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UFC 311 went down in Inglewood, California last night. To say it was eventful would be an understatement.
UFC 311: Islam Makhachev vs. Renato Moicano featured a hastily thrown-together headliner, but overall, the card delivered some excellent action.
So what's next for the biggest stars of last night's show? As always, the matchmakers have plenty of options.
Here are five fights to make after UFC 311: Islam Makhachev vs. Renato Moicano.
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#5. UFC middleweight bout: Reinier de Ridder vs. Jack Hermansson
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If Reinier de Ridder's UFC debut win wasn't the most impressive, last night's win over Kevin Holland certainly answered some questions about 'The Dutch Knight'.
He dealt with a very dangerous opponent well, taking him down and outclassing him on the ground before choking him out in the first round.
De Ridder likely won't crack the middleweight top fifteen with his win, but he's definitely on the cusp of it. Essentially, he needs a ranked opponent next time out.
One fighter who could make sense, then, is veteran Jack Hermansson. 'The Joker' hasn't fought in nearly a year, but last time out, he beat another hot prospect on a roll in the form of Joe Pyfer.
With a pretty wild style, Hermansson would match well with de Ridder, who would probably look to ground 'The Joker'.
Based on what we've seen from these two, this fight could go either way, making it a fun one to book later in 2025.
#4. UFC heavyweight bout: Jailton Almeida vs. Ciryl Gane
One of the most impressive fighters on offer at UFC 311 was heavyweight Jailton Almeida.
Moved to the main card thanks to the shakeup that followed Arman Tsarukyan's late withdrawal, it's fair to say that 'Malhadinho' made the most of the extra spotlight.
He dispatched Sergei Spivac in the latter stages of a back-and-forth first round, hurting him before putting him away on the ground. It was the best showing from the Brazilian in a long time.
Post-fight, Almeida also made the most of his time on the mic, calling out former interim champ Ciryl Gane.
It's a fight that would probably make sense, except for one issue: Gane is coming off a highly controversial win over Alexander Volkov that many fans believed warrants an immediate rematch.
Of course, there's no guarantee that the rematch will go ahead, and given Almeida's age and potential, there's every chance that the UFC simply puts 'Malhadinho' up against 'Bon Gamin' instead.
A win over Gane would absolutely vault Almeida into title contention, and it's the kind of fight that could easily headline a Fight Night card in a few months, too.
#3. UFC light-heavyweight bout: Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr
The best fight on offer at UFC 311 took place in the light-heavyweight division, as Jiri Prochazka once again produced a classic brawl. This time it came against another former champ in Jamahal Hill, and once again, 'BJP' came out on top.
With current titleholder Alex Pereira now confirmed to be facing top contender Magomed Ankalaev in March, then, what's next for the Czech fighter?
The UFC could match him with the winner of the upcoming Carlos Ulberg vs. Jan Blachowicz fight. However, if UIberg wins that one, the promotion would probably be best to save him for a potential clash with Pereira.
Therefore, it might make more sense to put Prochazka up against Khalil Rountree Jr, who fell in his own challenge against Pereira in October.
One of the heaviest-hitting strikers in the 205-pound division right now, Rountree is capable of turning the lights out on anyone. He's also more than willing to throw down with any opponent, which makes him the perfect foe for 'BJP'.
Overall, then, this fight could produce fireworks, as is the norm with Prochazka, and it's well worth booking later in 2025.
#2. UFC bantamweight title: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan
It was hard not to be wowed by Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311. Not only did he fight through some adversity, but he completely dominated challenger Umar Nurmagomedov in the latter stages of their bantamweight title fight, taking the unbeaten record of 'Young Eagle' in the process.
With the win, Dvalishvili has cemented himself as the best 135-pound fighter by a long shot. Unfortunately, it's left 'The Machine' with a small issue: who does he face next?
Put simply, the Georgian has beaten most of his viable contenders, including Nurmagomedov, Sean O'Malley and Petr Yan.
With the only fighter below them coming off a win being Mario Bautista, who is not ready for a title shot, then, it's slim pickings for 'The Machine'.
Perhaps, then, the best move would be to give Yan a rematch. Sure, 'No Mercy' was dominated by Dvalishvili in their 2023 clash, but he has won two fights since, and looked excellent in his recent win over Deiveson Figueiredo.
Yan would not be favored to dethrone 'The Machine', of course, but he'd probably work as a bit of a stopgap foe until someone on more of a roll can be found.
#1. UFC lightweight title: Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan
UFC 311's headliner should've seen Islam Makhachev defending his lightweight title in a clash with one of the few fighters to push him to his limit - Arman Tsarukyan.
Unfortunately, Tsarukyan was forced out of the bout on Friday with an injury, resulting in Makhachev easily dispatching late replacement Renato Moicano instead.
Since then, Dana White has suggested that Tsarukyan will not receive an immediate title shot and will instead have to fight his way back into the spot.
Put simply, this would be nonsensical.
Firstly, Tsarukyan has more than earned his shot thanks to a four-fight win streak and a victory over former champ Charles Oliveira.
Secondly, there are no other qualified contenders to put against Makhachev right now. He's already beaten Oliveira, Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker, and Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway are both coming off losses.
Unless the UFC has designs on him moving weight class, then, Tsarukyan is the only opponent who makes sense for Makhachev right now, unless the champ intends to take a lengthy hiatus.
White, therefore, will hopefully change his mind - and we'll get Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan 2 booked as soon as possible.
