The Ultimate Fighting Championship kicks off their numbered cards for 2025 as UFC 311 lands in Los Angeles this weekend.
Islam Makhachev defends his lightweight title in the main event – a highly anticipated rematch with Arman Tsarukyan – while in the co-main, Merab Dvalishvili faces Umar Nurmagomedov.
The stacked card also features the likes of JiriProchazka, Jamahal Hill, Renato Moicano and the up and coming Payton Talbott.
UFC 311 Tips
- Islam Makhachev to win by Decision or Technical Decision @ 10/11
- Renato Moicano to win @ 4/7
- Reinier De Ridder to win by Submission @ 3/1
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History beckons for Makhachev
Islam Makhachev (26-1-0) faces arguably his toughest test to date in this rematch with Arman Tsarukyan (22-3-0) as he looks to make the fourth defence of his UFC Lightweight title.
Victory would see the 33-year-old break the record in the UFC era for most 155lb title defences, tying with Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez.
Makhachev was last seen in June, earning a hard fought win over Dustin Poirier, submitting the former interim champion in the final round at UFC 302.
The Degestan fighter initially won the belt in 2022, submitting Charles Oliveira in the second round before securing two wins over former Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski during 2023.
The second win over the Australian was a convincing first-round success, as he connected with a sublime head kick before landing a series of hammerfists to cement his place as many pundits’ and fans’ pound for pound king at the time.
Tsarukyan was last seen at UFC 300 in April, winning a three-round split decision over former champion and common opponent Charles Oliveira.
The 28-year-old saw out a hard fought victory against the Brazilian, taking his UFC record to 9-2.
Tsarukyan is riding a four-fight win streak, with victories over Beneil Dariush, Joaquim Silva and Damir Ismagulov preceding his success against Oliveira, although before that he suffered only the second loss in his UFC tenure by unanimous decision to Mateusz Gamrot in 2022.
It was Makhachev that inflicted Tsarukyan’s first defeat in UFC – a unanimous decision win over three rounds in what was his opponent’s short-notice UFC debut in 2020.
Tsarukyan put up a strong performance that night, particularly with his grappling, despite ultimately losing via unanimous decision.
The Armenian has gotten better since their first encounter, but Makhachev’s own improvements and championship level experience may well give him the edge here in what looks set to be a close fight played out over the full championship distance.
More money for Moicano
Renato Moicano (20-5-1) was one of 2024’s fighters of the year and can once again impress here against Beneil Dariush (22-6-1).
The Brazilian is on a four-fight winning streak, with three of those coming in the last calendar year against Benoit Saint-Denis, Jailin Turner and Drew Dober.
The 35-year-old’s final appearance of the year saw him stop Saint-Denis in his home city of Paris following a second-round doctor stoppage after some vicious ground and pound earlier in the fight.
Moicano also stopped Turner at UFC 300 in April, overwhelming his opponent with ground and pound in the second round.
Dariush was last seen losing back-to-back fights in 2023 in devastating fashion.
The American was stopped in the first round by Arman Tsarukyan in December of that year, while the previous June Charles Oliveira also finished him in the first round with ground and pound.
Dariush had been on an eight-fight winning streak before those defeats, with victories over the likes of Mateusz Gamrot, Tony Ferguson and Diego Ferreira.
Both men have been submission artists in the UFC, with Moicano securing six from his 12 wins, while Dariush has five from his 16 successes.
Moicano has both the momentum and ferociousness to get another victory here and is fancied to extend his winning run.
The Dutch Knight to rule Holland
Reinier de Ridder (18-2-0) can take another step towards the middleweight rankings with victory over Kevin Holland (26-12-0).
The 34-year-old submitted Gerald Meerschaert via arm triangle in the third round of his debut in November.
The Dutchman was given a harder fight than expected by the veteran American and looks to now make a statement here in this relatively quick turnaround.
De Ridder is transitioning into a new weight class at 185 lbs, having been a former One Championship Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion.
He is also a submission specialist, producing 11 from his 18 career wins, including four from his seven successes in the One Championship.
Holland is also no stranger to multiple weight classes having campaigned both at welterweight and middleweight in the UFC.
The American is 9-5 1 NC at middleweight and 4-3 at welterweight, while he also lost in a quickly made catchweight bout with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279 in 2022.
The 32-year-old was last seen losing at 185lbs to Roman Dolidze in October, retiring at the end of the first round having suffered a rib injury in a scramble.
Holland’s best days at 185lbs were back in his busy five-fight 2020 campaign, with the Dolidze fight showing he is susceptible to the bigger grapplers at middleweight.
With De Ridder’s credentials and physique to be able to operate in higher weight classes, he is the pick to take the win here.
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