Tag: ufc 311

Umar Nurmagomedov Shows X-Ray Of Surgically Repaired Hand After UFC 311 Injury

UFC bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov has posted an X-ray image of his hand following a surgical procedure in the aftermath of his defeat this past weekend. Nurmagomedov is days on from his first title shot on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage, which came in the co-main event of the UFC 311 pay-per-view at the Intuit […]

UFC bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov has posted an X-ray image of his hand following a surgical procedure in the aftermath of his defeat this past weekend.

Nurmagomedov is days on from his first title shot on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage, which came in the co-main event of the UFC 311 pay-per-view at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

As an undefeated challenger competing out of the renowned team of Dagestanis led by Khabib Nurmagomedov, Umar entered the Jan. 18 card as a betting favorite over defending champion Merab Dvalishvili.

But “The Machine” upset the odds in style, utilizing his renowned pace and cardio to secure the final three rounds on every scorecard for the decision win.

In the aftermath, Nurmagomedov revealed that he had broken his hand in the very first round, displaying severe swelling. And the damage was so severe that the Russian has already undergone surgery.

He posted an X-ray of the repaired hand on Instagram, showing the insertion of a metal rod.

Nurmagomedov’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, has pointed to the summer as a likely return timeframe for his man, when the Dagestani will need to bounce back to keep his name in the championship conversation.

Payton Talbott Issues Statement On First Career Loss At UFC 311

UFC bantamweight prospect Payton Talbott has broken his silence after having the undefeated start to his professional career brought to a close this past weekend. Talbott was among the heavy favorites to emerge victorious from the first pay-per-view event of 2025, UFC 311 from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on Jan. 18. But in […]

UFC bantamweight prospect Payton Talbott has broken his silence after having the undefeated start to his professional career brought to a close this past weekend.

Talbott was among the heavy favorites to emerge victorious from the first pay-per-view event of 2025, UFC 311 from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on Jan. 18.

But in the featured preliminary contest, the charismatic 135lber had his charge up the ladder stalled by a veteran of the sport in Raoni Barcelos, who utilized his grappling prowess to outpoint his much younger opponent across three rounds.

While three straight UFC wins and an unblemished 9-0 record brought plenty of hype to Talbott’s name, cries of “fraud checked” were quick to fly around some MMA circles — as is often the case when a promising prospect endures a setback.

But after taking some days to digest the result before releasing a statement, it doesn’t appear as though the defeat in Los Angeles has dented the up-and-comer’s motivation.

“The vet gave me my first scar,” he wrote on Instagram. “May the skin heal itself to be strong and never split again. lucky to have such people in my life. fortunate to be able to learn valuable lessons. still had fun.”

Having opened his Octagon account for the year with a first career loss, Talbott will be looking to reverse his 2025 fortunes when he makes the walk once again.

And at the age of just 26, it’s safe to say that there’s plenty of time for the talented striker to round out his game in the months and years to come.

Timeline Revealed For Umar Nurmagomedov’s Return Following UFC 311 Loss

It will be at least a good few months until we see Umar Nurmagomedov step back inside the Octagon following UFC 311 this past weekend. The bantamweight title challenger may have suffered the first loss of his career in the co-main event but there were a lot of positives for him take from this fight. […]

It will be at least a good few months until we see Umar Nurmagomedov step back inside the Octagon following UFC 311 this past weekend. The bantamweight title challenger may have suffered the first loss of his career in the co-main event but there were a lot of positives for him take from this fight.

For a start, his highly anticipated clash with Merab Dvalishvili ended up producing one of the best title fights in some time, earning both men a fight of the night bonus at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Nurmagomedov also won the first two rounds on two of the scorecards with the relentless cardio of the defending champion seeing him take over from this point on as the tide began to turn in his favor.

What makes the challenger’s display even more impressive is that immediately after the bout in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, the 29-year old said that he believed he had broken his hand in the first round. Dvalishvili also came into the fight in less than ideal condition but you wouldn’t have been able to tell from either of their performances and that’s a huge credit to both of them.

Following the confirmation of Nurmagomedov’s hand injury, his manager has since posted a timeframe for his return as the cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov looks to get back in the mix. Ali Abdelaziz posted the following message on X to state that after taking some time off to recover, his fighter will be ready to go again in several months time.

Given that Nurmagomedov is yet to face many of the top contenders at 135-pounds, as Dvalishvili remarked throughout the build up to January 18, there are a lot of exciting options for him even after suffering a defeat.

“@UNmgdv getting a surgery tomorrow on his hand, he will be back in the cage mid or late summer”

Dan Hooker Slams Arman Tsarukyan for ‘Strange’ UFC 311 Withdrawal: ‘Daddy Can’t Buy You a Backbone’

Dan Hooker Slams Arman Tsarukyan for 'Strange' UFC 311 Withdrawal: 'Daddy Can’t Buy You a Backbone'Dan Hooker can’t make sense of Arman Tsarukyan’s sudden withdrawal from UFC 311. Mere hours before he was scheduled…

Dan Hooker Slams Arman Tsarukyan for 'Strange' UFC 311 Withdrawal: 'Daddy Can’t Buy You a Backbone'

Dan Hooker can’t make sense of Arman Tsarukyan’s sudden withdrawal from UFC 311.

Mere hours before he was scheduled to step on the scale for his lightweight title tilt against reigning champion Islam Makhachev, ‘Ahalkalakets’ informed the promotion that he would not be able to compete citing a back injury.

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Renato Moicano ultimately stepped up to the plate and slid into the main event slot left behind by Tsarukyan, but the alleged injury has left a lot of people scratching their heads. Particularly after UFC CEO Dana White implied that the Armenian could have fought in Los Angeles.

