Tag: Losers

Tonight’s UFC 311 fight card was the first pay-per-view event of the year for the MMA promotion. Despite losing its initially scheduled main event on weigh-in day, UFC 311 delivered its fair share of excitement and entertaining fights. The most eagerly anticipated bouts on the card saw UFC champions Islam Makhachev and Merab Dvalishvili retain their titles in the main event and co-main event. Below, we look at the UFC 311 results, winners, losers, reactions, scorecards, video highlights, and more.

The main card for UFC 311 streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+. UFC 311 took place at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

In the main event, Islam Makhachev made short work of his late replacement foe, Renato Moicano.

Makhachev had no reason to accept a late replacement outside of the willingness to fight and earn a paycheck. The fight was an enormous risk for the defending champion as he was riding a 14-fight winning streak and tied with BJ Penn, Benson Henderson, and his coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov, for the most title fight wins in UFC history with four. Simply put, Makhachev had much to lose against a fighter he had not trained for and who was essentially on a freeroll in the lightweight title fight.

Makhachev took the fight and rolled over the overmatched Moicano, the No. 10 ranked fighter in the official UFC lightweight rankings, with ease.

It won’t be a surprise if the UFC turns around and books him against Arman Tsarukyan, the man he was scheduled to face at UFC 311 before a back injury knocked him from the contest.

The evening’s co-main event delivered one of the best bantamweight fights in UFC history. In that matchup, the champ, Merab Dvalishvili, entered the bout as a noticeable betting underdog to the challenger, Umar Nurmagomedov.

In one of the most grueling fights inside the Octagon, Dvalishvili put a pace on Nurmagomedov that the challenger could not sustain. Dvalishvili’s cardio is otherwordly. Facing him must be like running a marathon uphill with a 50-pound backpack full of constantly shifting liquid with tape over your mouth and one nostril. He puts fighters off balance in every way and never gives his opponents a chance to rest or reset. Nurmagomedov did well over the first three rounds, but he could not sustain that pace over a five-round fight, which cost him his unbeaten record.

However, with the high quality of the UFC 311 co-main event, it would not be surprising to see the UFC decide to run it back, for Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov are head and shoulders above the rest of the UFC bantamweight division.

UFC 311 Results – Winners

Islam Makhachev: Islam Makhachev had a lot to lose by accepting a late replacement opponent at UFC 311, but he did not hesitate to do so. He then went out and ran over that foe, Renato Moicano, ending the fight in the first round.

With the win, Makhachev extended his unbeaten streak to 15 UFC fights, which is third all-time behind Anderson Silva (16) and Jon Jones (20). He also broke the record for most UFC lightweight title fight wins.

Merab Dvalishvili: Merab Dvalishvili might have felt disrespected by the betting odds heading into his UFC 311 co-main event fight against Umar Nurmagomedov. A significant betting underdog, the champ, who was unbeaten in 11 straight UFC fights, did his thing against Nurmagomedov. That thing was to use his striking to set up his wrestling while also setting a pace that none of his previous opponents could sustain.

The first three rounds of the UFC 311 co-main event were very evenly matched, but as the fight wore on, the champion showed that his cardio was second to none. As the bout hit the championship rounds, Dvalishvili’s pace did not waver, while Nurmagomedov slowed. That pace made the difference in the fight as Dvalishvili went six for 11 in takedowns in the final 10 minutes of the battle.

Dvalishvili showboated a bit too much for my liking against a dangerous opponent in a close fight, which is something he and his corner need to be aware of, but the 34-year-old, who now holds the record for most takedowns in UFC history, has earned his arrogance.

The co-main event of UFC 311 was a fantastic and competitive fight, and it would not be a surprise to see the next UFC bantamweight fight be a rematch between Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov.

Jiri Prochazka: The knock against Jiri Prochazka heading into UFC 311 was that he was easy to hit and took too much damage. The evidence of that was his negative striking differential and the high number of strikes he absorbs per minute. The former UFC light heavyweight champ seemed improved at UFC 311 against another ex-titleholder in Jamahal Hill.

Prochazka used a lot of head movement on Saturday, and his distance management was also better. Prochazka still fights with his hands dangerously low, but if he keeps improving his defense and can reduce his willingness to get involved in a slugfest, it won’t be a surprise to see him back in a title fight.

