What’s next for the stars of UFC 310?

The UFC was in Las Vegas, Nevada for their year-end pay-per-view for a solid UFC 310 card.

In the main event, Alexandre Pantoja was defending his flyweight title against UFC newcomer Kai Asakura. The co-main event saw a pivotal welterweight bout between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry.

Ultimately, it was Pantoja who won by a second-round submission to defend his belt. Rakhmonov, meanwhile, beat Garry by decision. Following the event, here is what I think should be next for the stars of UFC 310.

Alexandre Pantoja

Alexandre Pantoja dominated Kai Asakura as he showed he is the best flyweight in the world. Outside of a flying knee attempt, Pantoja didn’t have to go through much as his grappling was much better than Asakura’s.

With the win, Pantoja has no clear-cut option at flyweight as he has beaten most of the top 10. But, the next opponent should be Kai Kara-France who’s coming off a KO win over Steve Erceg. It also serves as a rematch of their TUF fight.

Kai Asakura

Kai Asakura was looking to win the UFC title in his promotional debut at UFC 310. Asakura landed a flying knee early in the fight but that was his only moment.

With the loss, Asakura will likely get a top-10 if not top-five opponent next, and could even headline a card. A logical next fight is to face Tim Elliott as it would be a good veteran test to see how good Asakura is.

Shavkat Rakhmonov

Shavkat Rakhmonov remained undefeated but he went the distance for the first time in his career. Rakhmonov was supposed to face Belal Muhammad for the welterweight title on the card, but after Muhammad withdrew, he accepted the No. 1 contender fight against Garry.

Following the win, Rakhmonov’s next fight will be against Muhammad for the welterweight title. It’s a highly-anticipated bout and one that should happen in the first or second quarter of 2025.

Ian Machado Garry

Ian Machado Garry took a big risk by taking on Shavkat Rakhmonov on short notice. Garry did have some moments in the fight, including the fifth-round where he had Rakhmonov’s back and nearly got a rear-naked choke.

Ultimately, despite Garry falling short, his stock rose as he showed he could compete with the best. Garry’s next fight should be a main event against Kamaru Usman where the winner could get a title shot.