Islam Makhachev successfully defended his lightweight championship belt in dominant fashion, submitting late replacement Renato Moicano in the first round at UFC 311 held at the Intuit Dome, Al Jazeera reports.
The Russian MMA fighter needed just four minutes and five seconds to secure his 15th consecutive victory.
Makhachev, boasting a record of 27 wins and one loss, quickly took Moicano down and applied a D’Arce choke, forcing the Brazilian to tap out. The win marks Makhachev’s fourth successful title defense, a feat no other fighter in the lightweight division has accomplished. It was also his 13th career victory by submission.
The bout came together after top-ranked contender Arman Tsarukyan was forced to withdraw on Friday due to a back injury. Moicano, a 35-year-old from Brazil, entered the fight on a strong run, having won nine of his last 10 matches. However, he proved to be no match for Makhachev’s exceptional grappling skills.
Following the loss, Moicano was self-critical, acknowledging Makhachev’s superiority and expressing concern that this might have been his only opportunity to compete for a championship title. Makhachev, for his part, stated that he has no preference for his next opponent.
Other Notable Results from UFC 311:
The night saw several other exciting finishes, including a major upset in the light heavyweight division.
• Light Heavyweight: Former champion and second-ranked Jiri Prochazka unleashed a barrage of punches in the third round, overwhelming third-ranked Jamahal Hill for a TKO victory at the three-minute mark.
• Heavyweight: Sixth-ranked Jailton Almeida showcased his power, hurting seventh-ranked Serghei Spivac with a flurry of right hands late in the first round before finishing the bout with a ground-and-pound TKO at 4:53.
• Middleweight: Reinier de Ridder wasted no time in securing a takedown of Kevin Holland within the first 10 seconds, quickly submitting him with a rear-naked choke at 3:31 of the first round.
