Islam Makhachev reminded the MMA world that he’s the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter for a reason. Makhachev dominated late replacement Renato Moicano in a first-round submission victory in the main event of UFC 311 on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, to defend his lightweight title. Can anyone beat Makhachev? He was a heavy favorite, per ESPN BET, and made it look easy. In the co-main event, bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili had a tough time against Umar Numagomedov but edged a decision win to retain his belt. What now for the champion? In another notable fight, Jiří Procházka stopped former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill in the third round and asked for a third fight with champion Alex Pereira. He’s 0-2 against Pereira, can he get the fight and get the result this time around? What should be next for the former champion? Brett Okamoto, Andreas Hale and Jeff Wagenheim shares their thoughts on these fights.
The moment is never too big for Makhachev
Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, top, defended his title with a first-round submission of Renato Moicano at UFC 311 on Saturday. Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
It didn’t matter who was standing across the cage from Islam Makhachev. Whether it was Renato Moicano challenging him in the main event or even if it had been his originally scheduled opponent, Makhachev was going to fight his fight and make Saturday night all his.
The lightweight champion had risen to the top of the sport on the strength of the same characteristic that once buoyed his friend and mentor, retired former champ Khabib Nurgamomedov: Unflappable discipline.
A late change in opponent — Arman Tsarukyan withdrew on Friday with a back injury — did not faze Makhachev. Neither did the disconcerting events of just a few minutes before, when his friend and teammate Umar Nurmagomedov suffered his first career defeat in an unsuccessful bid for the bantamweight title. Some fighters — even very good ones, champions and stars — might have been put off their game. Not Makhachev. He maintained his focus, as usual.
The easy-as-pie submission of Moicano gives Makhachev 15 consecutive victories, tying him with Kamaru Usman for the second-longest streak in UFC history, one behind Anderson Silva. He also bested some other all-time greats — including Coach Khabib and BJ Penn — with his fifth lightweight title fight win, the most ever in the UFC. But records do not tell the story of Makhachev.
The No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in ESPN’s rankings has abundant skill, but it’s a word that rhymes with skill that truly fuels him. It’s his will. Not simply a will to win, but a will to be Islam Makhachev and nothing less, no matter the circumstances swirling around him.
Who or what can challenge this man? Whether Makhachev will continue to mow down lightweights or step up to welterweight to try to become a two-division champion is a question he and his team will tackle in due time. One thing we do know now: Whenever he next steps into the cage, and against whoever, the moment will not be too big for Makhachev. — Wagenheim
It’s Dvalishvili, Nurmagomedov and the rest of the division
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Merab Dvalishvili successfully defends title in epic co-main event
Merab Dvalishvili somehow comes out with a remarkable victory over Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event of UFC 311.
Before their respective careers are done, we will see a trilogy between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov. They are clearly the best bantamweights in the world, for one. I don’t discount the chances of Sean O’Malley, Cory Sandhagen or Petr Yan pulling off an upset, but it’s not the most likely scenario. Right now, odds favor Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov over every other bantamweight in the world.
Saturday’s fight was incredible. And it stands to reason, neither was at their best. Dvalishvili never wanted to fight on this timeline and hinted at not being 100 percent after suffering a cut on his right leg during training. He wanted to take a break to start 2025, but was thrown into camp early based on the UFC’s desire to book this matchup in January.
Nurmagomedov apparently broke his hand in the opening round, and regardless of that, he will learn from this experience and grow as a result. Whichever of these two you’d pick to win a rematch, you can feel confident in saying they’ll both be better the next time they fight. Their stocks also rose on Saturday, which is important. Even going into UFC 311, you wouldn’t say either Dvalishvili or Nurmagomedov were the biggest names in the division. This fight showed them in a different light. It was super entertaining because they were evenly matched. Before this matchup, they were able to impose their will on opponents without as much resistance.
Dvalishvili isn’t known as a super exciting bantamweight, but when you pit him against someone such as Nurmagomedov, who can defend his wrestling and force him every ounce out of his renowned gas tank, it’s a much funner show. And his antics to the crowd, which can be off-putting if he’s well ahead on the scorecards, have a much more positive effect when he’s battling in there and looking to rile a crowd behind him. This could turn into one of the better rivalries the sport witnesses over the next two years. — Okamoto
Procházka is a star and his performance at UFC 311 certified that
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Jiří Procházka drops Jamahal Hill en route to TKO win
Jiří Procházka defeats Jamahal Hill via TKO in Round 3 after a series of brutal knockdowns.
Although he’s a notch below Alex Pereira in the light heavyweight pecking order, Jiří Procházka has proven to possess that “it” factor that fans gravitate to, and his performance on Saturday cemented his place in the hearts of fight fans.
Between his epic staredowns, samurai-influenced lifestyle and his exciting fighting style, Procházka is one-of-a-kind in the UFC. Add in the fact that he shaved his head in solidarity with Ashly McGarity, the fan who was diagnosed with cervical cancer last September, and you have a fighter that the UFC can get behind, with or without a world title.
UFC 311 was another display of the Czech Republic’s star power as he engaged in a thrilling battle with Jamahal Hill before scoring a third-round knockout in another fantastic showdown. The crowd was firmly behind Prochazka throughout, and the finish punctuated his magnetic aura.
There is rarely a dull moment in a Procházka fight. His defense isn’t much more than moving his head and he barely weaves his way out of danger while his unorthodox assault is difficult for his opponents to get a read on. Hill didn’t have the reflexes to pick up on the movement and was eventually crushed by the former champion. Outside of Pereira, nobody has managed to fully figure out Procházka.
Will he be a world champion again? Maybe. But the UFC has needed stars that can draw outside of world title fights and Procházka fits the bill. A fight with Khalil Rountree should be next on the docket and could be worthy of the first BMF title fight in the light heavyweight division. — Hale
