UFC CEO Dana White announced a major change to the UFC 311 fight card on January 17, 2025, revealing that Arman Tsarukyan has been forced to withdraw from his rematch against Islam Makhachev due to back issues. Stepping in as a replacement, Renato Moicano will now challenge Makhachev for the UFC lightweight title.
Moicano enters the fight on a four-match win streak, with three of those victories coming by finish. His most recent performance came in a main event against Benoît Saint-Denis in Paris, where he scored a second-round TKO victory via doctor’s stoppage. Since moving up to the lightweight division in March 2020, Moicano has posted a solid 7-2 record.
Islam Makhachev, the reigning lightweight champion and No.1 pound-for-pound fighter, quickly accepted the fight with Moicano. Makhachev will be defending his title for the fourth time, and if he is successful, he will set the record for the most title defenses in the history of the lightweight division.
As a result of this change, Beneil Dariush will no longer compete at UFC 311. Additionally, the heavyweight bout between Jailton Almeida and Serghei Spivac has been promoted to the main card.
UFC 311 is scheduled for January 18, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The event will kick off with prelims at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, followed by the main card live on PPV at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Stay tuned to UFC.com for any further updates leading up to the event.
