UFC 311 is shaping up quite well—at least on paper—for Dana White and Co.
In addition to the rumored main event that will see Islam Makhachev defend his UFC lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan at the Intuit Dome in Las Angeles, the UFC has also set up a battle of ex-champions in the co-main event.
Former light heavyweight champion and No. 3-ranked Jamahal “Sweet Dreams” Hill will take on No. 2-ranked Jiri Prochazka in a fight that could position the winner for a title shot in 2025.
Hill vacated the light heavyweight title in 2023 due to injury, which set the stage for Alex Pereira to win the vacant belt.
Makhachev and Tsarukyan previously fought at UFC Fight Night 149, with Makhachev earning a unanimous decision victory. A rematch will carry significant weight given Tsarukyan’s evolution as a contender. There is a chance it could be Makhachev’s last fight at 155 pounds–win or lose.
The main and co-main event make for a strong pair of fights atop UFC 311 ‘s pay-per-view card.
If Hill wins, it would seem he would be almost assured of a title shot at some point in 2025. He’d move up to No. 2 in the division, and the only other opponent that might make sense for him would be Jan Blachowicz.
If Prochazka wins, things could get complicated. He’s lost to reigning champion Pereira twice, and it is highly unlikely he would get a third crack at him.
Pereira is expected to defend his title against No. 1-contender Magomed Ankalaev sometime in the first quarter of 2025. Prochazka needs to beat Hill and have Ankalaev knock off Pereira if he hopes to get a shot at the light heavyweight title anytime soon.
If Pereira wins—and that is a major “if” because Ankalaev might have the right skill set to push the champion—Poatan would be waiting on the next worthy challenger to emerge. It’s also possible he could make the move to heavyweight.
In addition to beating Prochazka twice, Pereira has knocked out Hill. Pereira has also beaten No. 4-ranked Jan Blachowicz, though it was by a split decision.
No. 5-ranked Aleksandr Rakic just lost to Ankalaev to set up Pereira’s most likely next fight, and Poatan just defeated No. 6-ranked Khalil Rountree Jr.
A win over Ankalaev would mean Pereira has theoretically cleaned out the division. It would make all the sense in the world for him to move up to heavyweight, where he and Jon Jones could potentially have a superfight that would probably set both men up for life—even if it isn’t for the heavyweight championship.
Jones previously expressed interest in a superfight with Pereira, calling the potential matchup a legacy-defining bout. That fight might not make Tom Aspinall happy, as he is waiting to remove the interim from his title, but it’s likely the biggest fight that can be made in the UFC.
Pereira moving up might be the best news any of the 205-pounders could receive, considering most have tried and failed to defeat the Brazilian.
In any case, the Prochazka-Hill fight is a crucial piece of the light heavyweight puzzle to kick off 2025.