Islam Makhachev vs Arman Tsarukyan UFC 311 betting tips & odds
| Islam Makhachev v Arman Tsarukyan UFC 311 Latest Odds & Fight Info | |
|---|---|
| Main Event odds | Makhachev -416.67 at Marantelli Bet | Tsarukyan +310 at Marantelli Bet |
| When | Sunday, January 19 – main card from 2pm AEDT |
| Where | Intuit Dome – Inglewood, United States |
| Watch Live | Pay Per View |
UFC 311 from the Intuit Dome in California this Saturday night is headlined by a rematch between former lightweight foes Islam Machachev and Arman Tsarukyan.
Reigning champ Makhachev has been installed as a red-hot favourite with betting apps to defend his UFC crown, while underdog Tsarukyan has emerged as a genuine contender with a strong run of recent results.
Read on for our full fight preview and free betting tips.
Makhachev v Tsarukyan UFC 311 main event preview
Islam Machachevvs 
Arman Tsarukyan |
| 26-1-0 | MMA record | 22-3-0 |
| 33 | Age | 28 |
| 5’10” | Height | 5’7” |
| 155lbs | Weight | 155lbs |
| 70.5” | Reach | 72.5” |
| Russia | Nationality | Armenia |
Islam Makhachev (26-1-0) has dominated the UFC lightweight division since 2022, claiming the belt with a submission win over Charles Oliveira before defending the title with two wins over Alexander Volkanovski and a victory over Dustin Poirier. The 33-year-old still appears to be improving with age and will be confident of securing another successful result against a man he beat back in 2019. He should enjoy a noticeable size advantage when the cage is locked on Saturday night.
Makhachev is an elite wrestler and grappler and fights in a similar manner to his mentor and former long-time UFC champion – Khabib Nurmagomedov. This involves combining powerful strikes with takedowns, ground-and-pound, and submission attempts. The Russian has secured 12 wins via submission since making his professional MMA debut in 2010 including the impressive arm-triangle choke over Oliveira that secured the lightweight silverware.
Arman Tsarukyan (22-3-0) earned his title shot with four straight wins, prevailing over Damir Ismagulov, Joaquim Silva, Beneil Dariush, and Charles Oliveira. The 28-year-old is an excellent boxer with slick footwork and knockout power in both hands. The bulk of his wins have come via knockout, but the challenger is also a strong wrestler who performs well in scrambles and contested positions.
Tsarukyan should enjoy a speed advantage around the cage but has shown a propensity to tire late in his bouts. This may prove telling across five rounds, and he will need to open strongly and land clean shots in the opening rounds. Tsarukyan was only 22 when fighting Makhachev in 2019 and has certainly grown in stature and skill level since then. He appears very favourably priced with the leading UFC bookmakers and cannot be discounted as an upset proposition.
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Makhachev v Tsarukyan UFC 311 predictions
This is a close matchup on paper and Tsarukyan has many paths to victory. The question is whether he can perform over 25 minutes of intense action that involves long and draining wrestling exchanges. The two most likely outcomes are Tsarukyan by early knockout or Makhachev to retain the belt via decision after grinding down the challenger with relentless pressure.
We are leaning towards the Marantelli Bet favourite to have his arm raised in the UFC 311 main event but are expecting a close and competitive matchup. Tsarukyan might be underestimated at this point, particularly his striking skills and ability to drop opponents with accurate punches. Consider a small wager on the underdog by KO/TKO as a saver for our main selection, which is the champion to win via a close decision.
