Betting
UFC 311 Best Bets | DraftKings Sportsbook
Tim Finnegan of DraftKings Breaks Down UFC 311 And Gives Bets To Consider On DraftKings Sportsbook
UFC 311 is taking place on Saturday from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, and the card is stacked. The main event is a lightweight title fight between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan. Makhachev and Tsarukyan fought previously in 2019 in a competitive bout that went the distance. The co-main event is a bantamweight title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov. A light heavyweight bout between former champions Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill is also on the main card.
A DraftKings Sportsbook bettor cashed in during UFC 310, turning only $6.75 into over $2,700 with a UFC Parlay Bet featuring the following five picks:
- Dooho Choi To Win By KO/TKO/DQ
- Bryce Mitchell To Win By KO/TKO/DQ
- Ciryl Gane To Win By Decision
- Shavkat Rakhmonov To Win By Decision
- Alexandre Pantoja To Win By Submission
As a result of all of these outcomes hitting in the Parlay Bet, the UFC bettor took home $2,766.89.
DraftKings is hosting a huge fantasy UFC 311 tournament that pays out $500,000 in total prizes, including $100,000 to first place. Enter the contest for only $25 here.
UFC 311 Picks
Islam Makhachev vs Arman Tsarukyan 2
Makhachev and Tsarukyan fought previously in 2019 in Tsarukyan's UFC debut. Makhachev won a decision, but the fight was competitive and Tsarukyan surprised many people with his wrestling. Makhachev’s wrestling is so good that most of his opponents don’t even bother attempting to initiate offensive wrestling. However, Tsarukyan was aggressive with offensive wrestling, attempting 12 takedowns, which was easily the most that any of Makhachev’s UFC opponents have attempted. Tsarukyan also took Makhachev down once, which was highly impressive given Makhachev’s wrestling background. This marked the first time that Makhachev had been taken down in his UFC career, and Makhachev has only been taken down a total of two times in the UFC, spanning 16 fights. Even if Tsarukyan is not successful in finishing the takedown, being aggressive with offensive wrestling can pay off because it makes Makhachev think about defending his legs and can help set up clearance to land strikes to the head.
Both fighters have improved since their first fight, but the most notable development since then is probably Makhachev's striking improvement. This was best on display in Makhachev's most recent two fights, where he knocked out Alexander Volkanovski with a head kick, the first time Volkanovski had been knocked out in the UFC, and followed up that performance by out-striking Dustin Poirier 71 to 51 from distance, including landing more shots to the head.
UFC 311 Supercut
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there`s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world`s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
UFC 311 Supercut
/
Ultimately, Makhachev is a tick better than Tsarukyan everywhere and Makhachev should emerge with a decisive win. If the fight stays standing, Makhachev has built enough in his striking arsenal to gain the upper hand at distance, and if he is not finding success on the feet, Makhachev has the option to take Tsarukyan down using his elite wrestling and rack up points through offensive grappling.
Pick: Islam Makhachev -5.5 Point Spread (-140)
Read more about UFC Point Spread betting here: How to Bet UFC Point Spreads on DraftKings Sportsbook
Merab Dvalishvili vs Umar Nurmagomedov
Dvalishvili generally uses heavy pressure and offensive grappling to wear opponents out. Dvalishvili is averaging over six takedowns per 15 minutes in the UFC, an elite rate, and has recorded the most control time in the history of the bantamweight division. However, this type of style will be difficult to effectively use against Nurmagomedov, who is an outstanding wrestler. Nurmagomedov has yet to be taken down in any of his UFC fights, and even if Dvalishvili is able to take Nurmagomedov down, Nurmagomedov will be difficult to hold down as he has the elite scrambling ability to get back to his feet.
This sets up for Nurmagomedov to establish a distance striking match, where Nurmagomedov will likely have the edge. Dvalishvili has yet to be knocked out in his career, but he has been wobbled several times, and there are some warning signs that his chin could be cracked. Nurmagomedov has power in his hands, which was best on display in his brutal KO win over Raoni Barcelos. Taking the Nurmagomedov -5.5 Point Spread gives coverage in the event the fight goes the distance, and sprinkling some action on Umar Nurmagomedov To Win By KO/TKO/DQ gives a big potential payout at +800.
Pick: Umar Nurmagomedov -5.5 Point Spread (-115)
Prop Bet to Consider: Merab Dvalishvili Total Takedowns Landed Under 2.5 (+130)
Parlay Bet
- Islam Makhachev Moneyline
- Umar Nurmagomedov Moneyline
- Payton Talbott Moneyline
Parlay Odds: -112
DraftKings Fantasy UFC
Payton Talbott ($9,900) is an exciting prospect in the bantamweight division, and Talbott’s striking has been very impressive. Through four fights under the UFC’s umbrella, Talbott has landed more than twice the amount of strikes he has absorbed, an elite ratio, and has landed over eight significant strikes per minute, the best rate on the slate. Talbott is a huge -1000 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook for his bout against Raoni Barcelos, which makes him by far the biggest favorite on the card. Talbott is widely expected to win his matchup, which makes him a very safe fantasy play. Talbott’s fast striking pace also gives him fantasy scoring upside.
The main DraftKings fantasy UFC tournament has a huge prize pool of $500,000 this week, with the winner getting $100,000. Enter the contest for only $25 here.
DraftKings UFC Pick6
UFC Pick6 is a new peer-to-peer fantasy UFC contest where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of at least two fighters and select whether or not you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Listed stat projections include significant strikes, takedowns, control time, knockdowns and more. For each fighter, simply select if you think they’ll have MORE or LESS than their listed stat projection. Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ cash prizes!
Play at DraftKings UFC Pick6 or by downloading the DraftKings Pick6 app on Apple or Google!
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, lines and odds subject to change.
UFC 311: Makhachev vs Moicano took place live from Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on January 18, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!