Islam Makhachev to Defend Lightweight Championship at UFC 311

The upcoming UFC 311 event on 18 January in California will feature Russian fighter Islam Makhachev defending his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan. Makhachev’s most recent defense of this title occurred in June, when he defeated Dustin Poirier. This bout marks a rematch of their 2019 contest, which Makhachev secured by winning on points. Scheduled as the UFC’s initial major event of 2025, the card will also feature bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili’s inaugural title defense as the co-main event. Dvalishvili, representing Georgia, is set to compete against Russia’s Umar Nurmagomedov, who is the cousin of UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov. This will be Nurmagomedov’s first challenge for a UFC title. Nurmagomedov, aged 28, maintains an undefeated record across 18 fights, whereas Dvalishvili has incurred four losses in his 22 professional fights. This will be Makhachev’s fourth defense of his lightweight belt since he claimed it in 2022. The 33-year-old fighter aims to enhance his 26-1 professional record. Tsarukyan, 28, enters the fight as the underdog, despite being on a four-fight winning streak. His most recent win occurred in April against former champion Charles Oliveira.