How to watch UFC 311: Date, time, fight card
01/14/2025 04:27 PM
It had been way too long since MMA fans got to watch UFC action. The first UFC card of the new year was the UFC Apex card on Jan. 11. Now, fans finally get to see a pay-per-view, as UFC 311 is just around the corner. After a year filled with stacked fight cards, huge moments, iconic fights, massive knockouts, and superstars bursting onto the scene, expectations are high for the UFC in 2025. Luckily, Dana White is starting things off with a bang, as UFC 311 has two championship bouts and a number of the best fighters in the promotion. In this article, we will detail everything that you need to know about UFC 311.
When and where is UFC 311?
UFC 311 is on Saturday, Jan. 18. The early prelims will start at 6 p.m. ET, with the prelims taking place at 8 p.m. ET. Finally, the main card starts at 10 p.m. ET. The event is currently scheduled to take place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California, but of course, several tragic wildfires are ripping through the city of Los Angeles. That might force the UFC to switch locations, and if that ends up being the case, Dana White has already hinted that the fights will be moved to Las Vegas, Nevada.
How to watch UFC 311
UFC 311 is a pay-per-view event, so the main card will require an additional purchase through ESPN+. Before the main card, you can catch the early prelims on UFC Fight Pass and the prelims on ESPNEWS and ESPN+.
Date: Saturday, Jan. 18 | Time: 10 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: Intuit Dome — Los Angeles, California
How to watch: ESPN+ PPV (main card)
Odds: Islam Makhachev -430 over Armen Tsarukyan – Umar Nurmagomedov -330 over Merab Dvalishvili
UFC 311 fight card
Main card:
Lightweight: Islam Makhachev (C) vs. Armen Tsarukyan, title bout
Bantamweight: Merab Dvalishvili (C) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov, title bout
Light heavyweight: Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill
Lightweight: Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano
Middleweight: Kevin Holland vs. Reinier De Ridder
Prelims:
Light heavyweight: Bogdan Guskov vs. Billy Elekana
Bantamweight: Payton Talbott vs. Raoni Barcelos
Heavyweavy: Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac
Middleweight: Zachary Reese vs. Azamat Bekoev
Early prelims:
Lightweight: Grant Dawson vs. Diego Ferreira
Women’s bantamweight: Karol Rosa vs. Ailin Perez
Bantamweight: Rinya Nakamura vs. Muin Gafurov
Bantamweight: Ricky Turcios vs. Benardo Sopaj
Flyweight: Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Clayton Carpenter
Main event
Islam Makhachev is the best fighter in the UFC right now, and we made that known in our pound-for-pound rankings. At 26-1, Makhachev hasn’t lost since 2015. His current 14-fight winning streak is the third longest in UFC history, and one of the only fighters to give Makhachev a run for his money was his soon-to-be UFC 311 opponent, Armen Tsarukyan. The two last faced off in 2019, and the fight marked one of only two times Makhachev has gone to decision since 2017.
Everyone knows what Makhachev can do in the octagon. He is an elite wrestler who is capable of putting opponents in submission holds with ease, but he also has more elite striking than he is given credit for. Makhachev was recently in the news for something outside of the octagon, though. Makhachev’s coach and mentor, all-time UFC great, Khabib Nurmagomedov, was kicked off of his flight destined for Los Angeles.
Nurmagomedov has since arrived in Los Angeles, and the unfortunate setback shouldn’t slow down Makhachev at all. He won’t have things easy against Tsarukyan, either, though. Tsarukyan has won nine of his last 10 fights in his own right, including an impressive UFC 300 victory over Charles Oliveira. Makhachev is still the heavy favorite in this championship bout, but Tsarukyan has perhaps the best skill set to try and knock Makhachev off the top.
Main card
In addition to the Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan fight, Nurmagomedov will be in the corner for his cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov. Umar is fighting for the Bantamweight Championship in the co-main event. This is an interesting matchup because both Nurmagomedov and his opponent, the incumbent champion Merab Dvalishvili, are elite wrestlers with incredible stamina.
Dvalishvili was unstoppable when he won the belt over Sean O’Malley, one of the biggest stars in the UFC, but Nurmagomedov has the potential to become a dominant champion in his own right. Not to mention, his family/training partners care a lot about legacy. Nurmagomedov is 18-0, making him one of the best undefeated fighters alive. Dvalishvili has 18 wins in his own right, and he hasn’t lost any of his last 11 bouts.
A number of the biggest trash talkers in the UFC will be on the main card as well, setting things up to be super entertaining. Kevin Holland was nicknamed Big Mouth for a reason, Renato Moicano has been trashing everybody on his way up the lightweight ladder, and Jamahal Hill has found a way to talk trash even after being brutally knocked out at UFC 300.
Hill’s fight is against Jiri Prochazka, who, like Hill, lost his most recent fight to Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira. Prochazka is a fan favorite because of his samurai-like fighting style. Hill, meanwhile, is trying to recapture the belt that he had to vacate due to injury, and a win could get him back into contention. Back when Hill was champion, Prochazka seemed like a shoo-in to fight him, but we will be getting this match at UFC 311 instead.
Moicano is fighting Beneil Dariush. These fighters are trending in very different directions. Moicano won three fights in 2024, while Dariush took the year off after losing his last two fights in the first round to Armen Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira, respectively. Prior to that, though, Dariush had won eight straight titles and seemed to be in line for a title fight.
Holland has had more fights since 2021 than anybody else in the UFC. The ultimate gatekeeper, Holland will be taking on Reinier De Ridder in what is the former’s 14th fight since 2021. A win isn’t always guaranteed with Holland, but an entertaining bout is. It is tough to know what to expect from his opponent, though, considering Ridder only has one UFC bout to his name.
Prelims
Khabib Nurmagomedov will be busy at UFC 311. In addition to coaching his close friend (Makhachev) and cousin (Umar Nurmagomedov), Khabib will also be in the corner for Tagir Ulanbekov in what is the first fight of the night. Fighters from Dagestan are dominating the sport right now, and the 15-2 Ulanbekov could be next in line to establish himself as a star from the territory.
Payton Talbott vs. Raoni Barcelos is the biggest fight in the prelims, though. Talbott is one of the best up-and-comers in the UFC, and he has entertained to the max in his young UFC career. Barcelos is an aging veteran who has struggled against emerging stars before.
Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac is another bout worth mentioning in the prelims. The two are ranked sixth and seventh in the heavyweight division, respectively. These are two of the best grappling/wrestling specialists we’ve ever seen at heavyweight, so while most 265-pound clashes end up being slugfests, this fight might end up on the ground.
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