UFC 311 will showcase two thrilling title bouts on January 18 at Los Angeles’ new Intuit Dome, with Islam Makhachev defending his lightweight championship in a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan and Merab Dvalishvili facing Umar Nurmagomedov to defend his bantamweight title in the co-main event.
This week brought a shift as UFC chairman Dana White unveiled the details of how the bout was finalized. “Merab came into the office late last night, told us he is tired of listening to Umar disrespect him, and wanted to make this fight happen as soon as possible,” White said. “We called Umar, he was sleeping in Dagestan and he said ‘hell yes, anywhere, anytime.”
Dvalishvili steps into the octagon riding an impressive 11-fight winning streak, including his championship victory over Sean O’Malley. Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, boasts an unblemished 18-0 record, with six of those wins earned in the UFC.
In the main event, Makhachev and Tsarukyan will renew their rivalry nearly six years after their thrilling 2019 clash, which Makhachev won in a tightly contested Fight of the Night performance. With three successful title defenses under his belt, including wins over Alexander Volkanovski and Dustin Poirier, Makhachev aims to solidify his dominance. Tsarukyan, on a four-fight win streak and holding a 9-1 record since their initial bout, is determined to even the score.
UFC 311, headlined by Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan 2 and Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov, promises an electrifying card, with additional matchups to be revealed in the coming weeks.
“Hope I’ll survive”, Khabib Nurmagomedov reacts to UFC 311 title fights
UFC 311 is set to be a family affair for the Nurmagomedov dynasty. Although patriarch Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov passed away in 2020, “Father’s Plan” continues to thrive under the leadership of retired lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
At UFC 311, Khabib Nurmagomedov will have a busy night, as his close friend and training partner Islam Makhachev defends his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan, while his cousin Umar Nurmagomedov challenges Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight championship, likely requiring Khabib to manage back-to-back corner duties for both fighters.
Khabib shared his thoughts on the fight announcement through his Instagram story, stating, “Two title fights in one night—something that hasn’t happened before or at least not until now. What an incredible night awaits me; I just hope I can handle it!”
Khabib retired with an undefeated MMA record of 29-0 with wins over high-profile names like Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, Rafael Dos Anjos, and most notably Conor McGregor.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
