Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad is out of his UFC 310 main event title fight against undefeated bogeyman Shavkat Rakhmonov after suffering a bone infection during training camp.
As the UFC scrambles to put together a new main event for that final PPV card of the year, fans are calling for light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira to defend his title against the surging Russian contender.
Magomed Ankalaev says that he’s “all in” on title clash with Alex Pereira for UFC 310
Almost immediately after news of Belal Muhammad’s UFC 310 withdrawal hit the airwaves, fans began demanding that the promotion call Alex Pereira for yet another short-notice title clash: albeit this time against Magomed Ankalaev.
Just a few hours later, Pereira himself would tease that he was available to save the UFC 310 show, posting an emoji of a landline telephone to his social media just as reports claimed that the UFC had already approached him about the December PPV.
Fresh off his unanimous decision victory over Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308 last weekend, Magomed Ankalaev has now come out to confirm that he’s also down to fight ‘Poatan’ on the final PPV of 2024.
“I spoke to my manager, if the UFC need me for December 7, I am all in, Let’s go,” the 20-1-1 Russian wrote on his X account, before sending a message directly to UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard.
“Send me the contract. I’m ready let’s do this.”
Ankalaev is the #1 ranked light heavyweight contender in the world and is riding an 11-fight unbeaten streak, including wins over Johnny Walker, Anthony Smith, and Thiago Santos.
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Ian Machado Garry and Joaquin Buckley offer to save UFC 310 against Rakhmonov
Whilst most fans are calling for Pereira vs Ankalaev to be booked for the UFC 310 main event, there are those who’d prefer to see Shavkat Rakhmonov staying on the card and fighting for interim gold against one of several top contenders.
Less than 24 hours after Muhammad’s withdrawal, the likes of Ian Machado Garry and Joaquin Buckley have already raised their hands as potential late-notice replacements.
Garry, who is ranked #7, posted a short clip of him talking about Rakhmonov after one of his previous fights, with #9 ranked Buckley quick to shoot down the Irishman’s tease.
“Hey look, I’m going to let you finish but I’ve got something to say; nobody wants to see that fight. People want to see knockouts. People want to see finishes. And that’s exactly what we’re fixing to bring, me versus Shavkat.
“UFC, this is the fight y’all have got to make… Like I told y’all, I’m coming to take the throne, and I ain’t playing… Boom!”
UFC 310 is scheduled to go down December 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas; flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja takes on UFC newcomer Kai Asakura in the co-main event of the evening.
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