12/8/24: Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Asakura In Flyweight Title Fight
Also: Middleweight title rematch set for February, UFC announces return to Seattle, the latest from OKTAGON, and more!
Welcome to a Sunday edition of the Knockdown Daily! Today’s issue is quite busy, with results from some big shows and also some other news regarding UFC’s 2025 lineup. Let’s get started!
Alexandre Pantoja Chokes Out Kai Asakura To Retain UFC Flyweight Title
Alexandre Pantoja’s reign of dominance at flyweight will continue into the new year.
The UFC Flyweight Champion defended his title for the third time on Saturday night, taking down Japanese stand-out Kai Asakura with a second-round rear naked choke finish.
The submission result – Pantoja’s first finish since becoming champion a little over a year ago – headlined UFC 310 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on Saturday night.
Pantoja’s superior grappling skills caused an end to the fight after a little over seven combined minutes, putting Asakura to sleep with a choke.
The Brazilian champ hopped on the back of Asakura early in the second round, getting to the position as the challenger defended a takedown attempt. Pantoja was able to eventually get Asakura down, staying on his back in the process.
Once the fight hit the mat, it wasn’t much longer before Pantoja secured his submission victory. Slipping the rear naked choke under Asakura’s chin after winning a slight hand fight, Pantoja put him to sleep and forced a stoppage.
The flyweights had a tense stand-up battle prior to the sudden grappling finish.
Asakura was aggressive early, living up to the hype that he would be an explosive striker. He would gamble with massive singular shots, like wild punches or flying knees. However, it was the combinations from Pantoja which proved to be more effective, scoring at a higher volume as he advanced on Asakura throughout the round.
Pantoja’s win on Saturday extended what has become the second-most successful flyweight reign in UFC history, behind the lengthy and incomparable run of Demetrious Johnson.
With previous five-round decision victories over Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg, Pantoja has defended his title a total of three times since first becoming champ in 2023.
After his win, Pantoja didn’t eye any fighter in UFC’s top 15 or even active roster. Instead, he looked for a bout against the aforementioned Johnson, who is widely considered the greatest flyweight of all time.
“This is a message for you, Demetrious Johnson,” Pantoja said during his post-fight interview. “I’m the GOAT here. If you want to prove you’re the GOAT, come back.”
Johnson, who retired earlier this year, defended his UFC title 11 times during the 2010s, making him one of the most decorated MMA fighters in the modern era. It’s unclear whether his retirement or his past contracts with Asia-based promotion ONE Championship would allow him to return for a fight against the champ.
For Asakura, Saturday saw him receive the rare opportunity of fighting for a UFC title in his debut for the promotion. Partly getting the opportunity due to Pantoja’s dominance at flyweight, Asakura notably entered the company following an impressive multi-year run in the Japanese promotion RIZIN.
Asakura put together a pair of title runs as bantamweight champ in RIZIN, getting past notable fighters like Juan Archuleta and Yuki Motoya in recent years. He might best be known for his two-fight rivalry against former UFC talent Kyoji Horiguchi, scoring a stunning knockout win over him in 2019 but having that result avenged by the vet the following year.
Along with facing one of the world’s best MMA talents, Asakura had to overcome his first cut to the flyweight limit since 2017.
Here are some headlines from earlier in the night:
Shavkat Rakhmonov (19-0) held onto his position as the most qualified welterweight title challenger, getting by Ian Machado Garry (15-1) with a competitive five-round decision win. A mix of impressive striking and wrestling from Rakhmonov allowed him to take the first, second and fourth rounds of the fight handily, confirming a scorecard win for him. However, the Kazakhstan-based fighter had to survive a late rear naked choke scare from Machado Garry on the ground, a sequence which threatened to erase the lead which Rakhmonov had concocted.
Rakhmonov was originally expected to face UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad on Saturday night. When that fight fell through, Rakhmonov made the gutsy move of wagering his top contender status in a fight with fellow rising talent Machado Garry. He is now likely to meet Muhammad—whom he did a face-off with after his win—sometime in 2025.
Ciryl Gane (13-2) pulled off a split decision win over Alexander Volkov (38-11), a result that will maintain his spot as the highest-ranked non-champion at heavyweight. While the victory keeps Gane in a high spot in the 265-pound division, it’s unclear what that may mean for him. With UFC hoping to make a fight between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall but also maneuvering the politics of creating that fight, it’s hard to tell when a contender in the division will get a chance.
Fifth-ranked featherweight contender Movsar Evloev (19-0) continued his undefeated run, handing former bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling (24-5) his first loss since moving up to the 145-pound class earlier this year. Evloev is one of the fighters in the running for a shot against champ Ilia Topuria, as he is just one of a few high-ranked fighters who have yet to cross paths with the champ.
