Islam Makhachev defended his lightweight title with a first-round submission win over Renato Moicano on Saturday in the main event of UFC 311.
The headline matchup was put together on the eve of the event during Friday morning’s weigh-ins after Makhachev’s original opponent, Arman Tsarukyan, withdrew with a back injury.
Moicano had been scheduled to face No. 9-ranked lightweight Beneil Dariush on the main card but was tabbed as a late replacement opponent. Makhachev is the No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter on the UFC roster and accepted the short-notice opponent change without hesitation.
After losing his balance briefly during a Moicano punching exchange, Makhachev went to his bread and butter and took Saturday's title fight to the canvas.
He quickly locked up a D’Arce choke, the same submission he used to defend his title against Dustin Poirier last year, and Moicano swiftly tapped out.
“I like this belt,” said Makhachev after the fight, the most decorated lightweight ever. “If somebody wants this belt, come to the cage."
Makhachev has now won 15 consecutive fights and his eight submission victories are tied for third-most in UFC lightweight history.
Merab Dvalishvili defended his bantamweight title against Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event. It was a thrilling five-round bout between Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov.
The win was Dvalishvili’s first title defence after becoming champion this past September, and the loss was Nurmagomedov’s first in MMA.
Former light-heavyweight titleholders Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill traded haymakers in a featured 205-pound contest that thrilled fans and ended with Prochazka getting back in the win column.
Prochazka dropped Hill with a huge left hand in the opening round but had his momentum halted in the second when he was inadvertently poked in the eye. Prochazka showed improved head movement and quickness, catching Hill with a powerful combination in the third round that ultimately led to the referee stepping in.
Both fighters were coming off knockout losses to current champion Alex Pereira who was in attendance watching from cageside.
It was announced during the main card that Pereira’s next title defence will headline UFC 313 in March and it will be against Magomed Ankalaev.
Also on the main card, Jailton Almeida improved to 8-1 in the UFC with a first-round technical knockout win over Serghei Spivac in heavyweight action.
Almeida was taken down early on but used his top-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu to sweep Spivac and from there was able to mount his own offence.
Reinier de Ridder picked up his second consecutive submission victory since signing with the UFC.
The former two-weight ONE champion didn’t allow Kevin Holland to use his striking, quickly taking down his opponent and working his way to back control and locked in a fight-ending rear-naked choke.
Newcomer Azamat Bekoev picked up a highlight knockout on the preliminary card in his short-notice UFC debut. The LFA middleweight champion knocked out Zachary Reese in the opening round of their 185-pound bout
Raoni Barcelos was the biggest underdog on the card but that didn’t stop him from upsetting bantamweight prospect Payton Talbott with a unanimous decision.
Bogdan Guskov, Grant Dawson and Ailín Pérez were also among the winning fighters on the UFC 311 prelims.
— With files from the Associated Press
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