Kai Asakura is making his UFC debut this weekend fighting for the title against champion Alexandre Pantoja. Dana White and the matchmakers know what they are doing by bringing in Asakura to fight for the belt. This fight card is loaded with interesting matchups, even on the prelims. It should be an interesting card. The action will begin at 6:00 p.m. ETon Saturday Night, with the main card on pay-per-view at 10:00 p.m. ET.
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UFC 310 Pantoja vs. Asakura: Parlay Picks & Predictions
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook | 2024 Total: -3.7 units
Leg 1: Bryan Battle (-218)
I wrote about Bryan Battle in my predictions article for the prelims. I love his matchup. Styles make fights, and Battle has the perfect style to beat Randy Brown. Brown is a technical striker who typically has a reach advantage over his opponents. He will not have that advantage against Battle.
Battle is a pressure fighter who breaks the will of his opponents. He also has big power on the feet but can finish the fight on the mat if needed. Brown struggles when opponents overwhelm him, which Battle typically does. I expect Battle to pressure Brown for as long as the fight lasts and land a powerful punch that ends the fight with no need for the judges to get involved.
Leg 2: Themba Gorimbo (-155)
I would hesitate to fade Vicente Luque if this fight was five years ago. Luque has been in too many wars in his career and is starting to decline rapidly. He has lost three of his last four fights, dating back to 2022. Two of them have been via knockout. His lone win was against Rafael dos Anjos, who is well past his prime.
I gave out Themba Gorimbo to win by knockout in my longshots article, but he likely wins on the scorecards. Three of his four wins have come via decision, but he is live to find a knockout against Luque. Gorimbo is stepping in on short notice after Nick Diaz was forced to withdraw. This is a perfect opportunity to prove himself against an aging veteran.
Luque is not what he used to be for a variety of reasons. Gorimbo is a young, hungry up-and-comer looking to make a name for himself. I expect Gorimbo to use his wrestling (4.89 takedowns landed per 15 minutes) and his defense (1.07 significant strikes absorbed per minute) to beat Luque.
Leg 3: Nate Landwehr (-130)
I wrote about this matchup at length. Doo Ho Choi and Nate Landwehr always produce fireworks in the octagon. They have earned a bonus in over 50% of their combined fights. Landwehr has earned one in four out of eight fights, while Choi has done so in five of eight fights. Unfortunately, Choi has been on the wrong end of the fight in three of those, while Landwehr has won all four.
These men are not afraid to brawl in the cage for the enjoyment of fans, but Choi does not have the durability of Landwehr. I also think the pressure from Landwehr will wear on Choi. Landwehr averages 6.25 significant strikes landed per minute, while Choi averages 4.41 and absorbs 4.49 significant strikes per minute. This fight should be nothing but excitement from the first bell. I expect Landwehr to get his hand raised.
Parlay Odds: +324
