Although this Saturday we will experience the last event of the UFC calendar year, the American company’s machinery never stops. This December 14, the largest mixed martial arts league returns to Tampa (Florida), where Asturian Joel Álvarez will seek his seventh victory in the UFC. And then there will be a Christmas break, until January 12, when the first Fight Night event on the 2025 calendar will take place. But, in the meantime, the company run by Dana White has already announced what will be the first numbered event of next year, UFC 311, with two fights for the title of utmost importance for two of the company’s most competitive divisions.
On the one hand, the number 1 in the pound-for-pound ranking and current UFC lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev (26-1) will defend his belt against the biggest threat in the category at the moment, Arman Tsarukyan (22-3)a fight that will be a rematch of the first confrontation they had several years ago in which the current Russian champion took the victory. It was the Armenian’s debut in the company and, since then, things have changed a lot, so much so that today has become a real threat to Makhachev. A victory for the current champion would leave the door open to a hypothetical defense against Ilia Topuria later.
On the other hand, the current monarch of the bantamweight division and personal friend of Topuria, Merab Dvalishbili (18-4)will defend his title for the first time against Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0)who emerged as a contender after putting together a very dominant streak. The Georgian champion will try to consolidate his legacy against one of the most dangerous contenders who, although he has not faced some of the biggest names in the division, has a very uncomfortable style for his opponents, mixing a high level of striking and an elite Dagestani struggle.
But UFC 311 will not only ‘live’ from these two fights. The card that will take place on January 18 in Los Angeles has other spectacular top-level fights. Thus, in the lightweight, within the main card, we find the duel between Beneil Dariush and Renato Moicano, in the light heavyweight the clash between the two former champions Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill and in the middleweight the fight between Kevin Holland and the former ONE champion Reinier de Ridder. Furthermore, the presence of other protagonists such as Johnny Walker, Payton Talbott, Jailton Almeida or Ailín Pérez make this evening a true spectacle for the MMA fan.
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