UFC’s final pay-per-view of 2024 has concluded. Saturday’s card at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas set the stage for some important fights in the next year.
Alexandre Pantoja, Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ciryl Gane are the names to circle this weekend heading into 2025. The UFC flyweight champion made relatively short work of promotional newcomer Kai Asakura before calling out the division’s most decorated fighter. Rakhmonov staked and successfully defended his UFC welterweight title shot by beating Ian Machado Garry. And whether you like it or not, Gane is still in the heavyweight title picture.
Take a look at the best fights worth booking in the flyweight, welterweight and heavyweight divisions after UFC 310.
Flyweight
UFC Flyweight Championship — Alexandre Pantoja (c) vs. Kai Kara-France: Line them up and Pantoja knocks them down. Amir Albazi and Tatsuro Taira were eliminated as fresh contenders by Brandon Moreno and Brandon Royval, respectively. There’s not much juice for either rematch so Pantoja needs a new opponent. Kara-France (No. 4) is the highest-ranked flyweight contender that Pantoja hasn’t fought professionally. The Kiwi fighter recently knocked out Steve Erceg, the latter of whom took Pantoja five rounds in May. There’s an interesting story thread after Pantoja beat Kara-France in an exhibition bout on “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2016. Pantoja called out former UFC and ONE Championship flyweight king Demetrious Johnson post-fight. Johnson turned down the fight on social media but if he can legitimately field a fight after retiring from ONE Championship in September, that’s certainly the one to book.
Kai Asakura vs. Steve Erceg: Asakura proved he’s an elite striker but his overall game needs to improve. A fight between Asakura and Erceg is gangbusters. Erceg is one of the division’s top boxers but is primarily a submission artist. Erceg doesn’t have Pantoja’s pressure or offensive wrestling. It’s a chance for Asakura to find his legs in the UFC. For Erceg, it’s an important opportunity to recover from his KO loss to Kara-France.
Welterweight
UFC Welterweight Championship — Belal Muhammad (c) vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov: Rakhmonov’s undefeated record improved to 19-0 but he went to a decision for the first time in his career. His competitive fight with Garry poses interesting questions about how the Muhammad fight looks. Rakhmonov was supposed to challenge Muhammad before the champion pulled out of UFC 310’s main event with a bone infection. The two faced off post-fight. It only makes sense for the UFC to rebook it.
Ian Machado Garry vs. Colby Covington or Joaquin Buckley: I wouldn’t be surprised if Garry moves up from No. 7 in the UFC’s official welterweight rankings after his spirited showcase against Rakhmonov. Garry was originally to fight Buckley (No. 9) at UFC Fight Night in Tampa before filling in for Muhammad one week prior. Whoever emerges victorious next week might be ranked ahead of Garry. Fighting the winner of Buckley vs. Covington puts Garry back on track toward a title. The timing lines up perfectly if the participants are relatively healthy. You could book Garry against Sean Brady or Jack Della Maddalena — who currently share the No. 4 welterweight ranking — but I’d rather see them fight each other.
Heavyweight
UFC Heavyweight Championship — Tom Aspinall (c) vs. Ciryl Gane*: Hear me out before throwing a tantrum. Aspinall vs. Gane is a fight to make only if Jones vacates his title instead of unifying it with Aspinall. Gane would be the highest-ranked challenger on the best run in that scenario. Many believe Volkov deserved to win on Saturday but two judges ruled against him. We must move on. Gane told CBS Sports he wants to fight twice next year. If Jones vs. Aspinall gets dragged out too long, a fight between Gane and Jailton Almeida is an intriguing striker vs. grappler matchup. That fight would be contingent on Almeida beating Sergehi Spivac at UFC 311.
Alexander Volkov vs. Jailton Almeida or Serghei Spivac: Volkov shouldn’t fall too far back after his controversial setback. It’s hard to find fresh matchups in the heavyweight division. But Volkov hasn’t fought Almeida or Spivac during his 17-fight, eight-year UFC run. Volkov can fight either man, preferably the winner, depending on how things shape up with Gane and the heavyweight title.
