UFC 311 takeaways: Makhachev and Dvalishvili are kings of their division, Procházka is a star

Islam Makhachev reminded the MMA world that he is the no. 1 pound-for-pound fighter for a reason. Makhachev dominated late replacement Renato Moicano in a first-round submission victory in the main event of UFC 311 on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., to defend his lightweight title. Can anyone beat Makhachev? He was a heavy favorite, according to ESPN BET, and made it look easy. In the co-main event, bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili had a tough time against Umar Numagomedov, but earned a victory to retain his belt. Now what about the master? In another notable bout, Jiří Procházka stopped former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill in the third round and asked for a third fight with champion Alex Pereira. He is 0-2 against Pereira, can he get the game and get the result this time? What was next for the former champion? Brett Okamoto, Andreas Hale and Jeff Wagenheim share their thoughts on these matches.

The moment is never too big for Makhachev

It didn’t matter who faced the cage from Islam Makhachev. Whether it was Renato Moicano challenging him in the main event, or even if it had been his originally scheduled opponent, Makhachev was going to fight his fight and make Saturday night his all.

The lightweight champion had risen to the top of the sport because of the same quality that once powered his friend and mentor, retired former champion Khabib Nurgamomedov: Unflapable discipline.

A late change in the opponent – Arman Tsarukyan withdrew on Friday with a back injury – did not scare Makhachev. Neither did the unsettling events just a few minutes before, when his friend and teammate Umar Nurmagomedov suffered his first career defeat in an unsuccessful bid for the bantamweight title. Some fighters – even very good ones, champions and stars – could have been exposed to their game. Not Makhachev. He maintained his focus, as usual.

Moicano’s easy submission gives Makhachev 15 straight victories, tying him with Kamaru Usman for the second-longest streak in UFC history, one behind Anderson Silva. He also beat some other all-time greats – including trainer Khabib and BJ Penn – with his fifth lightweight title fight victory, the most ever in the UFC. But records do not tell the story of Makhachev.

The pound-for-pound fighter no. 1 in ESPN’s rankings has abundant skills, but it’s a word that rhymes with skills that really fuels him. It is his will. Not just a will to win, but a will to be Islam Makhachev and nothing less, regardless of the circumstances around him.

Who or what can challenge this man? Whether Makhachev will continue to cut lightweights or move up to welterweight to try to become a two-division champion is a question he and his team will tackle in due course. One thing we do know now: Whenever he steps into the cage next, and against anyone, the moment won’t be too great for Makhachev. — Wagenheim

It’s Dvalishvili, Nurmagomedov and the rest of the division

Before their respective careers are finished, we will see a trilogy between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov. They are clearly the best bantamweights in the world, for one. I’m not discounting the chances of Sean O’Malley, Cory Sandhagen or Petr Yan getting upset, but it’s not the most likely scenario. Right now, the odds favor Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov over every other bantamweight in the world.

Saturday’s game was incredible. And it stands to reason, none of them were the best. Dvalishvili never wanted to fight in this timeline and hinted at not being 100 percent after sustaining an injury to his right leg during training. He wanted to take a break to start 2025, but was thrown into camp early due to the UFC’s desire to book this fight in January.

Nurmagomedov apparently broke his hand in the opening round, and regardless, he will learn from this experience and grow as a result. Whichever of these two you choose to win a rematch, you can feel safe in saying that they will both be better the next time they fight. Their shares also rose on Saturday, which is important. Even going into UFC 311, you wouldn’t say that either Dvalishvili or Nurmagomedov were the biggest names in the division. This match showed them in a different light. It was super entertaining because they were equal. Before this matchup, they were able to impose their will on opponents without much resistance.

Dvalishvili isn’t known as a super exciting bantamweight, but when you put him up against someone like Nurmagomedov who can defend his wrestling and force every ounce out of his famous gas tank, it’s a much more entertaining show. And his antics to the crowd, which can be off-putting if he’s well ahead on the scorecards, have a much more positive effect when he’s fighting in there and looking to rouse a crowd behind him. This could be one of the better rivalries the sport will witness over the next two years. — Okamoto

Procházka is a star, and his performance at UFC 311 proved it

Although he is a notch below Alex Pereira in the light heavyweight pecking order, Jiří Procházka has proven to possess the “it” factor that fans gravitate towards, and his performance on Saturday cemented his place in the hearts of fight fans.

Between his epic staredowns, samurai-influenced lifestyle, and his exciting fighting style, Procházka is one of a kind in the UFC. Add in the fact that he shaved his head in solidarity with Ashly McGarity, the fan who was diagnosed with cervical cancer last September, and you have a fighter the UFC can get behind, with or without a world title.

UFC 311 was another display of the Czech’s star power as he engaged in a thrilling battle with Jamahal Hill before scoring a third-round knockout in another stunning showdown. The crowd was solidly behind Prochazka throughout, and the finish reflected his magnetic aura.

There is rarely a dull moment in a Procházka match. His defense is little more than moving his head and he barely weaves his way out of danger, while his unorthodox offense is difficult for his opponents to read on. Hill didn’t have the reflexes to pick up on the move and was eventually crushed by the former champion. Outside of Pereira, no one has succeeded in finding out about Procházka.

Will he become world champion again? Perhaps. But the UFC has needed stars who can draw outside of world title fights, and Procházka fits the bill. A fight with Khalil Rountree should be next on the list and could be worthy of the first BMF title fight in the light heavyweight division. — Tail