UFC 311: Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan 2 Preview
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In a sport filled with fight-hungry fans, 34 days of no UFC can feel like an eternity. The last action we saw of 2024 ended in a disappointing doctor’s stoppage. And now, the first action we see in 2025 on PPV features a loaded card at UFC 311.
The promotion returns with a bang on January 18th at the brand new, state-of-the-art, Intuit Dome, in Inglewood, California. The battle of Russia vs. Georgia will carry heavy title implications for both marquee matchups.
Early Prelims
A monster matchup kicks off 2025. The undefeated Clay Carpenter will look to get a number next to his name with a victory over #11 ranked flyweight, Tagir Ulanbekov. It will be easier said than done though. Carpenter enters the fight as the -298 underdog against the Russian.
Ricky Turcios looks to bounce back from his loss to Raul Rosas. He steps into the octagon opposite of Benardo Sopaj. It’s a fun bantamweight matchup that was originally slated to go down on November 9th.
Undefeated bantamweight, Rinya Nakamura, meets potentially the toughest matchup of his young career when he takes on Muin Gafurov. The Tajikistan-born fighter has only been finished once in 25 career fight. So, it will certainly be a new test to solve for Rinya, as he enters the clear favorite.
A high-implication fight will take place in the women’s bantamweight division. Red-hot Ailín Pérez looks to crack into the top 10 with a fifth straight victory. Oddsmakers are not too confident in a winner though, as Karol Rosa is now coming into her own following a much-needed win in August. Will Rosa make it two in a row? Or will we see another post-fight victory twerk from Ailín Pérez?
Grant Dawson has lost one fight out of his last 15. But at UFC 311, he will be heavily tested against the highly experienced UFC vet, Diego Ferreira. Diego seems to have found his stride once again after two impressive victories.
Prelims
Another high-implication fight located early on the card features a heavyweight clash between Jailton Almeida and Serghei Spivac. With the two sitting just outside the top 5, a win will be important for both men on January 18th.
Payton Talbott, the fan-favorite undefeated prospect, opens as a massive -1100 favorite in his matchup with Raoni Barcelos. The Brazilian finally got in the win column after a rough stretch of fights since 2021. Despite the newfound momentum, Barcelos may quickly be halted by the up-and-coming star.
Johnny Walker looks to make another run at the title. Bogdan Guskov looks to enter the light heavyweight top 10 to start 2025. 100% of Guskov’s victories have come via stoppage, with 90% for Walker. It’s a fight between two finishers, so it was a no-brainer choice to headline the prelims.
Main Card
Reinier de Ridder will get his chance at some eyeballs when he fights the fan favorite, Kevin Holland. It’s a perfect bout to open the main card, with a perfect balance of skill and entertainment for the viewers. Can Holland capitalize on de Ridder’s lackluster striking? Or will the submission specialist take out the “Trailblazer”?
Two of the best lightweights on the planet will look to enter title contention with a victory at UFC 311. Beneil Dariush’s fall from the top 5 has led him to a matchup with the hungrier-than-ever, Renato Moicano. This fight is a certified banger and has fight of the night written all over it. Moicano enters the favorite, but in a matchup like this, who knows…
Another electric fight sees the two best light heavyweights not named Alex Pereira go to absolute war. Love him or hate him, Jamahal Hill comes to fight with his unexplainable knockout power. Jiří Procházka brings forth a style as unique as we have ever seen in a UFC octagon. With both men losing to the current champion, a win is more important than ever.
An unstoppable force will meet an immovable object when Merab Dvalishvili goes toe to toe with Umar Nurmagomedov. They are two of the most dominant fighters, not only in the division, but the entire sport, period.
Islam Makhachev will face a familiar foe when he takes on the surging Arman Tsarukyan. The rematch comes after their very close fight in 2019. This fight represents the current-day evolution of the lightweight division, with two incredibly skilled fighters headlining.
Bundle and save when you buy UFC 311 and a full year of ESPN+ for only $134.98.
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