UFC CEO Dana White has announced a championship double-header to headline the upcoming event UFC 311 on January 18 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will defend his title against challenger Arman Tsarukyan, while Merab Dvalishvili defends his bantamweight belt against undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov.
Makhachev, ranked as Uncrowned’s No. 1 male pound-for-pound fighter, has won 14 consecutive UFC bouts since 2015 and is tied for the most consecutive title defenses in lightweight history. Tsarukyan, a former short-notice debutant, has gained momentum with wins against top opponents like Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush.
Dvalishvili, ranked as Uncrowned’s No. 5 male pound-for-pound fighter, will defend his belt for the first time since claiming it by defeating Sean O’Malley in September. He boasts the longest win streak in UFC bantamweight history with 10 straight victories over top contenders.
UFC 311 also features additional announced bouts, including former champions Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill and light heavyweight contenders Johnny Walker vs. Bogdan Guskov.
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/dana-white-announces-championship-double-header-to-headline-ufc-311-014136943.html