The first UFC pay-per-view of the year gets underway tonight, headlined by an epic title fight between lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and Renato Moicano.
Makhachev was due to take on Arman Tsarukyan with the pair set to go head-to-head for a second time following their first encounter in 2019. But Tsarukyan was forced out injured on the eve of the fight and Moicano stepped in having originally been slated to take on Beneil Dariush on the main card.
Makhachev comes into the blockbuster showdown off the back of a submission win over UFC fan-favourite Dustin Poirier last year. After picking up the coveted title in 2022, the Russian sensation has established himself as one of the best fighters to ever do it at lightweight. Looking to shock the , though, Tsarukyan picked up an impressive win over Charles Oliveira in his last outing at UFC 300 and is very much capable of handing the champion only his second professional loss. Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s fights…
Islam Makhachev vs Renato Moicano – 5am (Sunday)
The first pay-per-view main event of the year sees an unexpected lightweight title fight between Islam Makhachev and Renato Moicano. Makhachev – the reigning king of the 155lb division – will be looking to break the record for most lightweight title defences tonight, surpassing his long-time friend and current mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov. But Moikano will be desperate to grab the chance he has unexpectedly been given at such short notice.
Merab Dvalishvili vs Umar Nurmagomedov – 4:30am (Sunday)
The first title fight at 311 sees two bantamweight rivals go head-to-head. Merab Dvalishvili will be looking to successfully defend his title for the first time after claiming the belt last year with a win over Sean O’Malley. Despite having one top ranked win under his belt, Umar Nurmagomedov has been fast tracked to a title shot. The 29-year-old who trains with the likes of Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov will be itching to secure gold and once again put the region of Dagestan on the map.
Jiri Prochazka vs Jamahal Hill – 4am (Sunday)
Despite two title fights taking place at UFC 311, the light-heavyweight showdown between Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill is arguably the best fight of the night. With both men brutal knockout artists, there’s no way this fight goes the distance. The pair are coming off of respective losses to the 205lb champion, Alex Pereira. Tonight is the perfect chance to get back in the win column and potentially book themselves another crack at UFC gold.
Kevin Holland vs Reinier de Ridder – 3am (Sunday)
Former One star Reinier de Ridder will be making his second walk to the UFC cage later this evening as the former two-division MMA champion looks to climb up the rankings and establish himself as a top contender in the 185lb weight class. After submitting UFC veteran Gerald Meerschaert on his promotional debut, ‘The Dutch Knight’ faces a big step up in competition in fan-favourite Kevin Holland. Despite losing three of his last five fights, Holland is always a tough test for anyone and his versatility inside the Octagon could cause De Ridder several issues tonight.
Prelims
Payton Talbott vs Raoni Barcelos – 2:30am (Sunday)Jailton Almeida vs Serghei Pivac – 2am (Sunday)Bogdan Guskov vs Billy Elekana – 1:30am (Sunday)Grant Dawson vs Diego Ferreira – 1am (Sunday)
Early prelims
Zachary Reese vs Azamat Bekoev – 12:40am (Sunday)Karol Rosa vs Ailin Perez – 12:20am (Sunday)Rinya Nakamura vs Muin Gafurov – 12am (Sunday)Ricky Turcios vs Benardo Sopaj – 11:30pm (Saturday)Tagir Ulanbekov vs Clayton Carpenter – 11pm (Saturday)