UFC 311 title bouts will not have backup fighters on hand

UFC 311’s top two fights better not see any hiccups.

MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin confirmed with sources with knowledge of the plans that no backup fighters are set to weigh in for either of the title fights at UFC 311, which takes place Jan. 18 in Inglewood, Calif. Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev rematches Armen Tsarukyan in the main event, while Merab Dvalishvili seeks the first defense of his bantamweight title against the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event.

The news shouldn’t be all that surprising, given that UFC has no firm rule on deciding when a title fight requires a backup contender.

At the UFC’s most recent pay-per-view this past December, UFC 310, there was no backup for the main event flyweight title bout between champion Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Asakura. That bout was not originally intended to headline the card, only being promoted after welterweight champion Belal Muhammad was forced out of a defense against Shavkat Rakhmonov due to a foot infection.

At UFC 309 a month prior, interim champion Tom Aspinall weighed in as a backup for heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ title defense against Stipe Miocic. And at UFC 308 this past October, top featherweight contender Diego Lopes weighed in as a backup for the main event bout between champion Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway.