Motivated rematch: can Tsarukyan take the title from Makhachev?
On the morning of January 19, UFC 311 will take place in Los Angeles, where three Russian fighters will fight for the championship belt: Islam Makhachev will defend the lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan, and Umar Nurmagomedov will try to take the lightweight belt from Georgian Merab Dvalishvili. In total, the card will feature seven fighters from Russia and CIS countries - we tell you about each fight.
Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan
The fight between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan will be a rematch. The first fight took place in 2019 at a tournament in Moscow, when Makhachev could not find an opponent and Tsarukyan, for whom that fight was the debut in the UFC, agreed to go against him. Makhachev had won five fights and lost one. The fight was surprisingly competitive, but the Dagestani fighter took all three rounds, winning by unanimous decision.
Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan during the fight
Three years later, Islam became UFC champion, and Tsarukyan dreamed of a rematch, because since then he has had 10 fights, losing only one. Makhachev, on the other hand, had won ten fights in a row. The fighters exchanged barbed remarks from time to time, but the question of a second fight really came up when Arman defeated former UFC champion Charles Oliveira.
- I don't see any weaknesses for Islam. I don't see anything he doesn't have," Tsarukyan's trainer Marcos DaMatt told Izvestia. - The only thing that Makhachev is a bit behind is his stamina. He gets tired. He got tired in his fight with Dustin Porier. But technically, Makhachev is very advanced: good standup, incredible wrestling, sambo, great jiu-jitsu, great finishes. He's a big guy. He has no disadvantages, no weaknesses. But at the same time, he and Arman are similar. Arman doesn't have any weaknesses either. In their first fight, he had some gaps in his jiu-jitsu. Maybe that's why he came out to me. We worked a lot on his jiu-jitsu, he developed and in the end he deserved what this fight is now so highly anticipated.
Makhachev is considered the clear favorite in this fight, but Tsarukyan is definitely capable of surprising. Arman has made a lot of loud statements about knocking out his opponent and taking him out, but he has always behaved respectfully towards Makhachev. One way or another, whatever the result of this fight, the lightweight belt will remain with the Russian.
- I treat both Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan well," former UFC fighter Alexey Oleinik emphasized to Izvestia. - These are guys who do not cause negativity. I will be rooting for both of them. Both can win. It seems to me that Makhachev has a certain constitutional advantage - he is taller and fitter. His technique is faster, and he is just better prepared technically. Tsarukyan has a motivational advantage, this is a rematch for him. There is a feeling that the fight could end early. I'm expecting a decent and tough fight
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
Merab became champion in September 2024 when he defeated Sean O'Malley by unanimous decision. On his way to the title, the Georgian won ten fights in a row, while losing his two UFC starts. Dvalishvili is a fierce fighter who doesn't strive for spectacularity: he won only one fight out of 11 in the UFC.
Umar's path to a title shot didn't turn out to be as long. Nurmagomedov won six fights and never lost, and his most serious opponent at the moment can be considered Cory Sandhagen, to whom Khabib's cousin left no chance. Umar won three out of six fights before the end of the fight, and one of the fights ended with a bright knockout in the first round.
Merab Dvalishvili
The fighters have always treated each other with restraint, but when the bout was announced, Dvalishvili started actively badgering Nurmagomedov and then talking about how it was Umar who was disrespecting him. On paper it looks like the odds of the contenders are equal, but bookmakers consider Nurmagomedov a serious favorite.
- Dvalishvili is nervous," Umar Nurmagomedov emphasized at the press conference. - He was forced to fight me. Even before he became champion, he didn't want this fight. He can't say anything to the UFC or Dana White to show them his position.
Tagir Ulanbekov - Clayton Carpenter
Ulanbekov is a Team Khabib fighter who has been competing in the UFC for over four years. In that time, Tagir has only had five fights, winning four fights. Ulanbekov has handled Bruno Silva, Allan Nascimento, Nate Maness and Cody Durden, but was unable to defeat Tim Elliott. This time Tagir's opponent will be young American Clayton Carpenter.
Tagir Ulanbekov
Carpenter will be making his third fight in the UFC, he previously dealt with Juankamilo Ronderos and Lucas Rocha, finishing both with choke holds. Clayton has a total of eight wins and no losses in his career - prior to the UFC, he competed in LFA, where he won by knockout in 13 seconds. Carpenter got into the major leagues through Dana White's challenger series.
Jailton Almeida - Sergey Spivak
The Brazilian and Moldovan heavyweight will compete in the prelims, but the bout deserves to be on the main card. Almeida defeated Spivak's compatriot Alexander Romanov in his last fight and rehabilitated himself for his loss to Curtis Blaydes. In total, the Brazilian has seven wins in eight fights - almost every opponent he finished in the first round. The exception was Derrick Lewis, whom Almeida knocked out for five rounds.
Jailton Almeida
Spivak is also a master of sub-missions - in his last fight, he finished Marcin Tybura, to whom he lost by decision five years ago, with an armbar. In total, Spivak has eight wins and four losses in the UFC. In addition to Tybura, he's lost to Walt Harris, Tom Aspinall and Cyril Gawn. And among Spivak's "scalps" are such fighters as the same Lewis, Alexey Oleynik and Tai Tuivasa.
Bogdan Guskov - Billy Elekana
The Russian fighter with an Uzbekistani passport was originally scheduled to go up against Brazilian Johnny Walker in the main card, but Walker was injured and was replaced by debutant Elekana. Guskov was once in the American's shoes himself: in September 2023 he came out on short notice against Volkan Ozdemir, but lost without a chance in the first round. Since then Bogdan has won two fights ahead of schedule, against Zach Pauga and Ryan Spann, and Guskov is now ranked in the top 15 of the flyweight division.
Bogdan Guskov
Elekana is a fighter who is a complete unknown. The 29-year-old Billy has only had eight professional fights in his career, seven of which he has won. Elekana has previously appeared in leagues such as LFA and PFL, but has not found much fame there, although he has lost only one fight out of four.
Zach Reece - Azamat Bekoev
Ossetian middleweight Bekoev has wanted to get into the UFC for a long time, but something always got in the way. Azamat is the champion of the LFA league, where he has made two defenses of the belt. Earlier Bekoev performed in the ACA league, winning six fights out of nine. In total, the Russian's professional career has 18 wins and three losses.
Azamat Bekoev
Bekoev came out on short notice as Cedric Dumas withdrew from his bout against Zach Reece. Reece has won eight fights in his career, with seven of his victories ending early in the first round. Four times, Zach was victorious before the first minute expired. He has had three fights in the UFC, defeating Julian Marquez and Jose Medina, but losing to Cody Brandeige.
Rinya Nakamura - Muin Gafurov
Tajik fighter Gafurov had three fights in the UFC - he lost to John Castaneda and Said Nurmagomedov, but defeated Kyung Ho Kang. Before coming to the UFC, Gafurov was an LFA champion and also competed in organizations such as ONE Championship and ASW.
Muin Gafurov
His next opponent will be Japan's Rinya Nakamura, an undefeated fighter with a 9-0 record. Nakamura has won three fights so far in the UFC - against Toshiomi Kazama, Ferny Garcia and Carlos Vera. The Japanese is a titled freestyle fighter, but he has also won by knockout most often in his MMA career, with five wins in nine fights.