Prochazka limited Hill to a 35 percent landing rate in the first round. That number increased to 51 percent in the following two stanzas. He needs to keep getting that number down while increasing his landing rate.

Seeing the 32-year-old switch up his approach surprised me, as I believed his style was part of who he was. With how Prochazka looked at UFC 311, it’ll be interesting to see what he does next and if he can continue to evolve.

Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac: Jailton Almeida and Serghei Spivac got a lot of action in for a UFC heavyweight fight that lasted less than a round. Spivac surprised with an early takedown, but he could not hold the position despite doing some damage with punches and elbows. The two then exchanged dominant positions on the mat. Then, with time ticking down, Almeida returned to his feet and unleashed a striking attack that seemed to stun and hurt his opponent. From there, Almeida took the fight to the mat, where he continued to unload heavy blows, which ended the fight with seven seconds left in the round.

With the victory, Almeida is 8-1 in the UFC with seven finishes. He is now on a two-fight winning streak. After the win, Almeida called for a fight against former interim UFC heavyweight champ Ciryl Gane.

Reinier de Ridder: Reinier de Ridder looked excellent in his second UFC fight. The former two-division ONE champion won in his UFC debut over Gerald Meerschaert in November, but he looked a bit reserved and willing to accept positions as they came. He did not resemble that fighter at all at UFC 311, dominating Kevin Holland.

De Ridder scored a takedown early in the first round and then used his striking and grappling skills to control Holland, opening a cut on Holland before securing a rear-naked choke submission.

Raoni Barcelos: Raoni Barcelos showed Payton Talbott that odds and hype don’t matter in the Octagon. A +675 betting underdog when the cage door locked for their UFC 311 bantamweight battle, the 37-year-old Barcelos taught the 26-year-old an important lesson on Saturday night, and he did that by using his wrestling and ground control.

Barcelos, who has been with the UFC since 2018, three years before Talbott made his professional MMA debut, picked up eight takedowns and nearly 10 minutes of control time and added two submission attempts during the matchup.

Barcelos was outmatched in the striking department, but he mostly kept his cool and focused on his wrestling throughout the bout. Barcelos’ game plan was on point at UFC 311.

Azamat Bekoev: Azamat Bekoev made a statement at UFC 311, scoring a knockdown with ground strikes after he scored a nice takedown. Bekoev did a great job generating massive power from the ground.

A former LFA middleweight champion, the 29-year-old Bekoev looked excellent in his UFC debut.

Bogdan Guskov: The No. 13 ranked UFC LHW, Bogdan Guskov, had a rough first four minutes against late replacement Billy Elekana, getting taken down, cut, and dominated on the mat against an opponent he was heavily favored against. He turned the tables with 45 seconds left in the round, scoring a reversal and then nearly finishing the fight with a choke.

Guskov picked things up in the second stanza, using pressure and power on the feet to take over the fight. That approach left Elekana gassed. With the fight clearly in hand, Guskov applied a guillotine choke that brought a quick tap from his depleted foe.

Grant Dawson: Grant Dawson is on a three-fight winning streak since Bobby Green knocked him out in October 2024. Dawson’s game is to get the fight to the mat and keep it there. He did that at UFC 311, picking up six takedowns and nearly 11 minutes of control time for a dominant decision win.

Ailín Pérez: Ailín Pérez used her wrestling and aggression against Karol Rosa, and that was enough for her to get the win. Look for Perez to make it into the top 10 with the next update of the UFC rankings.

Muin Gafurov: Rinya Nakamura had something he wanted to prove at UFC 311, and that was that he could strike as well as wrestle. That played right into the hands of his opponent Muin Gafurov, who was simply a better striker who threw with power while mixing up his targets and techniques.

Bernardo Sopaj: The 24-year-old Bernardo Sopaj picked up his first win under the UFC banner on Saturday night (1-1) with a spirited performance against a game Ricky Turcios.

Sopaj did an excellent job mixing up high and low kicks early. His low kicks forced Turcios to attempt to implement his wrestling, but Sopaj showed some decent takedown defense and an unwillingness to accept the position Turcios wanted to establish.

