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UFC 311, set to take place on January 18 in Inglewood, California, will feature two highly anticipated title bouts—but there’s a catch. According to sources confirmed by Damon Martin, no backup fighters will be on hand for either of the main event or co-main event fights. This decision has raised some eyebrows, especially considering the significance of both matchups.
The main event will see lightweight champion Islam Makhachev defend his title against Armen Tsarukyan in a highly anticipated rematch. Meanwhile, in the co-main event, bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili faces off against the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov in his first title defense. With no backup fighters in place, any last-minute issues could potentially derail the entire card.
While this might seem surprising to some, it’s not entirely unexpected. The UFC does not have a specific rule regarding when a backup fighter is required for title bouts. In fact, this lack of a firm policy was evident in recent events. For example, UFC 310 in December also lacked a backup fighter for the main event flyweight title clash between Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Asakura. The event was initially planned without the flyweight title fight, but it was promoted to the headline spot after welterweight champion Belal Muhammad was forced to pull out due to a foot infection.
Interestingly, UFC 309 featured interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall weighing in as a backup for Jon Jones' title defense against Stipe Miocic, while UFC 308 saw featherweight contender Diego Lopes ready to step in as a backup for the main event between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway. Despite these precedents, UFC 311 will break the trend by proceeding without backup fighters.
With the stakes so high for both championship fights, fans will be watching closely, hoping the fighters make it to the Octagon without any unforeseen setbacks. The UFC has no firm rule on deciding when a title fight requires a backup contender.