Islam Makhachev Makes Quick Work Of Renato Moicano, Finishes 2nd Straight Fight With A D'Arce Choke

UFC 311 Main Event Result: Islam Makhachev Makes Quick Work Of Renato Moicano, Finishes 2nd Straight Fight With A D’Arce Choke

Islam Makhachev swiftly submits Renato Moicano with his signature choke, securing his second consecutive victory with it!

Islam Makhachev Makes Quick Work Of Renato Moicano, Finishes 2nd Straight Fight With A D'Arce Choke

Islam Makhachev’s journey in the UFC lightweight division has been nothing short of incredible. Starting as Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protege, he has now carved out his own legacy that even surpasses his mentor’s achievements. The Dagestani fighter has transformed from being “Khabib’s friend” to becoming the most dominant champion the division has ever seen.

He has beaten the who’s who of lightweight legends, including Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier (and Alexander Volkanovski twice), making it look almost too easy at times. At UFC 311, Makhachev faced an unexpected challenge when his original opponent, Arman Tsarukyan, had to pull out due to a back injury.

Also Read: Who is Renato Moicano?

UFC 311 Fight Analysis: Islam Makhachev vs. Renato Moicano

Renato “Money” Moicano stepped up from his scheduled bout with Beneil Dariush to face the champion. Despite being a massive underdog, Moicano came out swinging, showing the kind of confidence fans would expect from someone who has got nothing to lose. He even managed to clip the champion with a solid punch – a rare sight indeed!

But this just seemed to piss off Islam Makhachev, and he stuck to what he does best. After eating that shot, he smoothly transitioned to his wrestling game, taking Moicano down. The end came at 4:05 of the first round when Makhachev locked in a picture-perfect D’Arce choke, forcing Moicano to tap.

THE LIGHTWEIGHT KING KEEPS THE BELT! 👏@MAKHACHEVMMA gets the 1st round submission! #UFC311 pic.twitter.com/J2bHS78GfX
— UFC (@ufc) January 19, 2025

This victory wasn’t just another win – it marked Islam Makhachev’s fourth title defense, setting a new record in the UFC lightweight division. The previous record of three defenses was shared by none other than Khabib Nurmagomedov, Benson Henderson, and the legendary B.J. Penn.

This performance perfectly sums up why the Dagestani is such a nightmare for his opponents. Even when Moicano had his moment of success on his feet, Islam Makhachev didn’t panic. Instead, he used that opportunity to set up his takedown and ultimately secure the submission.

If you look at it, Islam Makhachev is secretly a villain. A bigger villain than Ilia Topuria 👿

A thread 🧵

01. Submits Dustin Poirier 😢pic.twitter.com/XBbnIgftYs
— MMA On Point (@OnPointMMA) January 14, 2025

What’s particularly impressive is how he has finished his last two fights with the same submission – the D’Arce choke. It’s becoming his signature move as he submitted Dustin Poirier with the same choke at UFC 302.

The win extends his streak to 15 fights, and at this point, fans have got to wonder who in the lightweight division can solve the puzzle that is Islam Makhachev.

(Image Credit: UFC News -X)

Arman Tsarukyan

Dustin Poirier

Islam Makhachev

Renato Moicano

UFC 311

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!