Sopaj began to fade during the late stages of the second stanza, but he stayed in the fight.

Sopaj hurt Turcios early in the third round and was aggressive in looking for a finish, but Turcios, bloodied but unbowed, got back to his feet and took the fight to Sopaj.

This was an entertaining scrap.

Tagir Ulanbekov: Tagir Ulanbekov entered UFC 311 as the No. 11 flyweight in the UFC. While Ulanbekov looked slightly slower than his opponent, Clayton Carpenter, in the striking department early in the fight, he dominated things on the ground.

Ulanbekov looked excellent on the mat, using control but also scoring with strikes, mixing up elbows and punches when he postured up and created space. With the win, Ulanbekov is on a three-fight winning streak, a run that began after a decision loss to Tim Elliott in 2022.

UFC 311 Results – Losers

Renato Moicano: With nothing to lose, late replacement Renato Moicano did not show a lack of confidence in facing Islam Mkahachev, but he was no match for the champ.

Umar Nurmagomedov: Umar Nurmagomedov was a big betting favorite heading into his UFC 311 fight against Merab Dvalishvili. Some of that might have been due to his perfect 18-0 record and the fact that former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagoemdov coaches him. However, those odds seemed off as soon as the fight began.

Nurmagomedov looked good for the first three rounds, and he largely matched the UFC bantamweight champ in strikes and wrestling in those rounds. However, when the championship rounds hit, Nurmagedov seemed to fade a little, and that allowed Dvalishvili, who might have the best cardio in the UFC, to swing things in his favor. That swing was not overwhelming, but it was noticeable.

We will see these two fight again at least once, and Nurmagomedov and his coach will make some adjustments so we can expect a more competitive bout when that happens.

After the loss, the first of his career, Nurmagomedov said he thought he broke his hand in the first round.

Jamahal Hill: Former UFC light heavyweight champ Jamahal Hill was looking to bounce back from a knockout loss to UFC champ Alex Pereira heading into UFC 311. Instead, he found himself on the wrong side of another knockout, this time to a former champ in Jiri Prochazka.

Hill struggled with his opponent’s head movement and distance management at UFC 311. Prochazka’s ability to keep Hill throwing long punches took a lot of the pop off Hil’s attempts and reduced his landing percentage.

With losses to two of the top light heavyweights by knockout, there will be a lot of questions as to what’s next for the 33-year-old, who is not a popular fighter with MMA fans.

Kevin Holland: Kevin Holland did his best to show aggression off the ground against Reinier de Ridder, but he could not get out from under his opponent.

Payton Talbott: Payton Talbott, who was 9-0 on a three-fight winning streak, all stoppages, under the UFC banner, lost the first fight of his career at UFC 311. Talbott, who was a massive -1050 betting favorite over the veteran Raoni Barcelos, had no answer for the wrestling and top game of his foe throughout the fight.

Talbott had moments where he looked good, but Barcelos was able to shut down those moments thanks to his wrestling.

This loss is a massive setback for the hype of the 26-year-old Talbott, but the young man is skilled and coachable, so he’s someone to keep an eye on to see how he responds to this one-sided loss.

Billy Elekana: Billy Elekana scored a quick takedown and body lock against Bogdan Guskov. Once on the mat, Elekana didn’t force the position. Instead, he rolled with his opponent while looking to land strikes and find an opening for a choke. Elekana was backing up to start the second round while looking like he didn’t have much gas in the tank, and the finish came in the second stanza.

Diego Ferreira: Diego Ferreira had no answer for the wrestling and ground control of Grant Dawson at UFC 311. Despite that, he didn’t avoid tangling with his opponent on the mat, much to the chagrin of his coaches.

The decision loss for Ferreira ended his two-fight winning streak.

Karol Rosa: Karol Rosa is a good, technically sound fighter. However, on Saturday night, she seemed more focused on defense than offense, which hurt her against the more aggressive Ailín Pérez.

Rinya Nakamura: A massive betting favorite against Muin Gafurov, Rinya Nakamura’s commitment to the striking game at UFC 311 hurt him in a big way. He had nothing to offer his opponent on the feet, and by the time he could switch to his wrestling, it was too late, although he did have a submission attempt in the third round.

