UFC 311 kicked off the 2025 Pay-Per-View calendar for the UFC, and boasted two title fights – although one had to be re-jigged last minute.
With Arman Tsarukyan pulling out of his lightweight title fight against champion Islam Makhachev on weigh-in day, it was Brazil’s Renato Moicano getting the short-notice opportunity. For the man who has rebuilt his brand as “Money” Moicano, it was a chance at just that. A championship, and defeating the best lightweight on the planet, would almost certainly result in not one but several big paydays for Moicano.
Of course, he had a massive task ahead of him, with Makhachev being not just the best lightweight but among the best fighters, pound-for-pound, on the planet.
The main event might be new look, but the co-headliner has been in the making for months. It’s an old-school grudge match between UFC bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov – the last undefeated talent to make the walk on a night that had already seen three undefeated talents lose their 0. The champion felt Nurmagomedov had skipped the line, disrespected himself by calling him a “paper champ” and disrespected his home country of Georgia. Nurmagomedov seemed unfazed by any of it, though he did deny some of Merab’s claims.
Following Saturday’s UFC 311, tune in for the post-fight press conference to keep on top of all the developing storylines. A live stream is available above.