The UFC returns to Inglewood, Calif., on Saturday night for its UFC 311 pay-per-view offering a pair of title fights: Islam Makhachev vs. Renato Moicano at lightweight and Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov at bantamweight.
Makhachev initially was scheduled for a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan. However, UFC CEO Dana White revealed Friday that Tsarukyan had suffered a back injury that left him unable to fight.
Moicano (20-5-1 MMA) was scheduled to face Beneil Dariush (22-6-1 MMA) on the main card in a lightweight bout. Now, he has a chance to win the title on a day’s notice.
“It’s fascinating,” White said of the matchup on the UFC 311: Morning Weigh-In Show Friday. “I mean, when you look at this fight, for both guys, they prepared to fight different styles. I don’t know. Anything can happen when guys step up and take these opportunities (to fight). But you know, I love this stuff when a guy gets an opportunity, and he takes it.”
All 10 main card fighters participated in a pre-fight press conference Thursday night before the promotion’s first numbered event of the year. The focus centered on the two title fights, with its primary outlook being Makhachev (26-1 MMA) seeking his fourth title defense.
Makhachev, 33, is on a 14-fight unbeaten streak.
This is Makhachev’s second consecutive fight in the U.S. He last fought on June 1, when he defended his title against the hometown favorite Dustin Poirier by submission at UFC 302 in Newark, N.J. Makhachev said crowd noise won’t impact him on fight night, as all that matters is when the Octagon closes.
“It’s OK because I am fighting in Australia when the whole crowd supported my opponent (Alexander Volkanovski),” Makhachev said. “I fight Dustin Poirier in the U.S. when everybody (was) supporting him, but when (the) cage is closed, nobody can help (you). It’s you and your opponent. That’s it.”
As for the 35-year-old Moicano, regardless of the opponent, the objective is simple.
“I cannot afford to lose,” Moicano said.
The co-main event between Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA) and Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA) is the former’s first defense of his bantamweight belt.
Dvalishvili ended the short-lived title run of Sean O’Malley last September with a unanimous decision victory. The win extended his unbeaten run to 11, with the past four victories coming against former UFC champions.
Nurmagomedov is a protege of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, his cousin.
Umar Nurmagomedov will attempt to represent his family name by snatching the belt from Dvalishvili. He earned a title shot with a win last August against Cory Sandhagen, improving his UFC mark to 6-0 since making his promotional debut in January 2021.
Below is the main card bout order, which is subject to change closer to the event. The pay-per-view portion begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
MAIN CARD (Start time 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV)
Islam Makhachev vs. Renato Moicano — Makhachev’s UFC lightweight title
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov — Dvalishvili’s UFC bantamweight title
Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill, light heavyweight
Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac, heavyweight
Kevin Holland vs. Reinier de Ridder, middleweight
–Field Level Media
