Our UFC 311 prediction is that the organization’s first PPV event of 2025 will be a real banger. We predict that the headliner fight – Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan – will end in a spectacular manner. We also think we’re going to see a real war in the co-main event – Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov.
To see why those are our UFC 311 predictions, just keep on reading. Not only will we analyze the biggest matchups, but we’ll also share our picks for each bout.
Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan 2 – Time for Revenge?
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Islam Makhachev | -370 |
| Arman Tsarukyan | +295 |
Will Arman Tsarukyan get his revenge for the loss to Islam Makhachev in 2019? UFC odds suggest he won’t. The thing is that Makhachev is the UFC Lightweight champion, as well as the No. 1 fighter in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings.
Makhachev is arguably the best wrestler in the division, and his striking skills have improved significantly over the years. The evidence? He’s the only guy who managed to beat Alex Volkanovski by a KO.
This happened in 2023, and since then, we have also seen him beat Dustin Poirier by submission. Is he going to finish Tsarukyan as well? We think he will.
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov – The Machine Won’t Give Up Easily
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Merab Dvalishvili | +250 |
| Umar Nurmagomedov | -300 |
Merab Dvalishvili a.k.a. The Machine is seen as a +250 underdog, which seems a bit strange given that he’s the defending champion of the UFC Bantamweight Division.
Sure, his opponent Umar Nurmagomedov has a very good record (18-0), but the fact is that he hasn’t fought against such a tough guy as Merab Dvalishvili.
Plus, Dvalishvili has plenty of experience fighting at an elite level. So far, this guy’s defeated such legends as Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, and Sean O’Malley. Meanwhile, the highest-ranked opponent Umar’s defeated so far is Cory Sandhagen. In fact, The Sandman is the only ranked opponent he’s fought so far.
Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill – Odds Suggesting a Bloody Battle
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jiri Prochazka | +108 |
| Jamahal Hill | -128 |
The Prochazka vs. Hill odds are pretty close, which seems strange given that the Czech fighter has been way more impressive than his American opponent.
Last year, he fought twice – first, he beat Aleksandar Rakic by TKO, then he lost to Alex Pereira by the same method. In 2024, Jamahal Hill fought just once, and he got KO-ed by Poatan.
While Prochazka obviously isn’t as good a striker as Pereira, we think he’s better than Hill. Our prediction is that he’s going to get the job done inside the distance, but even if the fight goes to decision, we think the judges will probably score in his favor.
UFC 311 Predictions for Other Fights
- Renato Moicano to Beat Beneil Dariush
- Reinier de Ridder to Beat Kevin Holland
- Bogdan Guskov to Beat Billy Elekana
- Payton Talbott to Beat Raoni Barcelos
- Jailton Almeida to Beat Serghei Spivac
- Grant Dawson to Beat Carlos Diego Ferreira
- Karol Rosa to Beat Ailin Perez
- Rinya Nakamura to Beat Muin Gafurov
- Ricky Turcios to Beat Bernardo Sopaj
- Tagir Ulanbekov to Beat Clayton Carpenter
Both Moicano and Dariush are great grapplers, but the Brazilian fighter is better striking-wise, which is what we suspect could decide the fight. Speaking of great grapplers, de Ridder is one of the best in the Middleweight Division, and we think he’ll show it against Holland.
When it comes to prelims and early prelims, we’re confident that betting favorites will win in most cases. Talbott is probably the safest bet, but his odds (-1200) are way too short. Nakamura (-510) and Sopaj (-360) come with better odds, and they’re both very likely to win.
-
Tags:
Leave a Comment