NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 14: UFC President Dana White speaks during the UFC 309 press … [+] conference at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 14, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
All eyes are on UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, but MMA fans still have questions about the main event of UFC 310 in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena.
On Thursday, at the press event ahead of UFC 309, UFC CEO Dana White was asked about the main event, and he replied: “we’ll announce it tomorrow. It’s gonna be good.”
Initially, the main event was supposed to see UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad defending his title for the first time against undefeated Uzbekistan contender Shavkat Rahkmonov. However, Muhammad suffered a bone infection in his toe that forced him out.
The UFC has tried to find a replacement for Muhammad, but there hasn’t been an announcement. Former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman removed himself from consideration, saying the December 7 date would be “too soon” for him to take on that challenge.
There aren’t many other options for Rahkmonov to face in the division, with most of the other guys ranked in the Top 10 already scheduled, recently active, or coming back from an injury. Sean Brady, Jack Della Maddalena, and Colby Covington are the only names that make sense.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 29: Ian Machado Garry of Ireland looks on during a welterweight bout during … [+] UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena on June 29, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)
We’ll see if that comes to fruition; however, even if Rahkmonov does get one of those guys to step up on short notice, it won’t be for a title–unless the UFC decides to make another interim championship situation. That might be a premature move, depending on how long Muhammad is expected to be out of action. If the UFC does look to make an interim title bout, they could pluck Ian Machado Garry from his UFC Tampa fight against Joaquin Buckley and put him in with Rahkmonov.
Some smaller outlets are reporting this is the case.
If Rahkmonov stays on the card against another top welterweight, it still seems like his fight is destined to be downgraded to the co-main event while the UFC men’s flyweight championship between title holder, Alexandre Pantoja and Japanese challenger Kai Asakura is elevated to the headliner.
The UFC usually tries to avoid flyweight headliners when they can, and that’s the expectation here as well. So many of the UFC’s other titles are tied up in situations that would make it difficult or impossible to pop a fight from that division into the top spot.
Jon Jones is defending the heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic on Saturday. Tom Aspinall is the interim champ and backup, but it’s hard to imagine who the UFC could drop him into a fight with or why he would risk injury or a loss when he knows his shot at the undisputed title is imminent.
Alex Pereira has come to the rescue twice this year for injury-ravaged cards. We have been told that the fight between him and Magomed Ankalaev will not be used as the ace in the hole for UFC 310.
Dricus Du Plessis’ next defense is supposedly set to take place in South Africa, and White told Jim Rome on Thursday that he wants Khamzat Chimaev fighting for the title in the United States in 2025. That fight doesn’t have to be against Du Plessis, though that seems to be the preferred matchup.
Islam Makhachev is expected to defend his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan in January.
Ilia Topuria just fought in October, and the subsequent defense of his featherweight title will take place in Spain, according to White.
Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov seem like a possibility. However, it seems a little unlikely the former would step up on short notice for his first title defense–especially against a formidable opponent like Nurmagomedov.
Julianna Pena and Kayla Harrison is probably the next women’s bantamweight title matchup–unless Amanda Nunes comes back. Both Pena and Harrison fought in October, so that seems highly unlikely.
Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot is next for the women’s flyweight title, but that is a championship fight that seems destined to be the co-main event on a massive pay-per-view.
Lastly, there is Weili Zhang, who could defend her title against Virna Jandiroba. The Brazilian veteran was scheduled to face No. 1 contender Tatiana Suarez at UFC 310, but the latter pulled out. Like Shevchenko-Fiorot, that doesn’t feel like a fight worthy of a main event slot, but at this point, the UFC may just be in damage control for this card.
Thankfully, according to White, we’ll find out on Friday.
