INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Is Islam Makhachev the greatest lightweight fighter in UFC history? After UFC 311, he’s got one record working in his favor.
Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) needed a quick wakeup call, but once it happened, it didn’t take long for him to dispose of Renato Moicano (20-6-1 MMA, 12-6 UFC) with a D’arce choke Saturday night at Intuit Dome. The finish came at the 4:05 mark of the first round, marking Makhachev’s fifth consecutive title defense.
Islam Makhachev submits Renato Moicano in the first round! #AndStill #UFC311 pic.twitter.com/6Hqr8fLJ3w
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) January 19, 2025
Makhachev now holds that record, surpassing Khabib Nurmagomedov, Benson Henderson and B.J. Penn for the most title defenses in divisional history.
For a brief moment, Moicano – who took the fight on one day’s notice after Arman Tsarukyan was forced to withdraw – gave Makhachev a scare when he knocked him down. But Makhachev quickly bounced back up to his feet.
Once standing again, Makhachev wasted no time shooting for a takedown, easily getting it, and working for the finish.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 311 results include:
- Islam Makhachev def. Renato Moicano via submission (D’arce choke) – Round 1, 4:05
- Merab Dvalishvili def. Umar Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
- Jiri Prochazka def. Jamahal Hill via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 3:01
- Jailton Almeida def. Serghei Spivac via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:53
- Reinier de Ridder def. Kevin Holland via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:31
- Raoni Barcelos def. Payton Talbott via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
- Azamat Bekoev def. Zach Reese via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 3:04
- Bogdan Guskov def. Billy Elekana via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 3:33
- Grant Dawson def. Diego Ferreira via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Ailin Perez def. Karol Rosa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Muin Gafurov def. Rinya Nakamura via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Bernardo Sopaj def. Ricky Turcios via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Tagir Ulanbekov def. Clayton Carpenter via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.
