UFC 311 Goes Ahead in Inglewood as Makhachev Closes the Show
UFC 311 took place at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on January 18, 2025, while wildfires affected the Los Angeles region. Discussion about contingency plans preceded the event, but the completed card remained in Southern California and produced two championship results.
The lightweight headliner changes late
Islam Makhachev retained the lightweight title against short-notice challenger Renato Moicano. He secured a first-round submission at 4:05, ending the main event before the opening five minutes had expired and completing another successful defense of the 155-pound belt.
The opponent had changed late in fight week after Arman Tsarukyan withdrew. Moicano moved into the championship assignment, creating a separate competitive disruption from the questions surrounding the fires and the event’s venue.
Two championship defenses reach a conclusion
In the co-main event, Merab Dvalishvili defeated Umar Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision to retain the bantamweight championship. That five-round contest contrasted with Makhachev’s rapid finish, giving the card both a full-distance defense and a first-round submission at the top.
Jiří Procházka also stopped Jamahal Hill in the third round of their light heavyweight meeting. The completed results anchor the event’s history in Inglewood: the venue hosted the fights, both reigning champions kept their belts, and the late change in the lightweight challenger was resolved inside the cage. The surrounding uncertainty did not become a cancellation or a move to another city.
Sources
- ufc.com: ufc 311
- UFC
- mmamania.com: ufc 311 could move to las vegas if wildfires keep intuit dome closed islam merab umar los angeles
Article Tags
UFC, MMA
