UFC 311 will proceed without backup fighters for its top two title fights, featuring Islam Makhachev vs. Armen Tsarukyan and Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov, as the UFC often decides on a case-by-case basis whether to have backup contenders for title bouts.
UFC 311’s top two fights better not see any hiccups. Seriously, fingers crossed.
MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin confirmed with sources familiar with the plans—no backup fighters are set to weigh in for either title fight at UFC 311. It’s happening on Jan. 18 in Inglewood, Calif. Lightweight champ Islam Makhachev rematches Armen Tsarukyan in the main event. Meanwhile, Merab Dvalishvili seeks his first bantamweight title defense against the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event.
The news? Not so shocking. UFC doesn’t have a strict rule about when a title fight needs a backup contender.
Look back at UFC 310 last December: no backup for the flyweight title bout between champ Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Asakura. That fight wasn’t supposed to headline but got bumped up after welterweight champ Belal Muhammad pulled out due to a foot infection. Ouch.
Flashback to UFC 309 a month earlier: interim champ Tom Aspinall weighed in as a backup for heavyweight champ Jon Jones‘ title defense against Stipe Miocic. And then, at UFC 308 in October, Diego Lopes was ready to step in as a backup for the main event between featherweight champ Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway.