5 biggest takeaways from UFC 311: Islam Makhachev is lightweight GOAT, yet that's not enough for him
What mattered most at UFC 311 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.? Here are a few post-fight musings …
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Payton Talbott's hype derailed
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UFC 311 results: Raoni Barcelos erases Payton Talbott's perfect record in massive upset
Raoni Barcelos vs. Payton Talbott at UFC 311: Best photos
Veteran Raoni Barcelos proved to be too much of a step up for highly touted bantamweight prospect Payton Talbott, who lost a unanimous decision for his first career defeat.
Although Talbott (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) showed fighting spirit and didn't quit over the course of the three rounds, the fight showed his skillset is still limited and in need of improvement if he's going to rise to the top of the division.
If Barcelos (19-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) can do that to him, the idea of a fight against the likes of a Merab Dvalishvili, Umar Nurmagomedov or any of the other elite grapplers at the top of the 135-pound division would be grim for Talbott.
The upside for him? He's still only 26, and given his mentality toward the sport, there's reason to be confident he will grow and evolve from this result.
What's Reinier de Ridder's ceiling in middleweight division?
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UFC 311 results: Reinier de Ridder shines bright with first-round submission of Kevin Holland
Reinier de Ridder def. Kevin Holland at UFC 311: Best photos
Reinier de Ridder made quick work of Kevin Holland in his second octagon appearance by snatching a rear-naked choke finish in less than four minutes.
The former two-division ONE Championship titleholder struggled much more in his debut against Gerald Meerschaert in late 2023, and from that many believe de Ridder (19-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) would have difficulty rising to the middleweight division.
Only a couple people have dominated Holland as flawlessly as he did (Khamzat Chimaev being one of them), so de Ridder should take tremendous confidence from this performance. It was clear he did, too, because he called out the top five of the weight class in the aftermath of the win.
Jiri Prochazka eliminates Jamahal Hill from immediate contention
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UFC 311 results: Jiri Prochazka ends entertaining scrap with TKO of Jamahal Hill
UFC 311 social media reactions: Jiri Prochazka's chaotic finish of Jamahal Hill
Jiri Prochazka def. Jamahal Hill at UFC 311: Best photos
Jiri Prochazka said all the right things going into his fight against Jamahal Hill, and it translated into a winning performance as he went to war and came out on top with a third-round TKO finish.
The matchup of former UFC light heavyweight champions had significant implications for the weight class, as both men badly want an opportunity to face champion Alex Pereira after losing to him in the past. In Prochazka's (31-5-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) case, he has two losses to the champion meaning a bigger uphill climb, but this did wonders.
Just prior to the fight happening, the UFC announced Pereira vs. Ankalaev for the UFC 313 headliner on March 8. It seems unlikely Prochazka gets a shot regardless, because if Pereira wins it's hard to see a third matchup right now, and if Ankalaev shakes things up and comes out with the belt, it's almost certain an immediate rematch would happen.
Being on the outside looking in with this result if obviously the more ideal scenario, because if you look at Hill, he's going to have a much longer trek to a second fight with Pereira than ever Prochazka does for his third.
Merab Dvalishvili is near-unbeatable at bantamweight
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UFC 311 social media reactions: Merab Dvalishvili scores upset title defense vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
UFC 311 results: Merab Dvalishvili excels late, outpaces Umar Nurmagomedov to retain title
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311: Best photos
Merab Dvalishvili proved myself and a plethora of other people wrong when he lived up to his word and took Umar Nurmagomedov's undefeated record to defend the bantamweight title for the first time.
Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) started the fight a little slower than usual, but it appears that was strategic. Nurmagomedov looked unreal in the first 10 minutes, but when the third round hit and he just lost a half-step off his pace, that's when Dvalishvili turned it up to the highest level and closed the fight strong to claim a unanimous decision. It was a brilliant performance, and begs the questions of who, if anyone, can dethrone Dvalishvili.
Many truly believed that Nurmagomedov was the sternest challenge possible. That still might be true coming out of this fight, but given Nurmagomedov's injuries and the stacked nature of the 135-pound weight class, he's going to need to do some work before his chance for a rematch arrives.
The most likely candidates for the next title shots are Sean O'Malley and Petr Yan, and we all saw what happened the last time Dvalishvili fought them. I would expect nothing different if they run it back, because short of a puncher's chance, the paths to victory against Dvalishvili right now appear to be somewhere between limited and non-existent.
Islam Makhachev gets rightful acknowledgement
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UFC 311 social media reactions: Islam Makhachev's title defense over Renato Moicano
Islam Makhachev def. Renato Moicano at UFC 311: Best photos
Islam Makhachev continues to show he is truly something special in our sport after he wiped out last-minute replacement Renato Moicano with a first-round submission to further etch his name in the record books.
In addition to the performance itself, this entire week was a win for Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC). He did everything right from beginning to end, from the additional layers of his personality shown through interviews and other media events, to his willingness to accept the new matchup with Moicano on about 36 hours' notice after Arman Tsarukyan fell out during weigh-ins with an injury.
Then, of course, Makhachev went into the octagon and proved far superior to Moicano, setting a new high benchmark for successful lightweight title defenses at four. He also has 15 consecutive octagon wins, which is just one shy of Anderson Silva's all-time company record that has stood for nearly 12 years.
Anyone criticizing UFC CEO Dana White for putting Makhachev above Jon Jones at No. 1 on his personal pound-for-pound list because he beat a far lesser-ranked Moicano needs to understand the entire scope of the situation.
Despite the obvious skill gap between them, the amount of pressure on Makhachev in a moment like this is difficult to properly contextualize. The possibility of slipping on a banana peel and losing everything he's worked so hard for always exists in a situation like this, but Makhachev prevailed and made sure Moicano had no hope.
Now it's a question of how far can Makhachev take this run, and to what degree will he be take risks to even further enhance his legacy? Makhachev is already the greatest lightweight we've ever seen, and he said he won't leave the sport without claiming a second belt in a second division.
Will that weight class be welterweight, where he good friend and training partner Belal Muhammad currently reigns? Or will it be a mind-blowing jump all the way to middleweight, where his specifically named current champ Dricus Du Plessis as someone he could beat?
The options could be fascinating for Makhachev going forward, and if you haven't picked up on his attitude toward it all, there is no challenge he's going to turn his back on.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC 311.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: 5 biggest takeaways from UFC 311: Islam Makhachev is lightweight GOAT, yet that's not enough for him
