UFC 311 is within the books and each Islam Makhachev and Merab Dvalishvili stay UFC champions.
On Saturday night time at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., Makhachev ran via late-replacement Renato Moicano in the primary occasion for his fourth straight light-weight title protection, setting the file and cementing himself as among the finest of all time. Plus, earlier within the night, Dvalishvili scored a powerful resolution win over Umar Nurmagomedov in his first bantamweight title protection.
On prime of all that, the remainder of UFC 311 supplied numerous huge outcomes, so we gathered the MMA Preventing mind belief to interrupt down the most important matters from the UFC’s first pay-per-view occasion in 2025.
1. What’s your blurb overview of UFC 311?
Lee: A wonderfully constructed card, given the circumstances.
The primary three fights of the night time went the space, serving as completely entertaining appetizers. The remainder of the prelims featured a mixture of veterans and up-and-coming prospects—with one prize prospect, particularly, falling flat—And the primary card delivered in spades with two sensible fights and 4 finishes. Positive, we didn’t get to see Islam Makhachev rematch Arman Tsarukyan, however each alternative to look at one of the best fighter on the entire rattling planet put in work needs to be cherished.
Outdoors of dropping the initially scheduled essential occasion, this couldn’t have been a greater begin to the UFC’s pay-per-view slate.
Heck: Enjoyable as hell.
As AK simply laid out, dropping the primary occasion—and in my eyes, one of many very best fights on paper, stylistically, you can also make within the UFC—a day earlier than the primary card of 2025 stings. However fortunately, the UFC, Makhachev, Moicano, and their groups stepped up, made it occur and one of the best fighter on Earth nonetheless obtained to compete.
Add Merab vs. Umar being superior, Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill’s absolute chaos, two fast finishes to start out the primary card, plus some big upsets on the prelims, and you’ve got a winner.
Martin: Essential card insanity!
Whereas the prelims supplied some surprises—no person thought Payton Talbott would lose a lot much less get blanked by Raoni Barcelos—the motion wasn’t precisely off the charts. However the primary card pulled no punches. Reinier de Ridder obtained issues began with a lightning-quick submission over Kevin Holland and the relentless tempo by no means slowed down from there.
Positive, it’s slightly disappointing we didn’t get to see Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan 2 however as already said by my colleagues, it’s nonetheless a pleasure to look at the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter go to work. All the time get pleasure from these moments as a result of they’ll’t final perpetually.
Meshew: A powerful begin to the yr.
On paper, UFC 311 seemed to be an elite pay-per-view occasion with two title fights, a number of high-profile matchups, and an undercard crammed with prospects. Issues actually took a little bit of a success when Arman Tsarukyan was compelled to drop out, however total the cardboard nonetheless appeared to be each extraordinarily vital and enjoyable. And when the mud all settled, that’s precisely what we obtained: huge fights, nice motion, sudden outcomes, and a superb night spent watching fistfights.
2. What was one of the best second of UFC 311?
Lee: Anytime you will have two potential Struggle of the Yr candidates and it’s solely January, you realize you had a superb night time.
Take your choose between Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov and Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill, there’s no unsuitable reply. I’m leaning in the direction of the bantamweight championship battle, which was the right combination of method and dogged willpower that I like to see. Dvalishvili was at his relentless finest Saturday, taking all the pieces Nurmagomedov may throw at him and answering with amusing and a smile on his face.
This was a legacy efficiency for the champion, who many—together with me—had predicted to fall to Nurmagomedov earlier than the battle was even formally introduced.
Heck: Merab having the large brother second might be the right reply, however I’m going with Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill.
The stress on each of these males was off the charts, but in completely alternative ways. Prochazka is within the Derrick Lewis ilk the place rankings and titles matter to him, however probably not to anyone else. Individuals simply need to watch him be Jiri within the octagon, however his perpetually title hopes had been on the road. Prochazka was nonetheless the wild man all of us love, however confirmed some distinctive protection and evolution as nicely earlier than delivering the brutal knockout in Spherical 3.
And for Hill, he wanted this one within the worst method. A loss can be crippling—at the least, that’s what I assumed stepping into. Hill, regardless of having a troublesome couple of years within the PR division, had a unbelievable battle week within the construct, and a good higher efficiency regardless that he misplaced. Hill is without doubt one of the prime 205ers within the sport, and this battle proved it greater than him successful the title towards Glover Teixeira. Hopefully, Hill takes the loss in stride publicly.
Martin: Let’s not over-complicate issues right here—the reply is Merab Dvalishvili silencing all his doubters and it’s not notably shut.
