UFC 311: Nail-Biter Between Dvalishvili, Nurmagomedov Earns Fight of the Night

Merab Dvalishvili UFC 311
Merab Dvalishvili UFC 311 post-fight Credit: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press

UFC 311’s co-main event was a nail-biter, a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat style fight that definitely lived up to its billing.

Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili retained his title in the fight, earning a unanimous decision from the judges over three hard-fought rounds. The box scores, so to speak, for this one don’t tell the whole story however.

UFC 311 saw three undefeated fighters in Clayton Carpenter, Rinya Nakamura, and Payton Talbott lose their 0s before the main card had even started. It seems everybody’s 0 had to go on Saturday, and Umar Nurmagomedov was no exception. The undefeated Dagestani, a cousin of lightweight great Khabib, won the first two rounds by and large. Yet Merab’s pace was one that only the champ could sustain. He’s called “The Machine” for a reason after all. And by the championship rounds, a comeback had been mounted, Nurmagomedov was tiring, and Merab Dvalishvili was not to be denied.

In the end, he retained his title, and became the first man to defeat Umar Nurmagomedov. Or any of the trio of Nuramgomedovs that have taken the sport by storm: now retired, unbeaten 29-0 Khabib, Usman Nurmagomedov (18-0, 1NC), the Bellator MMA lightweight champ, and Umar, who until UFC 311 had been also been 18-0.

For their efforts, Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov share in the Fight of the Night bonus. Performance of the Night bonuses at UFC 311 went to Jailton Almeida, for his TKO finish of Serghei Spivac, and former light heavyweight champ Jiri Prochazka, who similarly finished fellow ex-champ Jamahal Hill in an electrifying fight.

All four bonus-winners will pocket an extra $50,000 on top of their purse. Bonuses were announced by Dana White during the UFC 311 post-fight press conference.