How to watch Makhachev vs Tsarukyan 2 live on TV and streaming?

This Saturday, January 18, UFC 311 arrives to open the year with the first numbered card of 2025and it’s going to be serious. Headlining, Islam Makhachev puts his lightweight title on the line against Arman Tsarukyan.

Their first fight was a grappling war with Makhachev taking the upper hand. But Tsarukyan returns better prepared, harder to tire, and ready to prove that he is not there to make up the numbers. Opposite, Makhachev, it’s always the same story: he pins you to the ground and he doesn’t let you breathe. If you don’t have the answer, you’re finished.

As a co-main event, Merab Dvalishvili et Umar Nurmagomedov are fighting for the bantamweight belt. Dvalishvili is the bulldozer: he advances, he breaks the rhythm, he makes you regret getting up that day. Nurmagomedov is all about calculation. He waits for the slightest opening and, when he has it, he pins you to the spot. This fight is a clash between a pressure machine and a mastermind of the fight.

Want to not miss anything from the first numbered card of the year? RMC Sport offers two options: a subscription at €19/month with a 12-month commitment (plus €1 registration fee) or a no-obligation subscription at €25/month.

WATCH UFC 311 LIVE

Where and when to watch UFC 311: Makhachev vs Tsarukyan 2?

• Date : Saturday January 18, 2025
• Lieu : Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California, United States
• Preliminary map : start at 02:00 (French time)
• Main map : start at 4:00 a.m. (French time)
• Islam Makhachev vs Arman Tsarukyan 2 : scheduled around 5:40 a.m.
• Diffusion : Live on RMC Sport

Islam Makhachev vs Arman Tsarukyan 2: A rematch that could turn everything around

Lightweight champion and world number 1 Islam Makhachev returns to defend his belt against Arman Tsarukyan. Their first confrontation, in 2019, turned into a grappling battle where Makhachev showed that he knew how to handle complicated situations. Since then, he has only gone up, racking up victories against serious names like Volkanovski and Oliveira. Makhachev is the fighter who never lets no space to breathe : As soon as he puts his hands on you, it’s like being caught in a vice.

Opposite, Tsarukyan is no longer the same fighter as when he started. He worked on his weaknessesadded striking to his arsenal and earned a place at the top of the rankings with clear and strategic victories. His wrestling is solid, his strikes are precise, and he is not afraid to seek difficult positions. Suffice to say that he comes to do something other than count the rounds from his back.

This fight is more than a revenge, it’s a ultimate test. Can Makhachev still impose his pace against a hungry Tsarukyan? And has Tsarukyan found the key to avoiding passing five rounds of staring at the cage ceiling ? One thing is certain: there will be no room for mistakes, and everything will come down to precision and strategy. So who will come out with the belt? The answer on January 18.

Main Card – UFC 311

• Islam Makhachev (15-1-0) vs Arman Tsarukyan (9-2-0)
  World Championship – Lightweight

  • Makhachev is the grappler who stops you from breathing. With his surgical ground checkhe suffocates his opponents and imposes his rhythm. His striking is there to open the door to grappling, and once he’s got you, it’s like struggling in quicksand.
  • Tsarukyan arrives in revenge mode. It combines aggressive wrestling and technical striking. His transitions are clean, his cardio holds up, and he hits where it hurts. He knows that to beat Makhachev, he will have to stay out of takedown range and force the fight to his feet.

• Merab Dvalishvili (11-2-0) vs Umar Nurmagomedov (6-0-0)
  World Championship – Bantamweight

  • Dvalishvili is a pressure machine. He advances, corners you, and harasses you for five rounds like a mosquito that can’t be swatted. His grappling is consistent, and he doesn’t care if it’s not flashy, as long as it breaks the rhythm.
  • Nurmagomedov is quite the opposite. He is methodical, precise, and only moves when he is sure to finish. His wrestling is clean, his striking neat, and his grappling, like all those of his name, is reinforced concrete.

• Jiri Prochazka (4-2-0) vs Jamahal Hill (6-2-0)
  Mid-Heavyweight

  • Prochazka is the artist of chaos. He hits weird angles, he makes you feel like you’re from another world, but every hit is a trap. His defense? We don’t know, but capacity to cash is often his best ally.
  • Hill is more classic but just as dangerous. Precision, power and timing: he hits when it counts and knows how to capitalize on mistakes. If Prochazka plays the fool, Hill could punish him violently.

• Beneil Dariush (16-6-1) vs Renato Moicano (12-5-0)
  Lightweight

  • Dariush, the technical veteran with a ground as aggressive as a rabid dog. He knows everything in the octagon and is not spectacular, but he methodically dismantles.
  • Moicano is more explosive. He is technical in grappling but does not hesitate to bomb you standing. The problem ? His defense. If Dariush gives him a hard time on the ground, it could get long for him.

• Kevin Holland (13-9-0) vs Reinier de Ridder (1-0-0)
  Average Weights

  • Holland is the talker of the UFC. Between two jokes, he delivers quick and precise strikes. But when things get complicated, his defensive game on the ground leaves openings.
  • De Ridder wastes no time. A grappling specialist, he takes you to the ground and looks to finish. He doesn’t intend to speak, just to break Holland’s game and submit quickly.

Preliminary Card – UFC 311

• Jailton Almeida (7-1-0) vs Serghei Spivac (8-4-0)
  Heavy Weights

  • Almeida is the type to take you down every chance he gets. His grappling is oppressive and his submissions fast.
  • Spivac, nicknamed “Polar Bear,” plays on his raw strength and aggressive ground. But against a grappler like Almeida, his best chance is to avoid the ground.

• Bogdan Guskov (2-1-0) vs Billy Elekana (0-0-0)
  Mid-Heavyweight

  • Guskov has a powerful shot and an aggressive style. He seeks to finish quickly, even if it means putting himself in danger.
  • Elekana is making his debut, but his power and explosiveness could surprise.

• Grant Dawson (10-1-1) vs Diego Ferreira (10-5-0)
  Lightweight

  • Dawson is a submission specialist. If it goes to the ground, that’s his playground.
  • Ferreira is a grappling veteran, but his standing defense is shaky. If Dawson sets his pace, it could be a complicated night pour Ferreira.

• Rinya Nakamura (3-0-0) vs Muin Gafurov (1-2-0)
  Bantamweight

  • Nakamura is explosive and fast, with powerful and precise striking.
  • Gafurov, more experienced, must slow down Nakamura and use his tactical combat.

• Tagir Ulanbekov (4-1-0) vs Clayton Carpenter (2-0-0)
  Flyweight

  • Ulanbekov is a strong grappler, known for his ground control.
  • Carpenter, a young talent, must impose his rhythm and avoid takedowns.

With RMC Sport, you won’t miss anything from this evening which could mark the year from January.

WATCH UFC 311 LIVE