UFC 311 takes place on Saturday, January 18th at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, US. The main card broadcast begins at 10 PM EST live on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View. Prelims can be viewed on ESPN+ at 8 PM EST, and the early prelims start at 6 PM EST on UFC Fight Pass.
Main Event: UFC Lightweight Championship (155)
(C) [#1/#2DD/#1P4P]Islam Makhachev(26-1-0, -412) vs [#2] Arman Tsarukyan (22-3-0, +309)
Just in time for UFC 311…. #1 is surprising, but this is entirely about longevity at or near the top of the division.
Lightweight Championship (155)
[#1/#2DD/#1P4P] Islam Makhachev (26-1-0, -412) vs. [#2] Arman Tsarukyan (22-3-0, +309)
Islam Makhachev is the All-Time #3 ranked Lightweight and #23 ranked Absolute fighter.
Arman Tsarukyan is the All-Time #42 ranked Lightweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Islam Makhachev (3-0-0)
2024-06-01: W vs. [#6LW] Dustin Poirier (30-9-0) via Submission (Brabo Choke) in 2:42 of round 5
2023-10-21: W vs. [#2FW] Alexander Volkanovski (26-4-0) via KO (Head Kick and Punches) in 3:06 of round 1
2023-02-11: W vs. [#2FW] Alexander Volkanovski (26-4-0) via UD (48-47, 49-46, 48-47)
Last 3 Fights: Arman Tsarukyan (3-0-0)
2024-04-13: W vs. [#3LW] Charles Oliveira (35-10-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
2023-12-02: W vs. [#13LW] Beneil Dariush (22-6-1) via KO (Knee and Punches) in 1:04 of round 1
2023-06-17: W vs. [#85LW] Joaquim Silva (13-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:25 of round 3
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Islam Makhachev | -412 | 76.69% | |
| Elo K170 | Islam Makhachev | 2556.76 | +254.43 | 81.22% |
| Elo Modified | Islam Makhachev | 2486.06 | +287.50 | 83.96% |
| Glicko-1 | Islam Makhachev | 2615.44 | +351.80 | 88.34% |
| WHR | Islam Makhachev | 2401.98 | +275.75 | 83.02% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Islam Makhachev 231, Arman Tsarukyan 280
Previous Match-up Record: Islam Makhachev leads 1-0-0
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 2 win(s) against common opposition.
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Bantamweight Championship (135)
[#1/#4DD/#6P4P] Merab Dvalishvili (18-4-0, +260) vs. [#4] Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0-0, -339)
Merab Dvalishvili is the All-Time #10 ranked Bantamweight fighter.
Umar Nurmagomedov is the All-Time #46 ranked Bantamweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Merab Dvalishvili (3-0-0)
2024-09-14: W vs. [#2BW] Sean OMalley (18-2-0) via UD (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)
2024-02-17: W vs. [#8BW] Henry Cejudo (16-4-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2023-03-11: W vs. [#3BW] Petr Yan (18-5-0) via UD (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
Last 3 Fights: Umar Nurmagomedov (3-0-0)
2024-08-03: W vs. [#6BW] Cory Sandhagen (17-5-0) via UD (50-45, 49-46, 49-46)
2024-03-02: W vs. [#92BW] Bekzat Almakhan (12-2-0) via UD (30-25, 30-26, 30-26)
2023-01-14: W vs. [#44BW] Raoni Barcelos (18-5-0) via KO (Body Kick and Punch) in 4:40 of round 1
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Umar Nurmagomedov | -339 | 73.54% | |
| Elo K170 | Merab Dvalishvili | 2333.07 | +201.36 | 76.12% |
| Elo Modified | Merab Dvalishvili | 2307.32 | +202.31 | 76.22% |
| Glicko-1 | Merab Dvalishvili | 2373.25 | +200.67 | 76.05% |
| WHR | Merab Dvalishvili | 2142.63 | +89.04 | 62.54% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Merab Dvalishvili 126, Umar Nurmagomedov 168
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Light Heavyweight (205)
[#3] Jiri Prochazka (30-5-1, -109) vs. [#4] Jamahal Hill (13-2-0, -112)
Jiri Prochazka is the All-Time #25 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter.
Jamahal Hill is the All-Time #31 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Jiri Prochazka (1-2-0)
2024-06-29: L vs. [#1LHW/#7DD/#4P4P] Alex Pereira (12-2-0) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 0:13 of round 2
2024-04-13: W vs. [#23LHW] Aleksandar Rakic (14-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:17 of round 2
2023-11-11: L vs. [#1LHW/#7DD/#4P4P] Alex Pereira (12-2-0) via TKO (Elbows) in 4:08 of round 2
Last 3 Fights: Jamahal Hill (2-1-0)
2024-04-13: L vs. [#1LHW/#7DD/#4P4P] Alex Pereira (12-2-0) via KO (Punches) in 3:14 of round 1
2023-01-21: W vs. [*] Glover Teixeira (33-9-0) via UD (50-44, 50-44, 50-44)
2022-08-06: W vs. [#36HW+] Thiago Santos (22-13-0) via TKO (Punches and Elbows) in 2:31 of round 4
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Jamahal Hill | -112 | 50.32% | |
| Elo K170 | Jiri Prochazka | 2065.68 | +71.39 | 60.13% |
| Elo Modified | Jiri Prochazka | 2049.92 | +56.56 | 58.07% |
| Glicko-1 | Jiri Prochazka | 2147.96 | +78.90 | 61.16% |
| WHR | Jiri Prochazka | 1995.35 | +112.11 | 65.60% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Jiri Prochazka 203, Jamahal Hill 280
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 2 win(s) against common opposition.
