Four Unbeaten Records Fell Across UFC 311’s Championship
UFC 311 ended unbeaten professional runs for Umar Nurmagomedov, Payton Talbott, Rinya Nakamura and Clayton Carpenter on January 18, 2025. All four lost decisions at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, with the setbacks spanning a championship challenge and three preliminary bouts.
Nurmagomedov’s first defeat came in a title fight
Merab Dvalishvili retained the bantamweight belt by unanimous decision, with scores of 48–47, 48–47 and 49–46. Nurmagomedov had begun effectively before the champion’s sustained pace became more influential late.
The five-round contest provided a different test from the three-round assignments faced by the other previously unbeaten fighters. Nurmagomedov’s championship opportunity ended after the full twenty-five minutes.
Talbott and Nakamura lost to experienced bantamweights
Raoni Barcelos defeated Talbott by unanimous decision, receiving scores of 30–27, 30–27 and 30–26. His grappling repeatedly disrupted a prospect who had finished his first three UFC opponents.
Muin Gafurov beat Nakamura 30–27 on every card. Heavy punches disrupted Nakamura during the opening rounds, and Gafurov continued controlling the striking exchanges through the third.
Ulanbekov supplied Carpenter’s first setback
Tagir Ulanbekov defeated Carpenter by unanimous decision in the opening contest. The judges returned 30–27, 30–27 and 29–28, extending the night’s pattern of experienced opposition prevailing over unbeaten newcomers or contenders.
The four outcomes shared a completed judges’ decision rather than a stoppage. Each fighter reached the scheduled distance, but none preserved his unbeaten record against the opponent he faced that evening.
Sources
- UFC: official championship and preliminary decisions
- UFC: Nakamura and Carpenter’s unbeaten status and performances
- UFC: Talbott’s first professional defeat and Barcelos’s grappling
- UFC: Carpenter’s unbeaten record entering the event
