UFC 310’s flyweight title fight main event between Alexandre ‘The Cannibal’ Pantoja and the highly regarded debutant Kai Asakura had all the makings of a classic showdown. But it took the UFC champion only two rounds to prove to the former Rizin champion that this is the big league.
Make no mistake, for as long as it lasted, fans were treated to a memorable night as both brought their A-game to the octagon. While Asakura’s attacks were more frenzied, his blitzkrieg was matched by the perfect timing and precision that Pantoja brought to the game. He closed in the distance at will despite Asakura looking the quicker fighter of the two.
Despite Asakura’s valiant efforts, ‘The Cannibal’ managed to secure a rear-naked choke in the second round to cement his third title defense as the king of the 125-pound division.
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Although fans didn’t necessarily get their money’s worth, they were sympathetic towards the challenger. Broadcaster Aaron Bronster even seemed optimistic about his future in the division and said, “Asakura didn’t look the part tonight, but plenty of fun fights for him in the division. Would love to see the UFC do an event with him in Japan”.
Another gave the champ his flowers and said, “The type of performance that demands more respect on your name. Holy shit, Pantoja. What a beast.”
Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling reiterated the sentiment and said, “Pantoja is a beast!”
Another fan wondered what the UFC could do to plan a future for a champion who doesn’t look like he can be defeated and said, “What the hell do you do with Pantoja now.”
A closer look at Pantoja vs. Asakura
Pantoja came out aggressive, getting right in Asakura’s face, but the former Rizin champ wasn’t intimidated. Asakura greeted him with a flying knee to the face, and somehow Pantoja just ate it.
Asakura tried peppering Pantoja with inside calf kicks and moved out to land some sharp straight rights aimed at the champion’s temple. But Pantoja, again, just walked it off, a recurring theme in the fight.
Then, the champ landed a big left hand that Asakura definitely felt. The action hit the ground briefly after a takedown from Pantoja, but Asakura exploded out, bringing it back to striking range.
Pantoja looked calm and loose, landing crisp low kicks and sharp punches, as Asakura tried staying in the game, planting a knee to the body and sprinting in with heavy shots. Despite this, Pantoja kept marching forward and landed a slick combo capped by a body kick.
In the second round, Asakura connected with a hard counter, but Pantoja’s relentless grappling paid off. He got Asakura’s back, locked in a deep choke, and forced the tap—or rather, put Asakura to sleep.
With this win, Pantoja now has literally no viable title challengers left in the division!
Interestingly, with no one else to beat anymore, in his post-fight interview, Pantoja challenged Demetrious Johnson and made the bold claim of being the greatest flyweight of all time.
