The epic showdown of UFC 311 unfolds, with battles across every stage: main, prelims, and early prelims await!
Fight fans have been chomping at the bit for the UFC‘s first pay-per-view of 2025. The promotion is kicking off the year with a banger in the brand-new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan first threw down back in 2019. That fight had everyone on the edge of their seats, with Makhachev squeaking out a decision win over a short-notice Tsarukyan.
Now, they’re running it back with much higher stakes: the lightweight championship belt is on the line.
And as if one title fight wasn’t enough, the fight gods have blessed fans with more. Merab Dvalishvili will defend his newly acquired bantamweight crown against the undefeated fighter Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event.
This fight has huge implications for the bantamweight division. Nurmagomedov will be looking to emulate what his teammates did in the UFC, while Dvalishvili will look to cement his name as the undisputed bantamweight champion and take the 0 from the undefeated Nurmagomedov.
The main card is stacked, and it is something that fans have been drooling over for a while now. Fans will witness the return of two former light heavyweight champs as Jiri Prochazka squares off against Jamahal Hill.
This is a fight that practically guarantees fireworks, and somebody is definitely going to sleep! Both these fighters have been vying for another shot at Alex Pereira after their KO loss to him. The winner of this fight will definitely be in the conversation for the title shot. Maybe not next, but surely in the mix.
Beneil Dariush is looking to bounce back from his 2-loss streak against the always-entertaining Renato Moicano, who has had a fantastic 2024. This fight has huge implications, with both these fighters wanting to get closer to the top. Kevin Holland is welcoming ONE Championship star Reinier de Ridder in what should be a middleweight clash for the ages.
Here are the UFC 311 Main Card Fights:
-| Weight Class | Fights |
| Lightweight *C | Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan |
| Bantamweight *C | Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov |
| Light Heavyweight | Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill |
| Lightweight | Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano |
| Middleweight | Reinier de Ridder vs. Kevin Holland |
Also Read: UFC Lightweight Champ Islam Makhachev Opens Up On The Nate Diaz Altercation Backstage
UFC 311 Prelims And Early Prelims
The UFC 311 prelims are nothing to sneeze at either, featuring rising star Payton Talbott taking on veteran Raoni Barcelos and the heavyweight showdown between Jailton Almeida and Serghei Spivac. Zachary Reese was supposed to take on Sedriques Dumas in a middleweight bout. However, the bout was canceled. Reese will now fight Azamat Bekoev in the prelims.
The Prelims of UFC 311 feature these fights:
| Weight Class | Fights |
| Bantamweight | Payton Talbott vs. Raoni Barcelos |
| Heavyweight | Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac |
| Light Heavyweight | Bogdan Guskov vs. Billy Elekana |
| Lightweight | Grant Dawson vs. Diego Ferreira |
Unfortunately, Johnny Walker had to pull out due to injury (not from his victory dance!). UFC has now named Billy Elekana as Bogdan Guskov’s new opponent.
The Early Prelims Of UFC 311 feature these fights:
| Weight Class | Fights |
| Middleweight | Zachary Reese vs. Azamat Bekoev |
| Lightweight | Grant Dawson vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira |
| Women’s Bantamweight | Karol Rosa vs. Ailin Perez |
| Bantamweight | Ricky Turcios vs. Benardo Sopaj |
| Flyweight | Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Clayton Carpenter |
Despite some concerns about the wildfires in Los Angeles, the Intuit Dome has given the green light for the event to proceed as planned. So unless Mother Nature has other ideas, fans are all set for what could be one of the best cards of the year!
(Image Credit: @UFCEurope -X)
