The first PPV of 2025 is just around the corner, with UFC 311 headlined by two fantastic world title fights: one for bantamweight gold, the other for the lightweight championship.
Despite concerns about ongoing injuries to both champion Merab Dvalishvili and undefeated challenger Umar Nurmagomedov, reports suggest the UFC will not have a Plan B.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
UFC 311 title fights 'will not have backup fighters' despite injury concerns
UFC 311 is scheduled for Saturday, January 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and the first PPV of 2025 will feature not one, but two world title fights.
Dvalishvili takes on Nurmagomedov for the bantamweight title in the co-main event, before Islam Makhachev takes on Arman Tsarukyan for lightweight gold in the headline attraction.
Despite concerns about lingering injuries to two of those four fighters, reports claim that none of those UFC world title fights will have backup fighters on standby.
That information comes from MMAFighting's Damon Martin, who reportedly “confirmed with sources with knowledge of the plans” for the two title fights at UFC 311.
Backup fighters are typically brought in in the event of a last-minute injury or problem on the scales; only one of the four main/co-main fighters has previously missed weight, Arman Tsarukyan, who missed weight for his 2021 fight against Matt Frevola.
The most worrying issue, however, concerns the possible injuries to champion Dvalishvili and contender Nurmagomedov – both of whom have already admitted to suffering major damage during training camp.
Both Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov have revealed injuries
During a recent interview with Michael Bisping, Dvalishvili claimed he was pushed to make the title fight at UFC 311 despite “dealing with some injuries.”
This was the second time the Georgian has hinted at such an issue, after ranting in an Instagram post over Christmas about not being allowed into the UFC PI for treatment because his incoming opponent was already inside.
“I'm standing here in front of the UFC PI and security won't let me in because they said, 'Umar Nurmagomedov is in,' and they're protecting him… Don't worry guys, I'm not going. to crush him before the fight.
“But January 18 is a different story. I can't compete in UFC PI because I'm supposed to be getting treatment for my injury… You better show up, Umar. Okay, today you're protected. Don't worry, I'm not going to hit you before the fight. No one will protect you on January 18th.”
Nurmagomedov also revealed that an injury has kept him training for UFC 311. He told Brett Okamoto via ESPN MMA that he broke his arm while in Dagestan.
“After I was in Dagestan, I hit my arm. I'm going to show the doctor and I'll show them. They didn't do an MRI, but when did they check bone? An x-ray? They took x-rays and said, 'You're broken [your arm]'.
“You know, after that, after twenty days, I went again, even though I was broken, I was running. I still want to be in shape, you know. Even that time I try to run, I try to do shadow boxing, I try to be in shape. And after twenty days I go again, and it has become much better.”
Considering the UFC doesn't plan to have a backup fighter on standby, fans are praying that neither injury causes any issues during fight week – UFC 311 will be taken offline on January 18.
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