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UFC 311 Press Conference Live Stream: Featuring Makhachev, Tsarukyan, Dvalishvili & Nurmagomedov

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 […]

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)

Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan 2, Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov Official For UFC 311

The mixed martial arts leader is set to open its pay-per-view schedule for 2025 in style, having confirmed championship defenses for both Islam Makhachev and Merab Dvalishvili for UFC 311. Octagon action will head to Los Angeles for the first numbered event of the new year, with the new Intuit Dome playing host to a […]

The mixed martial arts leader is set to open its pay-per-view schedule for 2025 in style, having confirmed championship defenses for both Islam Makhachev and Merab Dvalishvili for UFC 311.

Octagon action will head to Los Angeles for the first numbered event of the new year, with the new Intuit Dome playing host to a lineup that already looks likely to be among the most stacked across the next 12 months.

And following additions like Ji?í Procházka vs. Jamahal Hill and Reinier de Ridder vs. Kevin Holland, as well as returns for Jailton Almeida and Johnny Walker, a pair of blockbuster headliners are now official.

UFC CEO Dana White took to social media this week to confirm that the long-rumored rematch between Makhachev (26-1) and Arman Tsarukyan (22-3) for the lightweight gold will indeed headline the event on Jan. 18.

And despite his callout of other contenders, bantamweight king Dvalishvili (18-4) will put his belt on the line against the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0), who looks to set the stage for his stablemate’s defense in the final fight of the night by adding to the team’s trophy cabinet.

Makhachev has recorded three defenses since defeating Charles Oliveira to achieve champ status. After back-to-back wins over Alexander Volkanovski in 2023, the Dagestani most recently turned back the challenge of Dustin Poirier. Makhachev is now set to run it back with a charging contender whom he narrowly outpointed back in 2019. Tsarukyan enters his first title shot riding momentum from a triumph over Oliveira at UFC 300.

Dvalishvili, meanwhile, will be making his first defense at UFC 311, five months on from his victory over Sean O’Malley at the Sphere. That result extended his winning run to 11 straight fights and followed success opposite former champions Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo. Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, is yet to taste defeat inside the cage. The Russian most recently staked his claim for a championship opportunity by getting the better of the highly regarded Cory Sandhagen across five rounds in Abu Dhabi.

With these additions, 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)
Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac (heavyweight)
Rinya Nakamura vs. Muin Gafarov (bantamweight)
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)

Champion Strength: Islam Makhachev Crushes a 485lb Deadlift, Stuns Fans

There’s a reason Islam Makhachev is the UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound ranked fighter in the world, even if Dana…

There’s a reason Islam Makhachev is the UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound ranked fighter in the world, even if Dana White doesn’t agree.

Makhachev climbed to the top of the coveted P4P rankings courtesy of his impressive back-to-back wins against former featherweight titleholder Alexander Volkanovski and his fifth-round submission victory against Dustin Poirier over the summer.

While fans continue to wait for news regarding Makhachev’s fourth lightweight championship defense, the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ offered everyone a little something to whet their appetites on Instagram.

In a video clip, which you can see below, Makhachev was spotted deadlifting a jaw-dropping 485 pounds.

Islam Makhachev expected to defend lightweight title against Tsarukyan in 2025

Originally, Makhachev was hoping to defend his title before 2024 comes to a close, but an injury forced him to sit out the rest of the year. No official announcements have been made regarding his return or who it will be against, but the safe money is on the Dagestani putting his title on the line against top-ranked contender Arman Tsarukyan.

Alhalkalakets’ earned his opportunity with wins over Beniel Dariush and Charles Oliveira in his last two outings. The W’s also extended his unbeaten streak to four, moving him to 9-2 under the UFC banner. One of his two losses came against Makhachev when the two met inside the Octagon in April 2019 for Tsarukyan’s promotional debut.

Recent rumors suggest Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan 2 could headline UFC 311 on January 18, but thus far, the only fight announced for that card is a bantamweight showdown between Karol Rosa and Ailin Perez.

Champion Strength: Islam Makhachev Crushes a 485lb Deadlift, Stuns Fans

There’s a reason Islam Makhachev is the UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound ranked fighter in the world, even if Dana…

There’s a reason Islam Makhachev is the UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound ranked fighter in the world, even if Dana White doesn’t agree.

In a video clip, which you can see below, Makhachev was spotted deadlifting a jaw-dropping 485 pounds.

Islam Makhachev expected to defend lightweight title against Tsarukyan in 2025

Champion Strength: Islam Makhachev Crushes a 485lb Deadlift, Stuns Fans

There’s a reason Islam Makhachev is the UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound ranked fighter in the world, even if Dana…

There’s a reason Islam Makhachev is the UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound ranked fighter in the world, even if Dana White doesn’t agree.

In a video clip, which you can see below, Makhachev was spotted deadlifting a jaw-dropping 485 pounds.

Islam Makhachev expected to defend lightweight title against Tsarukyan in 2025

Champion Strength: Islam Makhachev Crushes a 485lb Deadlift, Stuns Fans

There’s a reason Islam Makhachev is the UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound ranked fighter in the world, even if Dana…

There’s a reason Islam Makhachev is the UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound ranked fighter in the world, even if Dana White doesn’t agree.

In a video clip, which you can see below, Makhachev was spotted deadlifting a jaw-dropping 485 pounds.