Day: 17. Januar 2025

BREAKING NEWS!!!!

Makhachev will now be facing Moicano for the lightweight title. #UFC311 is LIVE TOMORROW on @ESPNPlus PPV! pic.twitter.com/2JZevvpQP2

— danawhite (@danawhite) January 17, 2025 Editor's note: The article has been updated at 3:45 PM ET on Jan. 17 to add statements from multiple fighters. The first big Ultimate Fighting Championship show of the year has just taken a monumental hit.

During the UFC 311 early weigh-ins on Friday, Sherdog learned from sources close to the situation that headlining lightweight title challenger Arman Tsarukyan suffered a back injury. As a result, he has been forced to withdraw from the main attraction against Islam Makhachev (26-1). The promotion turned to Renato "Money" Moicano (20-5-1), who was set to face off against Beneil Dariush on the main card. Per the UFC on Friday morning, Moicano has agreed to vie for the strap, and the new marquee match is set.

After the news broke, Tsarukyan…

The lightweight champion is on weight 👏@MAKHACHEVMMA comes in at 154.5lbs!

[ #UFC311 | Live TOMORROW on @ESPNPlus PPV | 10pmET ] pic.twitter.com/tIll9zoaEV

— UFC (@ufc) January 17, 2025 After a hectic UFC 311 weigh-ins, it's now official that the Ultimate Fighting Championship's first pay-per-view of the year has a new main event.

Now headlining the 13-fight card is a fight between Islam Makhachev and Renato "Money" Moicano for the lightweight championship. This comes after Arman Tsarukyan withdrew from a championship rematch at the last minute due to a back injury. Meanwhile, the co-main event will see Merab Dvalishvili look to make his first title defense against the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov.

Makhachev (26-1) prepared during his camp for Tsarukyan, who he defeated the Octagon in 2019. Since his unanimous decision victory, the Dagestani fighter has claimed the lightweight title from Charles Oliveira and defended it three tim…

At 40 years of age, a Ultimate Fighting Championship great is deciding to hang up his gloves.

During the UFC 311 early weigh-in show on Friday, Chris Weidman (16-8) announced his retirement from the sport. “The All-American” last competed in December, coming up short to Eryk Anders in the second round when the former football player punched him out. While he struggled towards the end of his career, Weidman started strong by amassing a 13-0 record while beating many of the best names ever to compete at 185 pounds in the Octagon.

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“I’ve been holding it in for a while,” Weidman said with mixed emotions on his face. “I got a big fight set up,” he teased to fellow former champ Daniel Cormier. “Listen, since I decided to get into this sport since 2009, the goal was to be a UFC fighter. Then, immediately the goal was to become a UFC world champion. Fourteen years later, I’m here, and I’m here to tell you guys that I’m hanging up the gloves in the UFC, and […