Along with a “Performance of the Night” bonus to headliner Alexandre Pantoja (29-5), bonuses worth $50,000 were also given to first-round finishers Vicente Luque (23-10-1), Chase Hooper (15-3-1), and Kennedy Nzechukwu (14-5). Luque had a particularly quick win, locking up an anaconda choke in just 52 seconds against Themba Gorimbo (14-5).
Here are the quick results from UFC 310:
Main Card (10:00PM EST / 7:00PM PST) (PPV)
Bout 14: Alexandre Pantoja def. Kai Asakura via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 2:05) (UFC Flyweight Championship)
Bout 13: Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Ian Machado Garry via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 12: Ciryl Gane def. Alexander Volkov via Decision, Split
Bout 11: Bryce Mitchell def. Kron Gracie via TKO, Strikes (RD 3, 0:39)
Bout 10: Choi Doo-ho def. Nate Landwehr via TKO, Strikes (RD 3, 3:21)
Preliminary Card (8:00PM EST / 5:00PM PST) (ESPN2 / ESPN+)
Bout 9: Dominick Reyes def. Anthony Smith via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 4:46)
Bout 8: Vicente Luque def. Themba Gorimbo via Submission, Anaconda Choke (RD 1, 0:52)
Bout 7: Movsar Evloev def. Aljamain Sterling via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 6: Bryan Battle def. Randy Brown via Decision, Split
Early Prelims (6:00PM EST / 3:00PM PST) (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 5: Eryk Anders def. Chris Weidman via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 4:51)
Bout 4: Joshua Van def. Cody Durden via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 3: Michael Chiesa def. Max Griffin via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 3, 1:56)
Bout 2: Chase Hooper def. Clay Guida via Submission, Armbar (RD 1, 3:41)
Bout 1: Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Lukasz Brzeski via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 4:51)
Dricus Du Plessis, Sean Strickland To Meet In Middleweight Title Rematch At UFC 312
A middleweight rematch is heading down under.
Just over a year after their close split decision result in Canada, UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis and former titleholder Sean Strickland will soon meet once again.
A second clash between the 185-pound talents will headline UFC 312 on February 8th from the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, per an announcement that was made Saturday.
Strickland’s first title reign was cut short by Du Plessis in early 2024, as the South African fighter went five rounds against him to eke out a split decision result. The 25-minute brawl was highly competitive on scorecards, with all judges having a margin of just one round. Viewers were equally divided, as 10 of the 23 media scores on MMADecisions.com sided with Strickland by just a single round.
Strickland has since regained momentum, putting together a five-round decision against Paulo Costa in June to get back into the win column. While the competitive nature of his first meeting with Du Plessis already made him a qualified contender, the recent performance only further cemented his status as a future opponent for the champ.
Du Plessis is returning to his rivalry with Strickland shortly after publishing the latest chapter in his story with Israel Adesanya. He became the first MMA fighter to stop the former long-time middleweight champ at UFC 305 this year, putting him away in the fourth round of a bout via submission. The fight was the culmination of a multi-year feud between the talents, dating back to when Adesanya held the belt and Du Plessis was still a fighter on the rise.
A win for Strickland would make him just the second middleweight fighter in UFC history to win the title twice, something Adesanya became the first to achieve just last year. If Du Plessis emerges victorious, he’ll become the fifth middleweight champ to defend their title twice or more.
Strawweight Champ Zhang Weili To Meet Undefeated Tatiana Suarez
Before the middleweight rematch goes down, a strawweight contender will get her long-awaited shot at gold in the strawweight division.
Undefeated Tatiana Suarez has been booked to meet UFC Strawweight Champion Zhang Weili in the co-main event spot of the upcoming card.
For years, Suarez has been seen by many as a future title challenger. While numerous injuries have delayed her rise throughout the years, victories over high-profile names like Alexa Grasso and Carla Esparza proved that the Season 23 “Ultimate Fighter” winner was one to keep an eye on.
Suarez became one of the division’s top challengers last year when she submitted former champ Jessica Andrade in the second round of a fight via guillotine choke. As of right now, she sits in the first-ranked spot in the official 115-pound standings.
UFC aimed earlier this year to place Suarez against fellow contenders Amanda Lemos and Virna Jandiroba, although both fights fell through. While Jandiroba – who beat Lemos recently and is ranked third in the division – remains a viable option for a title fight, UFC has for now opted to give Suarez her chance at gold.
The upcoming booking finally lines up a return for Zhang, who, with 239 days away from the cage, is the least recent champion fans have seen compete in the UFC cage.
The Chinese 115-pound talent has been dominant since kicking off her second reign in 2022 with a submission win over Esparza. Following that victory she was gone the distance against both Lemos and Yan Xiaonan, walking away with a lopsided decision result in both instances.
