Islam Makhachev leaves fans stunned after piling on massive 23lbs in 24 hours for UFC 311 main event

UFC 311 fighters’ in-cage weights literally and figuratively blur the line between weight classes.

It’s well-known that MMA and UFC fighters cut weight to meet their contractual limit. Some weight cuts are more dramatic than others like Arman Tsarukyan cutting weight during his wedding. Other fighters, like heavyweights, often don’t need to prepare for the scales.

However, the California State Athletic Commission has released the in-cage weights of UFC 311 fighters, and some of the results will shock you, including Islam Makhachev, who defended his lightweight title against Renato Moicano in the main event.

Islam Makhachev gained 23.5 lbs from weigh-in to fight night for UFC 311

Sportsnet’s Aaron Bronsteter was kind enough to share the Commission’s data on X. Islam Makhachev packed on an impressive 23.5 lbs to weigh 178 lbs for his lightweight title fight with Moicano.

This would fuel the narrative of Makhachev being a weight bully if not for one key factor. Moicano still outweighed Makhachev on fight night, gaining 26.8 lbs and weighing 181.8 lbs. That’s almost the UFC middleweight limit, and it isn’t the biggest disparity on the card, either.

One UFC 311 middleweight weighed as much as a heavyweight on fight night

Most notably, heavyweight Jailton Almeida lost weight from weighing in to fighting. Jamahal Hill vastly outweighed Jiri Prochazka, and Reiner de Ridder packed on a colossal 27.5 lbs to make 212 lbs in his middleweight fight with Kevin Holland, which would be enough to fight at heavyweight.

The full stats are below in bout order, per CSAC.