent.
Alex Pereira has come to the rescue twice this yr for injury-ravaged playing cards. We have now been informed that the combat between him and Magomed Ankalaev is not going to be used because the ace within the gap for UFC 310.
Dricus Du Plessis’ subsequent protection is supposedly set to happen in South Africa, and White informed Jim Rome on Thursday that he desires Khamzat Chimaev combating for the title in america in 2025. That combat would not should be towards Du Plessis, although that appears to be the popular matchup.
Islam Makhachev is anticipated to defend his light-weight title towards Arman Tsarukyan in January.
Ilia Topuria simply fought in October, and the following protection of his featherweight title will happen in Spain, in keeping with White.
Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov seem to be a risk. Nonetheless, it appears slightly unlikely the previous would step up on brief discover for his first title protection–particularly towards a formidable opponent like Nurmagomedov.
Julianna Pena and Kayla Harrison might be the subsequent girls’s bantamweight title matchup–except Amanda Nunes comes again. Each Pena and Harrison fought in October, in order that appears extremely unlikely.
Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot is subsequent for the ladies’s flyweight title, however that could be a championship combat that appears destined to be the co-main occasion on a large pay-per-view.
Lastly, there’s Weili Zhang, who might defend her title towards Virna Jandiroba. The Brazilian veteran was scheduled to face No. 1 contender Tatiana Suarez at UFC 310, however the latter pulled out. Like Shevchenko-Fiorot, that does not really feel like a combat worthy of a predominant occasion slot, however at this level, the UFC could be in injury management for this card.
Fortunately, in keeping with White, we’ll discover out on Friday.
