In a move that has fans confused, UFC CEO Dana White recently dropped a bombshell about changes to the UFC 310 event! Remember the Name was originally scheduled to headline a welterweight title fight between Bilal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov, but he suffered a bone infection in his foot that sidelined him for a while. The result? There is a new main event scheduled for December 7th.
But the changes don’t stop there. White revealed that the new co-main event will feature a showdown between two undefeated welterweights in their quest for elusive UFC gold. Meanwhile, Colby Covington and his fans are facing disappointment as the former interim welterweight champion has now been linked to a fight against rookie Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa or UFC on ESPN 63 instead!
Dana White reveals huge changes to the UFC 310 card as Shafkat Rakhmonov gets a new opponent
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In a recent update posted on social media, the UFC president stated: “…the welterweight title fight between Belal Muhammad and Shafkat Rakhmonov is on hold due to Belal undergoing surgery. Stepping up to the main event is flyweight champion Pantoja who will face debutant Kai Asakura.
As White explained, Pantoja, the flyweight kingpin, is in the midst of a six-fight winning streak. Three of those wins were in title matches. A beast in the flyweight division, his challenge will come from none other than two-time RIZIN bantamweight champion Kai Asakura. Asakura, known for his brutal knockout power, will cut weight to challenge Pantoja in a fight that promises to be “all the action” according to the UFC president.
The move may come as a shock to Shafkat Rakhmonov who caused a stir in the welterweight division with a recent social media post that read: “All I hear are empty callouts! No real intent and no action. Just a show for the media and fans” and was put on the spot. Tag Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman in the post.
Well, instead of the former welterweight king and interim champion, White revealed that “the new co-main event is the #5 round. 1 contender fighting at welterweight. Undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov will face undefeated Ian Gary who will move on from the main event in Tampa After a week.
Of course, this shock does not end there. Tampa’s December 14 card has also been adjusted. Colby Covington, the former interim welterweight champion, now faces Joaquin Buckley. The UFC president put it perfectly as he said, “Buckley is on a 5 win streak, with 3 of them coming off the finish. In his last fight he won ‘Performance of the Night’ with a nasty KO over ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson. Both men love to talk and I expect that This would be war.
With all these changes, UFC 310 is poised to be a night full of surprises. After all, Colby Covington had recently gone on a tirade against “Nomad” and claimed that he would reach out to the bosses of the UFC to set up a showdown between the two!
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The chaos warning backfires as Rakhmonov prepares to face Ian Garry instead
Colby Covington showed off his trademark verbal artillery in his recent tirade against Shavkat Rakhmonov. “Chaos” has been out of action since a tough title loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 296 last year. With the welterweight division changing due to Belal Muhammad’s recent health issues, Shavkat Rakhmonov has put on the rest of the 170 lbs. The Elite is on blast in a pointed jab on social media.
Covington’s response? In a shootout on Instagram, the “Chaos” singer responded by saying, “I don’t pose, I don’t bluff. As soon as I get off the beautiful five-star Trump golf course in the heart of MAGA territory, West Palm Beach, Florida, I call Hunter (Campbell) ) and Dana (White), and we can all tell who the clicks stand for.”
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His outright challenge to Rakhmonov may have fallen on deaf ears, as UFC 310 finds its headliner without him. Instead, Covington’s frustration appears to be headed toward facing Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa. In a post on “I respect that.”
Now, with Dana White introducing fans to exciting new matches, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the welterweight division. Will Colby Covington be able to rebound against Joaquin Buckley? Who will lose his unbeaten record, Ian Gary or Shavkat Rakhmonov? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
