Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 311: Makhachev vs Moicano
Setting The Table For Saturday’s Outstanding Pay-Per-View Opener Of 2025
By E. Spencer Kyte, On X: @spencerkyte
UFC 311 might be the best “opening pay-per-view of the year” in UFC history.
You might think I’m being hyperbolic, but those that know me know that I’ve gone back and done the research, and while there have been some events that delivered outstanding performances and exceeded expectations, it’s hard to point to one featuring both as great a collection of talent and as many consequential fights as the slate set to take place this weekend at the stunning Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
The opening bout of the evening features a ranked flyweight veteran taking on a promising, unbeaten youngster and it never stops being awesome. Featuring a host of skilled emerging competitors and five bouts between ranked competitors leading into a pair of fascinating championship contests to close out the night, Saturday’s first pay-per-view event of 2025 has the potential to set the bar for “Event of the Year” relatively high right out of the gates.
Not convinced this card is as good as I’m suggesting? Keep reading, and trust me when I tell you that you’re going to be counting down the hours until the weekend arrives once you’re done.
Let’s get into it.
Lightweight Championship Main Event: Islam Makhachev vs Renato Moicano
There has been a massive change atop the UFC 311 marquee, with lightweight champ Islam Makhachev now facing off with surging Brazilian finisher Renato Moicano to close out Saturday night's event at Intuit Dome.
Makhachev might be the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet today; a dominant force that has won 14 consecutive fights and is equally adept at beating opponents on the feet or on the ground. Seven of his last eight victories have come inside the distance, making the early suggestions that he was boring seem ridiculous in hindsight, and he’s only continued to elevate his levels since claiming the title, besting Alexander Volkanovski in back-to-back contests before submitting Dustin Poirier in his lone appearance of 2024.
Moicano used 2024 as his breakout campaign, picking up three wins to extend his winning streak to four and his record to 6-0 in the lightweight division over his last six starts; his loss to Rafael Dos Anjos was a short-notice catchweight bout. Last time out, “Money Moicano” ventured across the Atlantic and wiped out Benoit Saint Denis in Paris, elevating himself into the Top 10 in the lightweight rankings as a result, and now, he's in the right place at the right time to challenge for championship gold.
Situations like this are always challenging, especially for the champion, as there is a great deal at stake in a dangerous matchup where Moicano enters with only upside. That being said, there may not be a fighter on the roster more capable of handling an 11th hour change of this nature than Makhachev, who has all the tools to dominate and the mettle to turn what could be a risky proposition into another iconic moment.
Despite the change in combatants, the question remains the same: will it be “And Still” or “And New” to close out UFC 311?
Bantamweight Championship Co-Main Event: Merab Dvalishvili vs Umar Nurmagomedov
Merab Dvalishvili puts his bantamweight title on the line against undefeated challenger Umar Nurmagomedov in the first of this weekend’s twin championship contests.
“The Machine” continued his unabated march to the top of the division in early 2024, dominating former two-division world champion and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo before reaching the summit and claiming the title with a one-sided win over Sean O’Malley at UFC 306. The indefatigable Georgian has now won 11 consecutive contests since dropping his first two appearances inside the Octagon, racking up ungodly takedown numbers while displaying insane conditioning and steadily improving striking, as well.
Just as we were told Makhachev was going to be the successor to Khabib Nurmagomedov in the lightweight division, we’ve been told that “Cousin Umar” will one day claim gold in the bantamweight ranks throughout his four-year, six-fight UFC tenure to date. Now, at the outset of his fifth year on the roster, the 18-0 challenger has the opportunity to prove his supporters right and bring another title back to his team.
Everything about this matchup is captivating, from the stylistic dynamics down to the rivalry and simmering tensions between the two. Dvalishvili has looked downright unstoppable as he’s marauded his way to the top of the division, while Nurmagomedov has never been beaten, let alone stopped.
Main Card Contests
Jiri Prochazka vs Jamahal Hill
Former light heavyweight champions and recent title challengers Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill will finally share the Octagon with one another in the middle bout of this weekend’s electric main card.
Prochakza is 14-0 against individuals not named Alex Pereira over the last nine years, but 0-2 against the reigning champ, most recently falling to “Poatan” 13 seconds into the second round of their rematch at UFC 303 at the end of June. A free-form fighter brandishing big power and unpredictable movements, Prochazka seemed like he had the potential to embark on a long stay atop the division after he won the title at UFC 275, only for a shoulder injury to end his reign prematurely.
Hill benefitted from Prochazka’s injury, claiming the vacant title with a win over Glover Teixeira at the start of 2023. Unfortunately, he too was forced to abdicate the throne as a result of an injury and, like Prochazka, his return to action also resulted in a stoppage loss at the hands of Pereira.
These two were all but assured of fighting after Hill won the title, with the pair exchanging messages with another on social media, setting the stage for a showdown later in the year. It never came to pass, as Hill’s injury and available opportunities kept them separated until now. While both remain elite talents in the light heavyweight division, this has a real “do or die” feel to it given their individual histories with the champ, so expect both to come out looking to make a statement on Saturday night.
Jailton Almeida vs Serghei Spivac
Top 10 heavyweights Jailton Almeida and Serghei Spivac look to start the year by taking a big step forward when they share the Octagon on Saturday’s televised prelims.
After collecting wins in each of his first six UFC starts, Almeida suffered his first setback last year, falling to Curtis Blaydes before rebounding with a first-round submission win over Alexandr Romanov. In his lone appearance of the year, Spivac avenged a prior loss to Marcin Tybura, submitting the Polish veteran in under two minutes to move to 7-2 over his last nine outings.
