The UFC 311 weigh-ins took place Friday morning in Los Angeles, setting the stage for a dramatic fight night at the Intuit Dome. However, the event was not without its share of last-minute drama, as a significant change to the main event sent shockwaves through the MMA community.
Main Event Upheaval
In a stunning turn of events, original challenger Arman Tsarukyan was forced to withdraw from his lightweight title bout against Islam Makhachev due to a back injury. Stepping up on short notice is Renato Moicano, who was originally scheduled to face Beneil Dariush on the same card.
MAKHACHEV VS. MOICANO OFFICIAL 🤯
Islam Makhachev will now face Renato Moicano at #UFC311 after Arman Tsarukyan pulled out due to injury, Dana White announced. pic.twitter.com/PyTNVMUHM9
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 17, 2025
Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev successfully made weight at 154.5 pounds, demonstrating his professionalism despite the unexpected change in opponent. Moicano, who had been preparing for a three-round fight, also hit the scales at the championship weight of 155 pounds, seizing the opportunity for an impromptu title shot.
Weigh-In Highlights
The rest of the card proceeded without major issues, with all fighters making weight for their respective bouts. The co-main event bantamweight title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov is officially set, with both fighters hitting their marks at 134 and 135 pounds respectively.
The first UFC title fight of 2025 is OFFICIAL!
Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov have made weight for their #UFC311 bantamweight title grudge match. pic.twitter.com/IJAC76PCCs
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) January 17, 2025
A highly anticipated light heavyweight clash between former champions Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill also got the green light, with both men coming in under the 206-pound limit.
Here are the official weigh-in results for UFC 311:
UFC 311 Main Card (ESPN+ PPV 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
- Islam Makhachev (154.5) vs. Renato Moicano (155) – Lightweight Title Fight
- Merab Dvalishvili (134) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (135) – Bantamweight Title Fight
- Jiri Prochazka (204.5) vs. Jamahal Hill (205.5)
- Jailton Almeida (235) vs. Serghei Spivac (233)
- Kevin Holland (183.5) vs. Reinier de Ridder (184.5)
UFC 311 Televised Prelims (FX/ESPNews/ESPN+/Disney+ 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)
- Payton Talbott (134.5) vs. Raoni Barcelos (135.5)
- Bogdan Guskov (205.5) vs. Billy Elekana (200)
- Grant Dawson (156) vs. Diego Ferreira (156)
- Zach Reese (185.5) vs. Azamat Bekoev (185.5)
UFC 311 Early Prelims: (UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+ 6 PM ET/ 3 PM PT)
- Karol Rosa (135.5) vs. Ailin Perez (135)
- Rinya Nakamura (135.5) vs. Muin Gafurov (136)
- Ricky Turcios (136) vs. Benardo Sopaj (135)
- Tagir Ulanbekov (125.5) vs. Clayton Carpenter (125.5)
