Islam Makhachev Looks to Finish Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311

UFC 311 Kicks Off 2025 in Style – Prepared Better Now Than Their First Fight

Islam Makhachev is set to defend his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 on January 19, 2025. This highly anticipated rematch will headline the first major UFC event of the year. Makhachev, reigning over the lightweight division with authority, will make his fourth title defense against Tsarukyan, a surging contender.

The pair last faced off on April 20, 2019, in what many consider one of Makhachev’s toughest fights. Despite widespread belief that this encounter was his career’s hardest challenge, Makhachev disagrees. Speaking with Daniel Cormier in a recent ESPN MMA interview, the lightweight champion explained why.

Volkanovski: The Toughest Opponent

Makhachev acknowledges that his first fight with Tsarukyan was indeed challenging but doesn’t regard the Armenian as his toughest adversary. Instead, he highlights his first bout with featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 as the hardest test of his career.

“The five rounds with Volkanovski were absolutely crazy. My heart rate hit 200,” Makhachev revealed. This statement underlines the intensity of their closely contested fight. Makhachev emerged victorious in that battle, cementing his status as one of the pound-for-pound greats.

A New Approach to the Tsarukyan Rematch

Reflecting on his first meeting with Tsarukyan, Makhachev admitted to underestimating the Armenian challenger. “I didn’t know him well back then, and I was surprised when he defended my takedowns,” Makhachev told Cormier. Since then, Tsarukyan has improved significantly, climbing the lightweight rankings with impressive performances.

Makhachev has studied his opponent thoroughly this time around and is confident the rematch won’t go the distance. When asked if he expects to finish Tsarukyan, Makhachev confidently replied: “I think so, yes.”

Fans can look forward to an intense battle as Tsarukyan seeks redemption and Makhachev aims to solidify his legacy.

Full Match Card and Broadcast Details

The event will take place on Saturday, January 19, 2025, at a location yet to be announced. The preliminary card begins at 5:00 PM ET, the main prelims at 8:00 PM ET, and the main card kicks off at 10:00 PM ET.

Main Card (PPV – 10:00 PM ET):

Lightweight Title Bout: Islam Makhachev (C) vs. Arman Tsarukyan
• Bantamweight Title Bout: Merab Dvalishvili (C) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
• Lightweight Bout: Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano
• Light Heavyweight Bout: Ji?í Procházka vs. Jamahal Hill
• Middleweight Bout: Kevin Holland vs. Reinier de Ridder

Preliminary Card (ESPN2 / ESPN+ – 8:00 PM ET):

Light Heavyweight Bout: Johnny Walker vs. Bogdan Guskov
• Bantamweight Bout: Payton Talbott vs. Raoni Barcelos
• Heavyweight Bout: Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac
• Middleweight Bout: Zachary Reese vs. Sedriques Dumas

Early Preliminary Card (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass – 5:00 PM ET):

Lightweight Bout: Grant Dawson vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira
• Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Karol Rosa vs. Ailín Pérez
• Bantamweight Bout: Rinya Nakamura vs. Muin Gafurov
• Bantamweight Bout: Ricky Turcios vs. Bernardo Sopaj
• Flyweight Bout: Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Clayton Carpenter

This stacked card ensures fans will witness top-tier competition across multiple divisions.

Source: MMAnytt.se

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