UFC 311: Who Will Be the Winners on the Main Card?
UFC 311 is this Saturday on January 18th, 2025, and it is a massive card that will feature two title fights. In the main event, Arman Tsarukyan and Islam Makhachev will compete in a highly-anticipated rematch for Islam’s UFC Lightweight Championship. In the co-main, Merab Dvalishvili will defend his UFC Bantamweight Championship for the first time since winning it against Umar Nurmagomedov. Here is a breakdown of all the matchups that will be on the main card of UFC 311, and predictions on who may win these fights.
Kevin Holland vs Reinier de Ridder
The UFC 311 main card opens with a middleweight bout between Reinier de Ridder and the most exciting fighter to watch in the UFC, Kevin Holland. These are two stylistically different opponents as Holland is known to keep fights on the feet while Reinier prefers the ground game. Holland is known to fight carelessly at times, which could open up multiple takedown opportunities during the fight. If de Ridder can successfully find openings, and he likely will, it could be an easy night for the former ONE Middleweight Champion.
Prediction: Reinier de Ridder - Decision
Beneil Dariush vs Renato Moicano
Both Beniel Dariush and Renato Moicano have established themselves as top names in the lightweight division. However, what separates them is their current standing in the UFC. Dariush has likely peaked as a fighter and is now in the latter half of his career. Moicano, on the other hand, is just now reaching his prime despite being in his mid-30s. Given that Dariush has a bad chin coming into this fight with two back-to-back KO losses against Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan, and Moicano’s recently- developed striking which has resulted in multiple TKO victories, it seems clear how this fight will go at UFC 311
Prediction: Renato Moicano - KO/TKO Round 2
Jamahal Hill vs Jiri Prochazka
Two top contenders at light heavyweight who are both coming off losses to Alex Pereira will now face each other at UFC 311. Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill will enter the Octagon to see who the better striker is between them. Although they both lost to Pereira, Prochazka did via TKO in the second round, and Hill did via first-round knockout. Given that he is coming off a knockout loss, it could be a tough fight for Hill if he absorbs too much damage from a fighter like Prochazka. Jiri also has a grappling advantage over Jamahal, though it’s safe to say the fight will stay on the feet. Even though they are both great strikers, Jiri has a power and technique advantage, which will likely result in a win for him.
Prediction: Jiri Prochazka - KO/TKO Round 3
Merab Dvalishvili vs Umar Nurmagomedov - UFC Bantamweight Championship
Merab Dvalishvili is arguably the best wrestler in the UFC right now, and he showed that when he won the UFC Bantamweight Championship from Sean O’Malley at UFC 306. However, he is facing one of the best grapplers in the UFC at UFC 311 Umar Nurmagomedov, someone who is a stylistic nightmare for him. This is because Umar is not only a great wrestler but also a great striker who was able to outland Corey Sandhagen in his last outing. Although Merab currently has the most stamina in the UFC, Umar also showed great stamina in his fight against Sandhagen. This will be a close matchup where both fighters will look to out-grapple each other, though it’s more probable that the Khabib Nurmagomedov legacy continues this Saturday.
Prediction: Umar Nurmagomedov - Decision
Islam Makhachev vs Arman Tsarukyan - UFC Lightweight Championship
In the main event of UFC 311, Islam Makhachev will look to break the record for most UFC Lightweight Championship wins against Arman Tsarukyan. Both Makhachev and Tsarukyan have faced each other before in 2019, which Makhachev won by decision. They are the two best wrestlers in the lightweight division currently, though what differentiates them is Islam’s greatly developed striking within the past few years. Although Arman is a good striker in his own right, Makhachev was able to out-strike Dustin Poirier during his last defense and has done the same with Alexander Volkanovski in the past. It seems like Makhachev has both the striking and wrestling advantage going into this fight, and with Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner again, he will look to break his mentor’s title record right in front of him.
Prediction: Islam Makhachev - Decision