Dan Hooker questions how you get injured ‘on your day off’

‘The Hangman’ echoed a similar sentiment during a recent interview with Submission Radio, questioning how exactly Tsarukyan suffered such a devastating back injury when all he should have been doing was cutting weight.

“That’s our sport. It’s never smooth sailing,” Hooker said. “How are you getting injured on your day off? I’ve got no idea. I thought it was pretty strange, bro. To get such a severe injury that you need to pull out when you’re cutting weight, you know?

“It must be a severe injury. I don’t know how you would pass up on that opportunity. I obviously saw Dana White just say that he ain’t getting the title shot next, and he’s going to have to work his way back up to the belt. You know, Daddy can’t buy you a backbone, can he?”

Perhaps we’ll never know the full truth, but there are plenty of theories out there. Former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett placed the blame on “insane weight cutting” during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show.

Others have suggested that Tsarukyan may have legitimately injured himself while showing UFC interviewer Nina-Marie Daniele some intense wrestling and stretching drills, which appeared to strain his backbone and neck, though Tsarukyan and Daniele have both attempted to pour cold water on that claim.

“No, that thing I’m doing every day as part of my warm-up, so if I had a problem during training camp, how could I do this exercise? You know, I didn’t feel anything; I was good and ready,” Tsarukyan told Helwani. “I was training very hard, and during the week, I had good energy and no problems. It just happened, you know.”

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Ex-Heavyweight Champion Blames ‘Insane Weight Cutting’ on Arman Tsarukyan’s UFC 311 Exit

Ex-Heavyweight Champion Blames 'Insane Weight Cutting' on Arman Tsarukyan's UFC 311 ExitHours away from his first UFC title opportunity, Arman Tsarukyan was forced to bow out of his lightweight headliner…

Ex-Heavyweight Champion Blames 'Insane Weight Cutting' on Arman Tsarukyan's UFC 311 Exit

Hours away from his first UFC title opportunity, Arman Tsarukyan was forced to bow out of his lightweight headliner with Islam Makhachev.

Tsarukyan ultimately withdrew from his UFC 311 headliner against the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ citing a back injury. However, some have suggested that there may be more to the Armenian’s exit than what he’s letting on.

During an in-studio appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show, former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett suggested the blame could potentially be placed on “insane weight-cutting” measures that resulted in ‘Ahalkalakets’ sustaining the unforeseen injury.

“You don’t get Arman Tsarukyan having back problems if you don’t have insane weight cutting,” Barnett said. “I truly believe that in doing his weight cut, he probably did hit a huge back spasm out of nowhere that completely took him by surprise. And was bad enough that, one, it was obviously going to impact his ability to cut weight, so how is he gonna make the weight class? And, two, could could be severe enough that he wouldn’t feel up to being able to compete the next day.”

“And this all comes from fighting under a ruleset that encourages you to game the system because everyone is doing it and there’s no way around it really.”

Dana White Implies Tsarukyan could have competed at UFC 311

Barnett isn’t the first person to imply that there was something a little suspicious behind Tsarukyan’s withdrawal.

During the UFC 311 post-fight press conference, CEO Dana White made it clear that he never wants to encourage a fighter to compete injured before revealing that ‘Ahalkalakets’ would have to “go back to the drawing” board if he hopes to get another crack at the 155-pound crown.

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Tsarukyan has since snapped back at White during his own interview with Helwani, claiming he “couldn’t walk,” let alone compete on Saturday night in Los Angeles, but is more than willing to work his way back up the contender’s ladder if necessary.

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Beating Umar Nurmagomedov ‘Easier Than Expected’ At UFC 311, Says Merab Dvalishvili’s Coach

The coach of Merab Dvalishvili expected the UFC bantamweight champion to face more adversity when sharing the Octagon with Umar Nurmagomedov. The pair collided in the co-main event of this past weekend’s UFC 311 pay-per-view, which marked the MMA leader’s very first numbered event of 2025. Their co-headliner went the distance and collected Fight of […]

The coach of Merab Dvalishvili expected the UFC bantamweight champion to face more adversity when sharing the Octagon with Umar Nurmagomedov.

The pair collided in the co-main event of this past weekend’s UFC 311 pay-per-view, which marked the MMA leader’s very first numbered event of 2025.

Their co-headliner went the distance and collected Fight of the Night honors, with defending champ Dvalishvili ultimately emerging with his hand raised and the 135-pound gold still in his possession.

While the Dagestani challenger enjoyed a strong start inside Inglewood’s Intuit Dome, the Georgian’s renowned pace and cardio ultimately proved to be the difference across the final three rounds.

Though he’d have no doubt expected that to be the case, one of the champ’s coaches admitted the victory over Nurmagomedov on Jan. 18 came more comfortably than he had foreseen during a recent appearance on Submission Radio.

“No, (nothing surprised us), not at all,” Syndicate MMA’s John Wood said. “He did what I thought he would do, and maybe he broke his hand in the first round, maybe he didn’t, who knows. I don’t think a broken hand affects your cardio from the last I checked. I don’t think your hand and your lungs are connected, so I don’t think that played into anything. And who cares? It’s a fight, that’s what happens.

“If anything, the only thing I’d say is it was maybe easier than expected,” Wood continued. “That’s not being disrespectful (to Nurmagomedov), it’s how good Merab is, and I really want people to start noticing that.”

Nurmagomedov evidently sees things differently.

After initially questioning the judges’ scorecards during his Octagon interview, the previously undefeated Russian doubled down on that take in his latest remarks.

He’ll now look to work his way back to a second championship opportunity and the chance to achieve redemption against “The Machine.”