How to follow UFC 311?

Even though 2025 has only just started, two of the most promising shocks of the year are already awaiting us! In a few hours, we will witness two title fights: lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will defend his belt against Arman Tsarukyan, six years after their first fight, and bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili will face the talented Umar Nurmagomedov.

If the UFC has already started its year 2025 with a Fight Night on January 12, this is the first numbered event of the year, with a main event madness: a second fight between champion Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan. Just before this main eventbantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili will defend his belt against Umar Nurmagomedov. Here is the program for UFC 311, taking place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood (California).

Makhachev vs Tsarukyan 2

Undefeated since 2016 – his one and only defeat dates back to 2015 – Islam Makhachev is already considered one of the greatest lightweights in UFC history. Originally from Dagestan, the brother-in-arms of the legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, trained since his beginnings by his late father Abulmanap Nurmagomedov, displayed a disconcerting domination in the ranks of the American organization. In his latest victories, the Russian has brought down big names: Charles Oliveira, Alexander Volkanovski twice, and Dustin Poirier, to name a few.

While he also has a unanimous decision victory against Arman Tsarukyan in 2019, Islam Makhachev faces the Armenian again. Specialists on the ground but also formidable in foot-fists, the two men have an exceptional fight in store for us…

Dvalishvili vs Nurmagomedov

The other major fight of the evening, the co-main eventpits Georgian Merab Dvalishvili against Russian Umar Nurmagomedov. Champion since his victory against American Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, Dvalishvili is an outstanding, tireless and technical fighter. For this first title defense, the new champion faces Umar Nurmagomedov, older brother of Usman Nurmagomedov, current Bellator lightweight champion, and cousin of the legend Khabib.

If this fight promises to be as thrilling as it is uncertain, it is mainly because the two fighters are very similar. Even Khabib Nurmagomedov, the former undisputed UFC lightweight king, who will be in the corner of his cousin but also of Islam Makhachev, did not deliver a clear prediction:

”Merab is better at freestyle wrestling and he is better at pressure. But when you see how Umar is able to combine… He’s one of the best in the world right now. It’s going to be a very high level fight.”