UFC 310 LIVE: Kai Asakura vs Alexandre Pantoja after Shavkat ...

Asakura’s coach made sure to check on him after he passed out in that rear naked choke, of course.

Pantoja is just so good. Asakura had his moments, landing several signature knees, but it wasn’t enough. Pantoja walked through him, in the end. He put the Japanese out cold. Welcome to the UFC, Kai.

Pantoja walks through a hook to get ahold of Asakura. He drags down the Japanese, secures a body triangle with his legs, and works on a rear naked choke...

And Asakura goes out!! It’s all over!!

Alexandre Pantoja def. Kai Asakura via second-round submission (rear naked choke, 2:05)

A fast start! Pantoja with a low kick, then a knee, then a takedown attempt! Asakura defends well, but he’s tagged by a hard punch in the next scramble, and Pantoja gets to work on a clinch!

Breathless beginning to this one. Pantoja gets Asakura down, landing in the challenger’s guard. Asakura stays calm and is eventually able to stand.

Hard low kicks by Asakura, and a hard hook upstairs. Great knee to the body – one of his signature strikes. Still Pantoja is stalking forward. Jumping knee by Asakura, though it didn’t seem to fully land.

Decent left hook by Pantoja. Asakura is switching stances; Pantoja is staying orthodox. Step-in left hook by Asakura, who is all smiles in there.

Pantoja catches a head kick and launches a body kick. Harsh low kick by the champ now. Pantoja with a slick knee to the face, as Asakura defends a takedown! Another body kick by Pantoja.

Both fighters land punches in a frenzies exchange, but overall, Pantoja – statistically – is clearly outlanding Asakura.

Onto the main event! Alexandre Pantoja defends his flyweight title against Kai Asakura – a former two-time bantamweight champion in Rizin, who is making his UFC debut here.

A strange situation then, but one brought about by Pantoja’s dominance over the existing flyweight elite in the UFC; the Brazilian needed a new challenger.

Japan’s Asakura has fought at flyweight before, but not for seven years. And there’s no doubt that Pantoja is the best that the 125lb division has to offer.

Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Ian Machado Garry via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47).

The correct score. Rakhmonov stays unbeaten.

And Indy Sport’s prediction that Garry would be the first person to avoid a finish by Shavkat, ultimately losing on points? Also correct, phew.

Belal Muhammad enters the cage to face off with Rakhmonov, his next challenger – whom he was originally due to face tonight, before suffering a bone infection.

Round five

Garry’s corner tells him he needs a finish. And early in this final round, Garry ends up taking Rakhmonov’s back, with a body triangle!

Garry is working on a rear naked choke... Wouldn’t it be ironic if he submitted Rakhmonov, after the Kazakh boasted about submitting the Irishman in their old sparring sessions?

Garry is SO close to finishing the choke... Rakhmonov is tucking his chin, turning it into more of a crank...

WOW! Eventually Rakhmonov strips Garry’s weakening grip, before twisting out and getting back to Garry’s guard!

Not too much happens there, and finally the pair stand. Forty-five seconds left...

And we’ll go to the judges’ scorecards.