by
- What: UFC 310 Main Event
- Who: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura
- Date: Saturday, December 7, 2024
- Location: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV
- Time: Early Prelims (6:00 p.m. ET), Prelims (8:00 p.m. ET), Pay-Per-View Card (10:00 p.m. ET)
- How to Watch: Early Prelims (ESPN+) Prelims (ESPN2), Main Card (ESPN+ PPV)
The final UFC pay-per-view card of 2024 takes place on Saturday, December 7, from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event of that card, UFC 310, UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja faces former Rizin bantamweight titleholder Kai Asakura, who makes his UFC debut on the ESPN+ streaming pay-per-view event. Here is some background on the fighters before we look at the betting odds, picks, and predictions for the UFC 310 main event.
Alexandre Pantoja (28-5) won the UFC flyweight title in July 2023 with a decision over Brandon Moreno. He has defended his crown twice, beating Brandon Royval via decision and most defeating Steve Erceg via decision at UFC 301 in May. Pantoja is unbeaten in his past six trips to the Octagon.
Kai Asakura (21-4) signed with the UFC in June. He is a two-time Rizin bantamweight champion. In his most recent bout, Asakura defeated Juan Archuleta via TKO to claim the vacant Rizin bantamweight title. Asakura’s first stint with that title was in 2020.
Before we look at the best bets for Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura on the UFC 310 PPV card, check out the best UFC betting sites and where you can find the best odds on all the UFC fights.
UFC 310 main event: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura betting picks
| To Win UFC Flyweight Title |  |  |  |  |
| Alexandre Pantoja | -235 | -240 | -235 | -250 |
| Kai Asakura | +200 | +200 | +195 | +189 |
UFC 310: Alexandre Pantoja betting breakdown
It took Alexandre Pantoja some time to find his footing in the UFC. He went 6-3 in his first nine fights with the promotion, but since then he has gone 6-0 with four decision wins and two submission victories. Pantoja has some of the best cardio in the UFC. He sets a fast pace from the fight’s opening and can keep fighting at that level for a full 25 minutes. Along with his pace, Pantoja relies on his pressure. He pushes forward and likes to get his opponent fighting off his back foot. Pantoja has power in his strikes and is comfortable on the feet, but his goal is to use his striking ability to get the fight to the mat. The champ is a high-level grappler who uses his pressure and ground strikes to set up his submission attempts.
Pantoja dominated Steve Erceg in his most recent title defense, racking up more than eight minutes of control time while going nine for 19 in takedown attempts.
Pantoja averages 4.41 significant strikes per minute, with an accuracy of 49 percent. His striking defense is 50 percent, and he gets hit 3.97 times per minute. Pantoja actively looks for takedowns, averaging 2.61 takedowns per 15 minutes with a success rate of 47 percent. Pantoja’s takedown defense is 68 percent.
UFC 310: Kai Asakura betting breakdown
It’s rare, but not unheard of, for a fighter to make their debut in a UFC title fight. It’s even rarer when the UFC books a debuting fighter in a title fight and the promotion doesn’t get much pushback from fans or fighters on that matchup. When the UFC inked Kai Asakura to a title fight with Alexandre Pantoja for the main event of UFC 310, there weren’t many who spoke up and said that the former Rizin champ didn’t deserve a shot at UFC gold in his first fight under the UFC banner.
A pro since 2012, Asakura has 13 career knockouts, three submissions, and five decisions. His losses have come by knockout (three) and decision (one). He has been defeated by current UFC fighter Manel Kape (TKO) and former UFC flyweight title challenger Kyoji Horiguchi (KO). Asakura is on a two-fight winning streak ahead of UFC 310.
Asakura is a patient fighter, but when he commits to his striking he can be a little too aggressive, dropping his guard and relying on his chin for defense, and hoping that his power will get him a knockout victory. One worry heading into this fight for Asakura is if his power will translate to 125 pounds, a weight he has not fought at since 2017. Despite his defensive faults, Asakura has strong finishing instincts and can capitalize when he has his opponent hurt.
Best Bets: UFC 310 main event: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura
Asakura is a threat because of his speed and power, but he tends to counterstrike, which could be a problem against someone like Pantoja, who is so well-rounded.
The betting pick is for Alexandre Pantoja to defend his UFC flyweight title via decision against Kai Asakura.
See below the top offshore sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
Best Betting Sites 