Islam Makhachev Takes On Arman Tsarukyan in UFC 311 Rematch

Islam Makhachev, the reigning UFC lightweight champion will defend his title against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 in California on January 18, 2025. This highly anticipated rematch will see Makhachev look to repeat his victory from their 2019 encounter where he won on points. The event marks UFC’s first major show of the year and will feature a co-main event between bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov, who will be challenging for his first UFC title.

Dvalishvili from Georgia will face Russia’s Umar Nurmagomedov, the undefeated cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov enters the fight with an unblemished 18-0 record while Dvalishvili, who has suffered four losses in 22 fights aims to defend his bantamweight title for the first time. Makhachev, 33, has defended his lightweight title three times since winning it in 2022. The Russian fighter will be looking to extend his impressive 26-1 record.

Meanwhile, Islam Tsarukyan, 28, enters the fight as an underdog but is currently on a four-fight winning streak. His most recent victory came against former champion Charles Oliveira in April, further boosting his confidence heading into this challenging rematch. The event promises to be an exciting start to 2025 with two compelling title defenses headlined by two of UFC’s most dominant fighters, Makhachev and Dvalishvili and their formidable challengers in Tsarukyan and Nurmagomedov.