Kevin Holland vs Reinier de Ridder
The first pay-per-view main card of the year opens in the middleweight division, as the always active Kevin Holland steps in with Reinier de Ridder.
Holland split a pair of bouts while returning to the middleweight division last summer, collecting a first-round submission win over Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC 302 before a rib injury prompted his corner to halt his UFC 306 engagement with Roman Dolidze between the first and second rounds. The 32-year-old “Trailblazer” has always relished the opportunity to compete as frequently as possible, and with a start on the second card of the year, it’s possible we see Holland take a run at the record for the most fights in one calendar year in 2025.
There was a great deal of fanfare surrounding the arrival of de Ridder in the latter stages of last year, as the Dutch middleweight was a two-division champion under the ONE Championship banner. Paired off with wily veteran Gerald Meerschaert, the 34-year-old was forced to battle hard in his debut before eventually sinking in an arm-triangle choke in the early part of the final round to collect the victory.
As with most fights involving Holland, this one could go any number of ways, and it largely hinges on how he chooses to approach things. There is no question that de Ridder wants to get this fight to the canvas and utilize his grappling prowess, which has, at times, appeared to be Holland’s Achilles heel, but the Texan should have a significant edge in terms of athleticism, speed, and striking.
It’s anybody’s guess how this one plays out.
Preliminary Card Pairings
Bogdan Guskov vs Billy Elekana
UFC 311 gets a short-notice light heavyweight matchup here as Bogdan Guskov takes on promotional newcomer Billy Elekana.
Guskov dropped his short-notice promotional debut to Volkan Oezdemir, but rebounded impressively last year, earning consecutive stoppage wins and Performance of the Night bonuses to force his way into the Top 15. Elekana steps in for Johnny Walker, looking to produce a Hollywood ending to his trip to Los Angeles this weekend, entering with a 7-1 record and his sights set on beating a ranked opponent right out of the chute.
Payton Talbott vs Raoni Barcelos
It’s a classic “prospect versus veteran” pairing here as unbeaten up-and-comer Payton Talbott faces off with experienced Brazilian Raoni Barcelos.
Talbott followed up his debut win in November 2023 with a pair of finishes in 2024, first stopping Cameron Saaiman in the second round before icing Yanis Ghemmouri in 19 seconds at UFC 303. Barcelos, who has filled this role opposite Umar Nurmagomedov and Kyler Phillips in the recent past, earned a third-round stoppage win over Cristian Quinonez in his lone appearance of 2024, moving to 18-5 overall with the victory.
Zachary Reese vs Sedriques Dumas
UPDATE: Due to injury, Sedriques Dumas has been removed from his middleweight bout with Zachary Reese. Replacing Dumas will be UFC newcomer Azamat Bekoev, who is the current LFA middleweight champion and makes his debut on a six-fight win streak.
Grant Dawson vs Diego Ferreira
Grant Dawson takes on Diego Ferreira in a clash of talented lightweights currently residing just outside the Top 15.
Dawson added two more wins to his resume in 2024, outworking Joe Solecki before finishing Rafa Garcia to move to 10-1-1 in a dozen UFC starts. Ferreira enters on a two-fight winning streak, having earned knockout victories and Performance of the Night bonuses in wins over Michael Johnson and Mateusz Rebecki in May 2023 and May 2024,respectively.
Karol Rosa vs Ailin Perez
Ranked bantamweights Karol Rosa and Ailin Perez are set to stand opposite one another early in the evening on Saturday in Los Angeles.
Rosa followed up her gutsy loss to Irene Aldana at the end of 2023 with a dominant effort against Pannie Kianzad in August, moving to 7-2 in the 135-pound weight class in the process. The polarizing Perez earned a pair of wins last year to push her winning streak to four, edging out Joselyne Edwards before submitting Darya Zheleznyakova in the opening round of a bout where she missed weight.
Rinya Nakamura vs Muin Gafurov
Japanese prospect Rinya Namakura returns to action at UFC 311, facing off with Muin Gafurov of Tajikistan.
After being the breakout star of the first season of Road to UFC and following up his tournament win with a victory over Fernie Garcia, the 29-year-old Nakamura made just a single appearance in 2024, besting short-notice opponent Carlos Vera on the scorecards. Sporting a 19-5 record, Gafurov is the most experienced foe Nakamura has faced to date, and heads into this weekend’s pairing having collected a unanimous decision win over Kyung Ho Kang last time out.
Ricky Turcios vs Benardo Sopaj
TUF winner Ricky Turcios and Benardo Sopaj meet in the first of five fights to be contested at 135 pounds over the course of the evening.
Turcios has struggled to find consistency since winning the bantamweight competition on Season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter, sandwiching a win over Kevin Natividad between losses to Aiemann Zahabi and Raul Rosas Jr. Sopaj’s short notice debut last March did not end well, but the Allstars Training Center representative aims to give a more complete and representative account of himself in his sophomore appearance on Saturday.
Tagir Ulanbekov vs Clayton Carpenter
Action gets underway in the flyweight division, as ranked veteran Tagir Ulanbekov lines up opposite unbeaten DWCS grad Clayton Carpenter.
Currently stationed at No. 11 in the divisional ranks, Ulanbekov is 15-2 overall and has earned finishes in each of his last two appearances, though he hasn’t fought since December 2023. A member of the DWCS Class of ’22, Carpenter picked up right where he left off in October, ending a 20-month hiatus by collecting a second straight rear-naked choke victory inside the Octagon.
|
UFC Fight Night 249 - Dern vs. Ribas 2 --- UFC Fight Night 250 - Adesanya vs. Imavov (coming...)