UFC Announces Return To Seattle For February 22nd ‘Fight Night’ Card
Seattle will receive its first UFC card in over a decade next year.
The Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, USA will play host to a “Fight Night” card on February 22nd, as announced by the promotion on Saturday. A main event for the card has yet to be named.
Seattle was briefly an annual spot for the UFC in the 2010s, with the city being visited three times beginning in 2011. The promotion’s last stop in the 18th-most populous U.S. location dates back to a “Fight Night” card headlined by Demetrious Johnson and John Moraga in 2013.
UFC is planning to hit two different U.S. stops in the first quarter of 2025, along with their usual events in Las Vegas. Here’s an updated look at the promotion’s schedule:
12/14/24 – UFC Fight Night – Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida, USA
1/11/25 – UFC Fight Night – UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1/18/25 – UFC 311 – Intuit Dome, Los Angeles, California, USA
2/1/25 – UFC Fight Night – The Venue, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
2/8/25 – UFC 312 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
2/15/25 – UFC Fight Night – UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
2/22/25 – UFC Fight Night – Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington, USA
3/1/25 – UFC Fight Night – UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
3/8/25 – UFC 313 – T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
3/15/25 – UFC Fight Night – UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
3/22/25 – UFC Fight Night – O2 Arena, London, England
3/29/25 – UFC Fight Night – Location TBA
Ion Surdu Captures OKTAGON Welterweight Belt With Flashy Head Kick Knockout
It took just one shot for Ion Surdu to cement his status as OKTAGON champion on Saturday night.
Moldova’s Surdu scored a highlight-reel head kick knockout in a main event fight this weekend, putting away Brazil’s Kaik Brito in the first round to capture the vacant OKTAGON Welterweight Championship.
The brutal finish closed out OKTAGON 64, which took place from the SAP Garden in Munchen, Germany.
A feeling-out process between the welterweight talents came to a sudden end halfway through the opening round due to a slick sequence from Surdu. Capitalizing on a moment where Brito wasn’t expecting a big shot – exiting a body lock position – Surdu whipped out a head kick which immediately put out Brito.
The finish win continued a strong year for Surdu, who secured a title shot this summer after beating former champion David Kozma with another quick first-round stoppage result.
Brito, a former OKTAGON champ, was coming back to the promotion with the hope of regaining a title he never previously lost. The Brazilian fighter held OKTAGON’s welterweight title in 2022, but dropped the belt in hopes of earning a UFC opportunity via “Dana White’s Contender Series.”
After losing his “Contender Series” opportunity in a majority decision against Oban Elliot last year, a result he has since disputed, Brito made his first OKTAGON appearance in over two years this weekend.
Hatef Moeil Withdraws From Main Event Following Press Conference Brawl
Fight week drama in OKTAGON’s heavyweight division boiled over on Saturday, resulting in the show’s expected main event getting cancelled.
One day after OKTAGON Heavyweight Champion Hatef Moeil provoked opponent Lazar Todev during a press conference – in the process throwing his title and hitting a bystander in the head – the champ withdrew from his matchup on the show.
Moeil’s departure from the card only became known an hour before the show went to air, as the champ noted on social media that he made the decision to remove himself from the show.
Hours later, an OKTAGON statement claimed that Moeil pulled out of his fight after being told that he would suffer penalties due to his press conference brawl.
“Today at lunch, we informed Hatef Moeil’s management that Hatef would be penalized for yesterday’s incident,” the promotion wrote on social media. “Hatef decided on his own not to participate in the match based on this. We will provide updates on the consequences in the coming days.”
Rivalries and outside-of-the-cage scuffles often boost the hype for a fight, adding drama that brings in viewers. However, the heavyweight matchup at OKTAGON this week has shown that sometimes those incidents can be anything but beneficial to a promoter.
Here are the quick results from Saturday’s show in Germany:
Main Card (12:00PM EST / 6:00PM CET) (OKTAGON PPV)
Bout 9: Ion Surdu def. Kaik Brito via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 2:34) (Vacant OKTAGON Welterweight Championship)
Bout 8: Alexander Poppeck vs. Mateusz Strzelzyk via No Contest, Illegal Knee (RD 1, 2:28)
Bout 7: Max Holzer def. Eugen Black-Dell via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 6: Patrick Vespaziani def. Sebastian Herzberg via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 2:57)
Bout 5: Jakub Dohnal def. Michael Deiga-Scheck via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 3, 2:43)
Bout 4: Jamie Cordero def. Ion Taburceanu via Submission, Kimura (RD 1, 1:00)
Bout 3: Gokhan Aksu def. Jan Malach via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 3:28)
Bout 2: Marek Bartl def. Endrit Brajshori via Submission, Triangle Choke (RD 1, 2:57)
Bout 1: Fedor Duric def. Jan Stanovsky via Decision, Unanimous