No one believed in Nurmagomedov greater than me. He actually regarded like the way forward for the bantamweight division and all the pieces he’d proven up to now made it seem he was destined to develop into champion. Possibly that also occurs someday down the highway however Saturday night time belonged to Dvalishvili.
“The Machine” as soon as once more lived as much as his nickname as he dropped a few rounds early, but it surely’s virtually like he was simply baiting Nurmagomedov with false confidence so he may totally flip the tables on him within the latter half of the battle. Dvalishvili’s tempo and conditioning is likely to be one of the best weapon in all of MMA proper now as a result of he made it appear to be Nurmagomedov didn’t have a fuel tank to go previous two rounds. Fixed stress, takedowns, and a few well timed strikes allowed the champion to easily overwhelm the challenger.
Dvalishvili proved a complete lot of individuals unsuitable—myself included—and he cemented himself as one of the best bantamweight on this planet by a large margin.
Meshew: That is low-hanging fruit, however the reply is the primary occasion and the ascension of Islam Makhachev.
Credit score to Dvalishvili who was distinctive on Saturday, however my friends waxed a lot poetic on that. As a substitute, let me speak to you concerning the undisputed finest fighter on this planet. That’s proper, after all the pieces that went down this week, even Dana White now agrees that Makhachev sits atop the pound-for-pound list.
No, Saturday was not the battle with Tsarukyan all of us wished to see, but it surely was a demolition from one of the best fighter on this planet. And it wasn’t assured. Quick-notice fights are inherently difficult as a result of all the pieces is thrown up within the air, and we’ve seen extra cautious champions *cough* Jon Jones *cough* flip down such fights due to the danger. Makhachev didn’t hesitate to tackle Moicano after which ran via him like tissue paper. That’s extremely spectacular.
On Saturday, Makhachev not solely cemented his place in historical past by setting the light-weight title protection file, he formally opened up the dialog of the place he might find yourself within the all-time pantheon. Nonetheless simply 33 years previous, Makhachev is in unprecedented territory in one of the best division within the sport. There’s a respectable argument he’s already within the Prime 15 all time, and he’s obtained loads of room to enhance.
3. What was the worst second of UFC 311?
Lee: This present was so enjoyable, I needed to attain deep to discover a standout destructive.
Three fighters entered Saturday undefeated and all three misplaced their zeroes, none in a extra uninspiring trend than Japan’s Rinya Nakamura. The athletic 29-year-old seemingly refused to go to his vaunted wrestling towards a scrappy Muin Gafurov, who was pleased to fashion within the standup towards his less-experienced opponent. Maybe younger Rinya was decided to point out he can combine the martial arts, one thing I’ve typically described as a fad that I’m certain will die down any day now.
Keep in mind, #KeepTheMartialArtsApart.
Heck: Umar Nurmagomedov’s post-fight interview.
Positive, it was his first UFC title battle, he’s making big leaps within the eyeballs-on-him division, however he completely didn’t do the factor when he had the prospect with Joe Rogan. Instantly, he threw out the hand harm, which, clearly, is a part of the general story, however that’s one thing you both reveal method down the road, or have your administration workforce feed to 1 particular person to share with the world on Sunday, or just a few days later.
That’s not what occurred right here, and it was an absolute bummer, largely as a result of I do assume he wins the bantamweight title sometime.
On prime of that, he says he received—which is insane. Nurmagomedov additionally saved it by saying he must re-watch the battle, however not at the least placing Merab over in a roundabout way, giving the previous, “Hope we are able to do it once more sometime, it will be an honor’ factor would’ve gone over so significantly better. He talked quite a lot of crap about Merab after which was clearly defeated.
On a essential card stuffed with nice, that was my lone, “Oh, no” second. Hopefully, Umar can salvage it with a separate assertion on social media, however I used to be upset. As Damon is about to elude to, whereas it might be a bit heartbreaking, there’s a right solution to deal with a loss…
Meshew: Whereas I don’t agree with all the pieces Mike says about Umar, I do assume his post-fight dealing with of his first loss left a lot to be desired. I’ve lengthy been on the file that fighters have to maintain the identical power earlier than as after, and Umar positively didn’t do this. Nevertheless it’s arduous for me to name that the worst once we noticed an precise crime happen on Saturday.
Poor Jamahal Hill suffered a freeway theft when the UFC took $50,000 out of his pocket by not giving him and Jiri Prochazka Struggle of the Evening honors. I’m not right here to let you know that Merab vs. Umar was a nasty battle. It wasn’t. That was two elite fighters competing in high-level MMA. However that battle had little or no drama and, let’s be trustworthy, little or no precise violence in it. For essentially the most half, it was Merab Merab-ing Umar, which is undeniably spectacular, however c’mon!