With the loss, Nakamura’s perfect record was no more. He fell to 9-1 as a pro.

Ricky Turcios: Ricky Turcios gave everything he had against Bernardo Sopaj, but outside of his cardio and pace, Turcios didn’t have much to offer Sopaj. With that said, Turcios’ style pushed his opponent, never allowing him to rest.

With the loss at UFC 311, Turcios fell to 2-3 in the UFC, but his fast-paced approach, heart, and willingness to scrap make him a tough opponent for any UFC bantamweight who wants to prove their mettle.

Clayton Carpenter: Clayton Carpenter looked good in the opening moments of his UFC 311 opposite Tagir Ulanbekov. He was fast with his hands and showed a lot of power. He also scored well with kicks to the lead leg of his foe. However, Carpenter could not compete with Ulanbekov on the mat.

Another thing that hurt Carpenter was that he didn’t show a sense of urgency going into the third round when he seemed to need a knockout win.

With his loss on Saturday, Carpenter is 2-1 in the UFC.

UFC 311 Fight Card Results

UFC Tonight: UFC 311 Pay-Per-View Card Results

Islam Makhachev defeats Renato Moicano via submission at 4:05 of Round 1 (D’Arce choke)

Merab Dvalishvili defeats Umar Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)

Jiří Procházka defeats Jamahal Hill via TKO at 3:01 of Round 3 (Punches to head on ground)

Jailton Almeida defeats Serghei Spivac via TKO at 4:53 of Round 1 (Punches to head from back control)

Reinier de Ridder defeats Kevin Holland via submission at 3:31 of Round 1 (Rear-naked choke)

UFC Tonight: UFC 311 Fight Card Prelims Results

Raoni Barcelos defeats Payton Talbott via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

Azamat Bekoev defeats Zach Reese via knockout at 3:04 of Round 1 (Strikes to head on ground)

Bogdan Guskov defeats Billy Elekana via submission at 3:33 of Round 2 (Guillotine choke)

Grant Dawson defeats Diego Ferreira via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)

UFC Tonight: UFC 311 Fight Card Early Prelims Results

Ailín Pérez defeats Karol Rosa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Muin Gafurov defeats Rinya Nakamura via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)

Benardo Sopaj defeats Ricky Turcios via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Tagir Ulanbekov defeats Clayton Carpenter via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

UFC 311 Video Highlights

UFC 311 Scorecards

UFC 311 Bonuses

UFC 311 Fight of the Night: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov

UFC 311 Performance of the Night: Jiri Prochazka

UFC 311 Performance of the Night: Jailton Almeida

UFC 311 Fight Card Main Event: Islam Makhachev Vs. Renato Moicano

Makhachev (26-1) has compiled a 15-1 record with the UFC, racking up 10 finishes (seven submissions, three knockouts) and five decisions. Makhachev captured the vacant UFC lightweight title in October 2022 with a submission win over former UFC 155-pound titleholder Charles Oliveira.

Makhachev has defended his crown three times since defeating Oliveira. His first two title defenses were a decision win and knockout of then-UFC featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski. In his most recent outing, Makhachev submitted former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 302.

Renato Moicano (19-5-1) is riding the first four-fight winning streak of his UFC career. The 35-year-old opened his run with the promotion at 3-0 record between 2014 and 2017. Since then, Moicano has been up and down. He followed that by going 5-5 over his next 10 outings before beginning his current unbeaten streak in 2022.

Moicano is 6-1 dating back to June 2021. His only loss during that time was a March 2022 unanimous decision setback to former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in a 160-pound catchweight battle.

In April 2024, Moicano picked up his first knockout as a member of the UFC, decking Jalin Turner on the early prelims of the UFC 300 fight card.

Then, in September 2024, the UFC tapped Moicano for the first main event of his UFC career against Benoît Saint Denis. That fight ended after the second round after Moicano left Saint Denis’ face bloody and swollen. The damage Moicano put on his opponent forced the doctor to wave off the fight as Saint Denis’ right eye was nearly swollen shut.

Moicano enters UFC 311 as the No. 10 fighter in the UFC’s 155-pound weight class.

