UFC 311 will kick off the promotion’s pay-per-view schedule for 2025, and MMA News has you covered with this week’s press conference.
The MMA leader has business to attend to in Las Vegas on Saturday night before focus turns to next year’s opening numbered event, but Friday will see attention briefly on the Jan. 18 card in Los Angeles before the UFC 310 ceremonial weigh-ins.
Appearing on stage with mic in hand will be the four UFC 311 headliners — Islam Makhachev, Arman Tsarukyan, Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov.
See below for a live stream of the UFC 311 presser via the UFC’s official YouTube channel, commencing at 6 PM ET.
UFC 311, set to play out inside the Intuit Dome, will be headlined by Makhachev’s (26-1) fourth defense of the lightweight title. Since capturing it at the expense of Charles Oliveira in 2022, the Dagestani has turned away two challenges from featherweight legend Alexander Volkanovski and one from Dustin Poirier.
Makhachev could now be set for his toughest test to date as he runs it back with the charging Tsarukyan (22-3). The Russian-Armenian secured his first shot at gold with a victory over Oliveira at UFC 300 this past April. And given how competitive his 2019 fight with the champ was, he’s confident of being the one to start a new chapter at 155 pounds.
There will also be title stakes in the co-main event, meanwhile, as Dvalishvili (18-4) puts his newly won bantamweight belt on the line for the first time. Four months on from unseating Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 inside the Sphere, the Georgian is tasked with blemishing the perfect record of Nurmagomedov (18-0) if he’s to add a successful retention to his résumé.
A number of other intriguing matchups are scheduled for the stacked card. The current fights expected to take place at UFC 311 in Los Angeles on Jan. 18 are as follows:
- Islam Makhachev (C) vs. Arman Tsarukyan (lightweight championship)
- Merab Dvalishvili (C) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (bantamweight championship)
- Ji?í Procházka vs. Jamahal Hill (light heavyweight)
- Reinier de Ridder vs. Kevin Holland (middleweight)
- Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano (lightweight)
- Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac (heavyweight)
- Rinya Nakamura vs. Muin Gafarov (bantamweight)
- Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Clay Carpenter (flyweight)
- Johnny Walker vs. Bogdan Guskov (light heavyweight)
- Karol Rosa vs. Ailín Pérez (women’s bantamweight)
- Zachary Reese vs. Sedriques Dumas (middleweight)
- Payton Talbott vs. Raoni Barcelos (bantamweight)
- Grant Dawson vs. Diego Ferreira (lightweight)
- Ricky Turcios vs. Benardo Sopaj (bantamweight)