A Night of Dominance

via ufcnews.com, newsweek.com, inkl.com

In the first pay-per-view of 2025, the UFC pulled off a thrilling night of combat. Fans were on their feet the entire night, and the fights themselves were nothing short of spectacular. With so much to analyze, let's start with the featured bout of the evening.

In a light-heavyweight title eliminator bout, Jiří Procházka took on Jamahal Hill. This matchup was crucial for both fighters looking to avenge knockout losses and climb back into title contention. For Procházka, he was coming off of a one-sided beat down at the hands of the current champion, Alex Pereira. The former champion vowed to make tactical adjustments, incorporating increased head movement and a higher guard. Procházka promised the fans that this time, his strategy would significantly differ from his previous contests. For Hill, he also was entering the contest looking to silence all doubters. Coming off a first-round knockout loss at UFC 300 to Pereira, Hill claimed that the contest was a fluke and would prove that in his fight with Procházka. With both fighters making confident claims to emerge victorious, the pressure was on both to deliver. Hill entered the fight with the same pre-fight antics he usually does, criticizing Procházka for the competitiveness of his contests, stating how those were incomparable to his fights. Procházka, classy as usual, refrained from engaging in the back and forth, letting his talking take place in the octagon. As the fight began, both fighters started to exchange on the feet, with brutal blows dealt to both sides. Halfway through the first round, Procházka caught Hill entering with a looping right hook, beating him to the punch and dropping the American with a straight left. UFC fans have been accustomed to Procházka’s breakneck pace, throwing caution to the wind once his opponent is hurt and finishing him. However, the Czech showed his evolving style, taking a patient approach while conserving his energy and keeping himself out of danger. In the second round, Hill began to find his rhythm. As Procházka would enter exchanges, Hill would catch him with right uppercuts and hooks. Additionally, the former champion effectively utilized knees to the body, demonstrating superior ability in the clinch. Heading into the final round, most fans had the bout even, with the final round, in all likelihood, determining the winner. When the bell rang for the third round, chaos ensued, which is something that Procházka is used to. Once again, Hill threw a looping, lunging right hook, and Procházka recognized this pattern. A testament to his evolved style, the Czech demonstrated superb head movement, avoiding the right hook and countering with two straights, flooring Hill, and ultimately securing the victory via knockout. In his post-fight interview, an emotional Procházka called for a trilogy fight with Alex Pereira. Ultimately, it is up to Dana White to grant Procházka a third shot at redemption, but if he shows up against Pereira like he did tonight, it may be his best chance to dethrone the champion. For Hill, there is no reason to hang his head. Despite two consecutive losses, he is still firmly in the title picture, and a bout versus contenders such as Khalil Rountree Jr or the loser of Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev may be in the cards for the former champion. 

Moving onto the co-main event, bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili successfully defended his title against Umar Nurmagomedov. Dvalishvili entered the contest hungry and motivated to silence the critics, who thought he stood no chance against Nurmagomedov. The champion expressed his feelings of disrespect, perplexed as to how the majority of MMA fans and experts had him losing the contest. For Nurmagomedov, this was a chance further to cement his family's legacy in UFC history, adding another champion from Dagestan as a disciple of the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. As the opening round commenced, Nurmagomedov looked poised and sharp, unfazed by the magnitude of the moment. The Dagestani exploited his advantage on the feet, countering Dvalishvili with hooks and knees when he would try to engage in grappling sequences. The first two rounds were flawless from the challenger, and heading into the third round, Nurmagomedov looked in a good position to claim victory and UFC gold. Nonetheless, you can never underestimate the heart of a champion. The third round was razor close, with Dvalishvili succeeding in entering Nurmagomedov's pocket. This fight may have been the highest level we have ever seen in the grappling department, with the scrambles on the mat being spectacular and both fighters showing world-class skill. However, it was becoming more evident that the tide was shifting, and the champion sensed his opponent withering away. In the fourth round, Dvalishvili began to find increased success in securing takedowns, smothering his opponent against the fence, and finding victory in the clinch. The fifth round was dominant for the champion, who combined his lethal cardio with showboating, putting the crowd on their feet while taking down his opponent at will. In the fight's final minute, the champion landed a cracking right hand, wobbling the challenger. He then shot for four takedowns in the final minute of the bout, demonstrating that no fighter comes close to the Georgian regarding cardio. Ultimately, the judges awarded a unanimous decision victory to Dvalishvili, marking his first title defense. Dvalishvili’s resume is arguably superior to anyone in bantamweight history, with victories over Marlon Moraes, Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, Sean O’Malley, and now Umar Nurmagomedov. The future is unclear for the champion, but with Petr Yan surging to title contention once more, a rematch between the two is possible. For Nurmagomedov, his story is certainly not finished, and he will be back in title contention shortly. 

In the final bout of the evening, for the lightweight championship, Islam Makhachev took on Renato Moicano. Moicano took the fight on only a day's notice, saving the event and providing the champion with a worthy opponent. For Makhachev, he remained steadfast in competing, regardless of opponent. Moicano repeatedly stated that he would not waste this opportunity and he would defeat Makhachev to become the undisputed champion. Unfortunately for the Brazillian, that was not how the fight played out. It was a quick night in the office for Makhachev, who secured a first-round d’arce choke, the same submission he executed against Dustin Poirier in his previous contest.

Following the fight, many fans expected Makhachev to call for his opportunity to secure a second belt. However, with training partner and close friend Belal Muhammad sitting on the welterweight throne, Makhachev has hinted at moves to middleweight to challenge for the 185-pound title. In all likelihood, he will not be granted that opportunity, and if not, Makhachev has limited options. Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria called out Makhachev following his bout, stating that he would quickly finish the Dagestani if they were to fight. In his post-fight press conference, Dana White alerted the media that Arman Tsarukyan, who pulled out of the contest due to injury, would not be granted a title shot in his next fight. A possible interim title match between Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira could be possible while Makhachev decides what’s next. If, in fact, the champion chooses to fight Ilia Topuria, we could be looking at one of the biggest fights in UFC history.

All in all, UFC 311 was a night for the ages, with the card surpassing expectations from top to bottom. This sets the stage for a groundbreaking 2025 for the company, and the next pay-per-view to follow is a rematch for the undisputed middleweight title between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland. For an in-depth breakdown of UFC 312, be sure to head over to our pre-fight analysis page.