Preview: UFC 311 ‘Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan 2’

After a surprisingly fun show at the UFC Apex a week ago, the Ultimate Fighting Championship kicks off 2025 in earnest with UFC 311—a fairly excellent pay-per-view this Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Two championship bouts that rank among the best matchups the promotion can put together at the moment anchor the UFC’s first trip to The House That Steve Ballmer Built. Islam Makhachev defends his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan in a rematch half a decade in the making, while bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili gets what might be his toughest test on paper against Umar Nurmagomedov. Beyond that, there’s a strong combination of potential entertainment and high stakes. Former light heavyweight titleholders Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill collide in an intriguing clash; Beneil Dariush meets Renato “Money” Moicano in a well-matched lightweight showcase; and a middleweight appetizer pitting Kevin Holland against Reinier de Ridder should be just plain weird.

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