A pair of title bouts sit atop the marquee as UFC 311 arrives in southern California on Saturday, marking the first pay-per-view event of 2025 for the global leader in mixed martial arts.
Pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev will look to extend his win streak to 15 fights when he defends his 155-pound title in a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan in the main event. The co-headliner inside the Intuit Dome in Inglewood will see Merab Dvalishvili make the first defense of his bantamweight crown against unbeaten Umar Nurmagomedov.
As we draw closer to this deep and action-packed fight card, which UFC CEO Dana White said could get moved last minute to Las Vegas should the wildfires in greater Los Angeles continue to move and grow, let’s take a closer look at the biggest storylines surrounding UFC 311.
1. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s legacy is all over the two title bouts
Nurmagomedov, who died of COVID-19 complications in 2020, is responsible for training some of the top MMA fighters of the modern era, originally out of his Eagles MMA gym in Dagestan, Russia. Khabib Nurmagomedov, the retired UFC lightweight champion, has carried on his father’s footsteps alongside Javier Mendez of American Kickboxing Academy. Khabib will be in corner of both his teammate, the pound-for-pound king Makhachev, and his cousin, Umar, in their respective title clashes. When one considers that the combined MMA record of Khabib, Makhachev, Umar and younger brother Usman Nurmagomedov, the current PFL lightweight champion, is a gaudy 91-1 (1 NC), it becomes clear to see how much of a dynasty the extended Nurmagomedov family continues to be across elite MMA.
2. Islam Makhachev is facing a much different Arman Tsarukyan in rematch
Makhachev was just 22 when he made his UFC debut in 2019 against Makhachev and helped deliver the fight of the night in losing a unanimous decision. The idea had always been that the two would eventually meet again down the line, especially after Tsarukyan relied on his grappling prowess to really make Makhachev work on the ground in ways very few pro opponents have been able to do. But even though Makhachev has gone on to become 155-pound champion, the best P4P fighter in the sport and in possession of a 14-fight win streak (which leaves him two shy of Anderson Silva’s UFC record), Tsarukyan has improved at just about every turn since their first meeting. A 3-to-1 underdog, Tsaruykan is 10-1 since the Makhachev loss, with the only blemish being a disputed decision against Mateusz Gamrot in 2022. In his last two fights, Tsaruykan destroyed Beneil Dariush in just 64 seconds before edging former champion Charles Oliveira by split decision to secure the title shot. Not only is Tsarukyan one of the rare fighters who can hang with Makhachev on the ground, he has raised his striking game to become a legitimate knockout threat. He also possesses one of the most impressive and hulking physiques in the game and pairs that with a hungry mindset built upon achieving. Should Makhachev get his hand raised a second time, he will undoubtedly need to earn it against a very viable challenger.
3. Umar Nurmagomedov is living, rent free, in Merab Dvalishvili’s mind
Normally a jovial and colorful character within elite MMA, the prospect of his first bantamweight title defense coming against the unbeaten Nurmagomedov has brought out an entirely new side of Dvalishvili. Considering the two nearly came to blows before, during and after their kickoff press conference in December, it instantly became clear just how little love is lost between them. But for Dvalishvili, it’s hard not to take notice of just how personal he has taken everything, from being insulted by Nurmagomedov to his reveal that UFC pressured him into accepting his first title defense just four months after defeating Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 despite lingering injuries still affecting him. How much might this development play into Nurmagomedov’s hands? That’s what is difficult to project. Nurmagomedov owns just one elite victory (Cory Sandhagen) despite showing such great promise. Dvalishvili has largely maintained that Nurmagomedov has yet to earn the title shot and is only getting one because of his family connections. Either way, oddsmakers believe Nurmagomedov, the -325 betting favorite, will be too much for the high-cardio and spam-wrestling attack of the champion. This is easily one of the best matchups the sport could produce among elite fighters, but it remains to be seen whether a suddenly emotional Dvalishvili can shake off the distractions and focus on what really matters come fight night.
4. Expect fireworks in Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill
What do you get when you match a pair of all-or-nothing knockout artists and former champions in a top contender’s bout that could declare the next title challenger? You get violence and the constant threat of a finish, at least for as long as the fight lasts. This virtual pick ’em could come down to who lands big first. But Hill, who holds advantages in both speed and technique, could very well find the target first given Prochazka’s gambling heavy style of throwing big shots with his guard down. Either way, it will likely be a miracle for these two to go the distance. And with Hill’s refusal to accept his title KO loss to Alex Pereira from last April at UFC 300, it could lead to an interesting rematch should “Poatan” defend his title in early 2025 and stay in the division.
5. Reinier de Ridder remains an interesting dark horse to the 185-pound crown
A former two-division champion with ONE Championship in Asia, “RDR” made his UFC debut just two months ago when he submitted Gerald Meerschaert. Now, at 34, the native of The Netherlands will stay on the fast track as he enters a showdown with Kevin Holland as a slight betting underdog. De Ridder has the kind of submission game that few in global MMA can match, but he often gets hit too much for his own good, which could be problematic against the aggressive and undisciplined Holland. But should he get his hand raised and advance, de Ridder remains an interesting threat to the title due to his dominant specialization.
