Islam Makhachev Defends Lightweight Title with First-Round Submission of Renato Moicano at UFC 311
Merab Dvalishvili successfully defends bantamweight title in a thrilling match against Umar Nurmagomedov.
Islam Makhachev successfully retained his lightweight championship at UFC 311, defeating 10th-ranked Renato Moicano by first-round submission. The Russian MMA fighter extended his undefeated streak to 15 straight wins, securing the victory in just four minutes and five seconds at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on Saturday.
Makhachev, with a record of 27 wins and only one loss, quickly took Moicano down and applied a D’Arce choke, marking his 13th submission victory. At 33 years old, Makhachev now holds the record for the most title fight wins in the lightweight division with five and is the first fighter in his weight class to defend the belt successfully four times.
"I like this belt," Makhachev said post-fight. "If somebody wants this belt, come to the cage."
Moicano, a late replacement for top-ranked Arman Tsarukyan, who withdrew from the fight due to severe back pain, entered the bout with a solid record of nine wins in his last 10 fights. However, he was unable to match Makhachev's grappling, acknowledging the Russian’s superiority. Moicano expressed disappointment, admitting the loss may have been his only chance at a title.
“That wasn’t a one-day notice,” Moicano reflected. “That was a life’s notice. I’m very sad. I spent my whole life for this moment and tapped in the first round.”
Makhachev did not express a preference for his next opponent, leaving the door open for future matchups in the lightweight division.
In the co-main event, bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili successfully defended his title, extending his winning streak to 12 by handing second-ranked Umar Nurmagomedov his first career loss. The action-packed fight saw both fighters take control at different points, but Dvalishvili closed strong to secure a unanimous decision, with two judges scoring Nurmagomedov as the leader after the first two rounds.
Nurmagomedov revealed that he suffered a left-hand injury early in the fight, which hindered his performance.
In other exciting bouts, former light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka overwhelmed Jamahal Hill in the third round with a barrage of punches, winning by TKO at 3:00. Sixth-ranked Jailton Almeida finished Serghei Spivac in the first round with a TKO at 4:53. In a fast-paced middleweight match, Reinier de Ridder quickly took down Kevin Holland, finishing him off with a rear-naked choke at 3:31 of the first round.