UFC 311 Fight Card Co-Main Event: Merab Dvalishvili Vs. Umar Nurmagomedov

Merab Dvalishvili (18-4), a long-time training partner of former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling stepped into the spotlight of the promotion’s 135-pound division in September 2014 when he scored a unanimous decision win over then-champion Sean O’Malley in the main event of UFC 306.

The 33-year-old Dvalishvili joined the UFC in 2017 as much-hyped prospect. At the time, Dvalishvili was 7-2 and had won and defended the Ring of Combat bantamweight crown.

Dvalishvili did not have a smooth start to his UFC run, losing his first two fights. Falling to Frankie Saenz by decision, and the second, to Ricky Simon, via submission. In September 2018, things clicked in place for the Serra-Longo Fight Team product, and he has not lost since.

Heading into UFC 306, Dvalishvili was on a 10-fight winning streak. Prior to his matchup against O’Malley, Dvalishvili had defeated Marlon Moraes, Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, and Henry Cejudo. The win over O’Malley stretched his winning streak to 11 straight. Even with one of those victories coming at a catchweight of 140 pounds, Dvalishvili holds the record for longest winning streak in the division at 10, beating Sterling’s mark of nine wins in a row.

Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0) is the brother of Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov and the cousin of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. He is currently the No. 2 fighter in the official UFC bantamweight rankings.

The 28-year-old joined the UFC in January 2021 with a submission win over Sergey Morozov. Since that win, he has picked up another five victories in the UFC most recently beating former interim UFC title challenger Cory Sandhagen in a five-round main event scrap in August.

The win over Sandhagen answered any questions about Nurmagomedov’s upside. Before the fight there was some criticism that Nurmagomedov had not defeated anyone of note. However, his dominant win over the then No. 2 ranked bantamweight put that talk to rest.

Nurmagomedov looked the part of a future champion against Sandhagen. He went five rounds, never lost his cool, stayed within himself, and stuck to a strong game plan.

UFC 311 results, winners and losers will be updated live throughout tonight’s pay-per-view card.

UFC 311 Pay-Per-View Card Odds And Predictions

UFC 311 Main Event

The betting odds for the fight favor Makhachev (-1100) over Moicano (+700).

The betting pick is for Makhachev to win via stoppage. Moicano is a good fighter, and he is on a decent winning streak, but the step up in competition he faces in the UFC 311 main event is immense. There is nowhere that he is better than Makhachev, and he will struggle mightily with the champs skill set. A knockout or submission is not out of the question for Makhachev.

UFC 311 Co-Main Event

The opening odds for the UFC 311 co-main event saw Nurmagomedov open as the -300 favorite over the +240 Dvalishvili. Those odds have shifted slightly. Today, the challenger is listed at -275 and the champ comes in at +200.

Eighty-three percent of the bets have been placed on Dvalishvili, while 85 percent of the handle is on the champ.

The betting pick is for Nurmagomedov to take the title via decision.

UFC 311: Prochazka Vs. Hill

The opening odds for this light heavyweight contest saw Prochazka open as a -120 betting favorite over the +100 Hill. Those odds have flipped. Today, Hill is the -140 favorite over the +115 Prochazka.

Most of the bets (54 percent) and money (92 percent) are on Hill.

The betting pick is for Hill to beat Prochazka via knockout.

UFC 311: Holland Vs. De Ridder

The opening odds for this matchup saw Holland as the -145 favorite over the +120 De Ridder. Today, the fight is a pick ‘em with Holland at -105 and De Ridder at -115. Holland has the majority of the bets (63 percent) in his favor. Slightly more money has also come in on Holland (51 percent.)

The betting pick is for Holland to win via knockout.

UFC 311: Almeida Vs. Spivac

This heavyweight fight landed on the main card with the removal of Dariush vs. Moicano. Almeida (21-3) opened as a -300 betting favorite over the +260 Spivac (17-4), who came in at +260. Today, Almeida is -450 over Spivac at +340.

Spivac has most of the bets in his favor (61 percent), while most of the money is on Almeida (52 percent).

The betting pick is for Almeida to pick up a submission win.

UFC 311 results, winners and losers and more will be updated live throughout tonight’s pay-per-view card.