How a foot infection reshaped the lineup for UFC 310
In short: When a champion's bone infection forced a withdrawal, the entire hierarchy of a major fight card shifted. What began as a Welterweight Championship showdown transformed into a high-stakes Flyweight main event, proving how fragile the momentum of professional mixed martial arts can be.
On December 7, 2024, the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, hosted UFC 310, illustrating how unpredictable professional combat sports can be. The event was originally intended to be headlined by a Welterweight Championship bout between the reigning champion Belal Muhammad and the undefeated contender Shavkat Rakhmonov. However, a bone infection in Muhammad's foot forced his withdrawal, fundamentally altering the card's structure. The venue, T-Mobile Arena, is situated within the Las Vegas Valley. This event took place on December 7, 2024.
This cancellation triggered a cascade of promotional shifts. The scheduled co-headliner, a Flyweight Championship bout between champion Alexandre Pantoja and newcomer Kai Asakura, was elevated to the main event. Meanwhile, Rakhmonov was moved to a five-round title eliminator co-main event against Ian Machado Garry. Other significant shifts included a heavyweight rematch between Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov, which was moved to this event following a knee injury to Volkov.
The card also faced several logistical hurdles and athlete withdrawals. A planned welterweight bout between Nick Diaz and Vicente Luque was scrapped after Diaz withdrew for undisclosed reasons, leading to the inclusion of Themba Gorimbo. Similarly, the women's strawweight bout between Tatiana Suarez and Virna Jandiroba was removed after Suarez's reported withdrawal due to an unspecified health issue. These constant adjustments highlight the precarious nature of matchmaking in elite mixed martial arts. Furthermore, Aljamain Sterling and Movsar Evloev were added to the card after a previous scheduled bout fell through. Additionally, a heavyweight match between Tallison Teixeira and Łukasz Brzeski was cancelled because Teixeira suffered an injury. Finally, Martin Buday was also removed from the lineup following a withdrawal due to injury.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: UFC 310
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