UFC kicks off its 2025 pay-per-view calendar with a bang. Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan 2 and Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomov sit atop a fantastic card on Jan. 18 in the Los Angeles suburbs.

Tsarukyan's UFC debut came on short notice against Makahchev in April 2019. Tsarukyan impressed in a Fight of the Night unanimous decision loss to Makahchev, a fighter already tabbed as a future UFC champion. Nearly six years later, Makhachev sits atop the lightweight division and Tsarukyan is its top contender.

UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov's influence is all over the UFC 311 poster. His pupil and teammate Makhachev headlines the card, and his cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov, seeks to bring another title to the family in the co-main event. Nurmagomedov challenges Dvalishvili in the latter's first title defense at bantamweight.