January 17, 2025
Islam Makhachev, the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion, is set to defend his title for the fourth time against Arman Tsarukyan in the main event of UFC 311, scheduled for January 18, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. This matchup is a rematch of their 2019 bout, where Makhachev secured a victory. Since then, Tsarukyan has demonstrated significant improvement, winning nine of his last ten fights and currently holding a four-fight win streak. He believes that Makhachev's weaknesses lie in his conditioning and kickboxing, areas he aims to exploit to secure a victory.
In a recent statement, Makhachev expressed his desire to avoid fighting Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov after UFC 311, recognizing both as highly skilled fighters. Muhammad, the current welterweight champion, was forced to withdraw from his title defense due to a bone infection. Rakhmonov, having outpointed Ian Machado Garry, is set to challenge Muhammad next. Makhachev, aiming to become a two-division champion, stated that he does not want a trilogy fight with Tsarukyan and instead looks forward to new challenges.
The UFC 311 card also features a bantamweight title defense by Merab Dvalishvili against Umar Nurmagomedov and other notable fights, including Kevin Holland vs. Reinier de Ridder, Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill, and Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano. The event's location may change due to wildfires in Los Angeles.
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