For 13 minutes, Jiri and Jamahal went toe-to-toe in a battle of knuckles and can. Hill managed to battle again after getting FLOORED within the first spherical, after which Jiri put the pedal down within the closing minutes to complete the battle. To me, that’s fairly clearly one of the best battle of the yr up to now and for it to one way or the other not even win FOTN feels unsuitable.
Martin: Maybe not the worst second however possibly the saddest?
Since taking over a brand new persona as “Cash” Moicano, the 27-fight veteran went from an at all times thrilling performer contained in the cage to probably the most entertaining athletes on your complete UFC roster. His boisterous perspective, which mixes a singular mix of monetary recommendation and artistic expletives, remodeled Moicano into must-see tv anytime he fought or had a microphone in entrance of his face.
However Saturday night time delivered a tear-jerking post-fight interview after Moicano acknowledged his shortcomings towards Makhachev whereas stating that he spent his entire life chasing a UFC title solely to faucet out from a submission within the first spherical. To make issues even worse, Moicano admitted that he might by no means see a chance like this once more as a result of lightweights sometimes don’t get higher with age and he’s already on the unsuitable facet of 30.
Losses are a part of the sport and Moicano deserves big credit score for taking a swing on the champion even when he whiffed but it surely was a troublesome scene simply watching him notice that he might by no means get again to that stage once more. The place are the tissues? It’s getting dusty in right here.
4. What’s your greatest takeaway from UFC 311?
Lee: 2025 may not sign the altering of the guard some had been anticipating.
The potential of two new UFC champions was legitimately in play when this card was introduced, however as a substitute we obtained a double serving of “And Nonetheless” with Tsarukyan not even making it to the cage and Nurmagomedov falling simply quick towards a resilient champion. That’s to not say we received’t see Tsarukyan or Nurmagomedov declare gold sometime, however how loopy would it not have been to see one division shaken as much as begin the yr?
As a substitute, Makhachev and Dvalishvili took care of enterprise, leaving us to surprise if anybody of their respective divisions can dethrone them anytime quickly.
Meshew: Merab Dvalishvili is a particular, particular fighter.
Earlier than Saturday I used to be very vocal with my perception that Umar was a horrible fashion matchup for Merab and his model of low-violence high-output preventing. I used to be useless unsuitable. Positive, Merab didn’t actually harm Umar over 25 minutes, however he did put him within the torture rack, and he was in a position to take action as a result of Merab has the best cardio within the historical past of MMA, probably in all of fight sports activities.
Dvalishvili’s means to maintain up an insane work fee for 25 minutes and by no means decelerate is a miracle. It has no parallel within the sport, actually. It doesn’t matter that he doesn’t precisely punch arduous or try submissions, he merely goes and opponents are compelled to reply. Earlier than too lengthy, they’ll’t. It have to be like preventing some hellish mixture of Richard Simmons and the Energizer Bunny.
We use the time period “drowning” pretty typically in MMA, however Merab actually turned it into an artwork type, and whereas it will not be essentially the most participating fashion to look at, you can’t deny how spectacular he’s.
Heck: If I don’t get to see Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan 2, I’m going to be pissed.
It’s actually not going to occur subsequent, and it completely shouldn’t. Dana White is 100% right in saying that, and Tsarukyan agreeing to it’s nice as nicely. Khabib Nurmagomedov went via the identical actual factor, fought Edson Barboza, ran him over, then received the belt a battle later.
If I’m Tsarukyan, I used to be on the cellphone with my supervisor the second Michael Chandler known as him out on Twitter. Tsarukyan must take that concept and run with it as quick as his legs will transfer, as a result of there will not be a greater matchup for him when it comes to identify worth, and skill-for-skill within the top-10 proper now.
Martin: Islam Makhachev is him.
Positive, he didn’t get to conquer arguably his hardest problem so far in Tsarukyan, however Makhachev made one of the best out of a nasty state of affairs. He didn’t blink when the UFC got here calling with a last-minute opponent change as a result of Makhachev doesn’t flip down fights. He simply tells the UFC to let him sleep and he’ll fear about his opponent within the morning. Who does that?!? Islam Makhachev, that’s who.
And maybe essentially the most satisfying second from his win and fourth consecutive title protection—a brand new file within the UFC light-weight division—Makhachev lastly compelled Dana White to concede that he’s the real No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport over Jon Jones. Sure, the overwhelming majority of individuals already knew that however White giving Makhachev his flowers felt like the right ending after one other lopsided win in a UFC title battle.
