Makhachev to defend lightweight title at UFC 311

Islam Makhachev beat Dustin Poirier in his last UFC lightweight title defence in June

Russian star Islam Makhachev will defend his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 in California on 18 January.

The fight is a rematch of their brilliant 2019 contest which Makhachev won on points.

It will be the UFC's first big event of 2025, and bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili's first title defence will be the co-main event.

Georgia's Dvalishvili will face Russia's Umar Nurmagomedov, the cousin of UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov and will be challenging for a UFC title for the first time.

Nurmagomedov, 28, is undefeated in 18 fights while Dvalishvili has four losses in 22 fights.

Makhachev defends his lightweight belt for the fourth time since winning it in 2022 and the 33-year-old will look to improve his impressive 26-1 record.

Tsarukyan, 28, will be the underdog but is on a four-fight winning streak and his last victory was over former champion Charles Oliveira in April.