UFC 311
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | January 18, 2025 |
| Headquarters | Inglewood , United States |
Area served | United States |
UFC 311: Makhachev vs. Moicano was a mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 18, 2025, at the Intuit Dome located in Inglewood, California, United States.
Background
This event represented the UFC's third occasion hosting a fight card in Inglewood and its first return since UFC 232 in December 2018. Despite ongoing concerns related to recent wildfires in Southern California, the event went ahead as planned.
Initially, the main event was scheduled as a UFC Lightweight Championship fight featuring former titleholder Islam Makhachev against challenger Arman Tsarukyan. The two had previously met at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Oleinik in April 2019, where Makhachev secured a unanimous decision victory. However, Tsarukyan withdrew due to injury just one day before the fight, prompting Renato Moicano to step in as a replacement; Moicano had been originally slated to face Beneil Dariush, who did not compete.
The co-main event showcased a UFC Bantamweight Championship contest between reigning champion Merab Dvalishvili and undefeated challenger Umar Nurmagomedov.
A bantamweight matchup between Ricky Turcios and Bernardo Sopaj was rescheduled for this card after being canceled previously in November 2024 due to medical issues.
Lightweight competitors Grant Dawson and Carlos Diego Ferreira finally faced off at this event following the cancellation of their originally planned bout in October 2021 because of Ferreira's injury.
A light heavyweight bout initially arranged between Johnny Walker and Bogdan Guskov underwent changes when Walker withdrew with an injury; newcomer Billy Elekana was signed on short notice as his replacement.
Middleweight fighters Zachary Reese and Sedriques Dumas were set to meet during the preliminary card; however, Dumas withdrew during fight week and was substituted by the current LFA Middleweight Champion, Azamat Bekoev.
During the live broadcast, it was announced that executive producer and co-creator of The Ultimate Fighter, Craig Piligian, would be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame "contributor wing" during International Fight Week in Las Vegas later that summer.
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $50,000 were awarded as follows:
- Fight of the Night: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
- Performance of the Night: Jiří Procházka and Jailton Almeida
Reported payout
The disclosed fighter payouts submitted to the California State Athletic Commission do not include sponsor earnings, discretionary bonuses, or pay-per-view points:
- Islam Makhachev: $200,000 (no win bonus) defeated Renato Moicano: $250,000
- Merab Dvalishvili: $500,000 (no win bonus) defeated Umar Nurmagomedov: $100,000
- Jiří Procházka: $250,000 (including $50,000 win bonus) defeated Jamahal Hill: $200,000
- Jailton Almeida: $220,000 (including $110,000 win bonus) defeated Serghei Spivac: $100,000
- Reinier de Ridder: $210,000 (including $105,000 win bonus) defeated Kevin Holland: $250,000
- Raoni Barcelos: $96,000 (including $48,000 win bonus) defeated Payton Talbott: $43,000
- Azamat Bekoev: $24,000 (including $12,000 win bonus) defeated Zachary Reese: $30,000
- Bogdan Guskov: $86,000 (including $43,000 win bonus) defeated Billy Elekana: $12,000
- Grant Dawson: $212,000 (including $106,000 win bonus) defeated Carlos Diego Ferreira: $100,000
- Ailín Pérez: $72,000 (including $36,000 win bonus) defeated Karol Rosa: $75,000
- Muin Gafurov: $28,000 (including $14,000 win bonus) defeated Rinya Nakamura: $28,000
- Bernardo Sopaj: $24,000 (including $12,000 win bonus) defeated Ricky Turcios: $28,000
- Tagir Ulanbekov: $72,000 (including $36,000 win bonus) defeated Clayton Carpenter: $28,000
Fight night weigh-ins
The comparison between official weigh-in figures and the fight night weights, as documented by the California State Athletic Commission, reveals considerable fluctuations for multiple competitors:
- Islam Makhachev: increased from 154.5 to 178 pounds (gain of 23.5 pounds, 17%)
- Renato Moicano: rose from 155 to 181.8 pounds (26.8 pounds, 17%)
- Merab Dvalishvili: climbed from 134 to 156.8 pounds (22.8 pounds, 17%)
- Umar Nurmagomedov: shifted from 135 to 156.8 pounds (21.8 pounds, 16%)
- Jiří Procházka: moved from 204.5 to 208.2 pounds (3.7 pounds, 2%)
- Jamahal Hill: changed from 205.5 to 221.8 pounds (16.3 pounds, 8%)
- Reinier de Ridder: went from 184.5 to 212 pounds (27.5 pounds, 15%)
- Kevin Holland: increased from 183.5 to 190.4 pounds (6.9 pounds, 4%)
- Raoni Barcelos: rose from 135.5 to 158.2 pounds (22.7 pounds, 17%)
- Payton Talbott: jumped from 135.5 to 158.2 pounds (22.7 pounds, 17%)
- Jailton Almeida: decreased slightly from 235 to 232.2 pounds (-2.8 pounds, -1%)
- Serghei Spivac: moved up marginally from 233 to 234.2 pounds (1.2 pounds, 1%)
- Bogdan Guskov: increased from 205.5 to 214.4 pounds (8.9 pounds, 4%)
- Billy Elekana: rose slightly from 200 to 202.4 pounds (2.4 pounds, 1%)
- Grant Dawson: shifted up from 156 to179.4pounds(23.4pounds,15%)
- Diego Ferreira: increased from156to173.2pounds(17.2pounds,11%)
- Azamat Bekoev: climbed from185.5to203.2pounds(17.7pounds,10%)
- Zachary Reese: rose from185.5to201pounds(15.5pounds,8%)
- Ailin Perez: advanced from135to152.2pounds(17.2pounds,13%)
- Karol Rosa: moved up from135.5to154pounds(18.5pounds,14%)
- Muin Gafurov: shifted from136to151.8pounds(15.8pounds,12%)
- Rinya Nakamura: increased from135.5to148.6pounds(13.1pounds,10%)
- Bernardo Sopaj: rose from135to147.8pounds(12.8pounds,9%)
- Ricky Turcios: jumped from136to156.6pounds(20.6pounds,15%)
- Tagir Ulanbekov: gained weight moving from125.5to147.4pounds(21.9pounds,17%)
- Clayton Carpenter: climbed from125.5to141.2pounds(15.7pounds,13%)
Attendance
Although the event was promoted as sold out, visible vacant seats were present due to the impact of the January 2025 Southern California wildfires and the main event withdrawal by Tsarukyan.