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UFC kicks off its 2025 Pay-Per-View schedule with its first event at the newly opened Intuit Dome in Los Angeles with two highly anticipated championship bouts. In the UFC 311 main event, UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and No. 1 ranked contender Arman Tsarukyan rematch for gold. In the co-main event, UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili looks to take out No. 2 ranked Umar Nurmagomedov.
UFC 311 – MAKHACHEV vs. TSARUKYAN 2 takes place Sat., January 18 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, Calif. with the main card at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on ESPN+ PPV. The prelims will be available on ESPNEWS and ESPN Deportes, as well as simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The early prelims will kick off at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass.
No. 1 ranked pound-for-pound fighter Makhachev (26-1, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) looks to reinforce his spot as the best combat sports athlete on the planet. He is currently riding a 13-fight win streak (the longest in UFC lightweight history), which includes victories over Dustin Poirier, Alexander Volkanovski (twice) and Charles Oliveira. Makhachev now plans to prove that his first win over Tsarukyan was no fluke with another dominant defense of his title.
Tsarukyan (22-3, fighting out of Yerevan, Armenia) hopes to make the most of his first title opportunity. Among the most well-rounded athletes on the roster, Tsarukyan was just 22 years old when he made his UFC debut against Makhachev and has since racked up impressive wins over Charles Oliveira, Beneil Dariush and Joaquim Silva. He now plans to achieve his dream of becoming UFC champion by dethroning Makhachev in emphatic fashion.
Dominant grappler Dvalishvili (18-4, fighting out of Long Island, N.Y. by way of Tbilisi, Georgia) aims to defend his newly won title in thrilling fashion. Currently on a 10-fight win streak, the longest in UFC bantamweight history, Dvalishvili has showed off his skills in victories over former champions Sean O’Malley, Henry Cejudo and Petr Yan. He now has his sights set on handing Nurmagomedov his first loss with a vintage performance.
Nurmagomedov (18-0, fighting out of Kizilyurt, Russia) intends to remain undefeated and claim his first UFC championship. Considered to be among the best prospects in the UFC since he joined the promotion in 2021, he has exceeded expectations in stand-out wins over Cory Sandhagen, Bekzat Almakhan and Raoni Barcelos. He now looks to add a win over Dvalishvili to his resume and stake his claim as the best bantamweight in the world.
Additional UFC 311 bouts on the card include:
• No. 2 ranked light heavyweight contender Jiri Prochazka (30-5-1, fighting out of Brno, Czech Republic) and No. 3 ranked Jamahal Hill (12-2 1NC, fighting out of Grand Rapids, Mich.) lock horns in a battle of former champions
• No. 9 ranked lightweight contender Beneil Dariush (22-6-1, fighting out of Yorba Linda, Calif.) and No. 10 Renato Moicano (20-5-1, fighting out of Brasilia, Brazil) face off in a pivotal bout
• An intriguing middleweight bout sees fan favorite Kevin Holland (26-12 1NC, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas) take on Reinier de Ridder (18-2, fighting out of Breda, Netherlands)
• No. 9 ranked light heavyweight contender Johnny Walker (21-9 1NC, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland by way of Rio das Ostras, Brazil) aims to defend his spot in the rankings against No. 14 Bogdan Guskov (16-3, fighting out of Dukent, Uzbekistan)
• Dana White’s Contender Series standout Payton Talbott (9-0, fighting out of Reno, Nev.) matches up with veteran Raoni Barcelos (18-5, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at bantamweight
• Top heavyweight contenders collide as No. 6 ranked Jailton Almeida (21-3, fighting out of Bahia, Brazil) battles No. 7 Serghei Spivac (17-4, fighting out of Chisinau, Moldova)
• A middleweight bout sees Zachary Reese (8-1, fighting out of Houston, Texas) and Sedriques Dumas (10-2, fighting out of Pensacola, Fla.) go head-to-head
• No. 15 ranked lightweight Grant Dawson (22-2-1, fighting out of Lee’s Summit, Mo.) faces Diego Ferreira (19-5, fighting out of Pharr, Texas) in an exciting clash of grapplers
• No. 9 ranked women’s bantamweight contender Karol Rosa (18-6, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) looks to snap the win streak of No. 13 Ailin Perez (11-2, fighting out of Buenos Aires, Argentina)
• Rinya Nakamura (9-0, fighting out of Tokyo, Japan) seeks to remain undefeated when he takes on Muin Gafurov (19-6, fighting out of Dushanbe, Tajikistan)
• Bantamweights Ricky Turcios (13-4, fighting out of Houston, Texas) and Benardo Sopaj (11-2, fighting out of Fier, Albania) aim to put on a show
• No. 11 ranked flyweight contender Tagir Ulanbekov (16-2, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) aims to knock Clayton Carpenter (8-0, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) from the ranks of the unbeaten
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