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In case you missed it, the forum is back.
UPDATE: Re-posting the rankings shortly after 11:00 PM ET due to some amateur results incorrect marked as professional.
In case you did not know, we have our own awards page here.
Alex Pereira and Kayla Harrison are the fighters of the year.
Paul Hughes made his presence known, as he won our most improved award and was the victor in two of our upset awards.
Francis Ngannou was a shoe-in for the comeback fighter of the year.
One of the most interesting awards for me, is the rookie of the year. As you probably know, there is no formal progression from the “minor” to the “major” leagues in MMA. Some fighters get noticed… and some fighters don’t. Very few fighters are brought along “the right way” in a steady fashion, like you often see in boxing. MMA can also be quite unpredictable…
Featherweight (145)
[#11] Chihiro Suzuki (13-4-0, +123) vs. [#41] Kleber Koike Erbst (34-7-1, -171)
Last 3 Fights: Chihiro Suzuki (3-0-0)
2024-04-29: W vs. [#63FW] Masanori Kanehara (29-13-5) via TKO (Punches) in 4:20 of round 1
2023-11-04: W vs. [#47FW] Vugar Karamov (20-5-0) via KO (Upkick and Punches) in 1:28 of round 1
2023-07-30: W vs. [#10FW] Patricio Freire (36-7-0) via KO (Punch) in 2:32 of round 1
Last 3 Fights: Kleber Koike Erbst (2-1-0)
2024-06-09: W vs. [#76FW] Juan Archuleta (29-7-0) via Submission (Inverted Heel Hook) in 2:25 of round 1
2023-12-31: W vs. [#380FW] Yutaka Saito (21-9-2) via Technical Submission (Brabo Choke) in 1:22 of round 3
2023-09-24: L vs. [#63FW] Masanori Kanehara (29-13-5) via UD ()
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Kleber Koike Erbst | -171 | 58.45% | |
| Elo K170 | Kleber Koike Erbst | 1953.67 | +19.74 | 52.84% |
| Elo Modified | Kleber Koike Erbst | 1916.85 | +21.12 | 53.04% |
| Glicko-1 | Kleber Koike Erbst | 2013.58 | +7.41 | 51.07% |
| WHR | Kleber Koike Erbst | 1872.13 | +65.83 | 59.36% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Chihiro Suzuki 246, Kleber Koike Erbst 205
Previous Match-up Record: Kleber Koike Erbst leads 1-0-0
Wins Against Common Opposition: Chihiro Suzuki leads 3-1
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Lightweight (155)
[#27] Roberto Satoshi de Souza (17-3-0, -134) vs. [#47FW] Vugar Karamov (20-5-0, -101)
Last 3 Fights: Roberto Satoshi de Souza (2-1-0)
2024-09-29: W vs. [#69LW] Luiz Gustavo (14-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:21 of round 1
2024-03-23: W vs. [#334LW] Keita Nakamura (36-12-2) via TKO (Corner Stoppage) in 1:43 of round 1
2023-07-29: L vs. [#51LW] Patricky Freire (25-14-0) via TKO (Leg Kick) in 0:49 of round 3
Last 3 Fights: Vugar Karamov (2-1-0)
2024-11-17: W vs. [#230FW] Kazumasa Majima (17-6-0) via TKO (Punches and Elbows) in 0:28 of round 1
2023-11-04: L vs. [#11FW] Chihiro Suzuki (13-4-0) via KO (Upkick and Punches) in 1:28 of round 1
2023-07-30: W vs. [#218FW] Mikuru Asakura (17-5-0) via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in 2:41 of round 1
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Roberto Satoshi de Souza | -134 | 53.26% | |
| Elo K170 | Roberto Satoshi de Souza | 1954.67 | +156.49 | 71.11% |
| Elo Modified | Roberto Satoshi de Souza | 1935.91 | +125.74 | 67.34% |
| Glicko-1 | Roberto Satoshi de Souza | 2019.18 | +171.75 | 72.88% |
| WHR | Roberto Satoshi de Souza | 1836.83 | +98.48 | 63.80% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Roberto Satoshi de Souza 93, Vugar Karamov 44
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Flyweight (125)
[#4] Kyoji Horiguchi (33-5-0, -463) vs. [#81] Nkazimulo Zulu (16-6-1, +292)
Kyoji Horiguchi is the All-Time #19 ranked Flyweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Kyoji Horiguchi (2-0-0, 1 NC)
2024-06-09: W vs. [#14BW] Sergio Pettis (23-7-0) via UD ()
2023-12-31: W vs. [#75FLY] Makoto Takahashi (18-3-1) via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in 3:44 of round 2
2023-07-29: NC vs. [#75FLY] Makoto Takahashi (18-3-1)
Last 3 Fights: Nkazimulo Zulu (3-0-0)
2024-09-29: W vs. [#205FLY] Jo Arai (15-13-2) via TKO (Spinning Wheel Kick and Punches) in 4:12 of round 1
2024-03-07: W vs. [#472FLY] Gift Walker (5-2-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 2:38 of round 3
2023-07-13: W vs. [#2063BW] Musa Sethwape (4-5-0) via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in 3:15 of round 4
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Kyoji Horiguchi | -463 | 76.32% | |
| Elo K170 | Kyoji Horiguchi | 2086.35 | +571.33 | 96.40% |
| Elo Modified | Kyoji Horiguchi | 2061.48 | +541.38 | 95.76% |
| Glicko-1 | Kyoji Horiguchi | 2100.02 | +542.22 | 95.78% |
| WHR | Kyoji Horiguchi | 2003.91 | +483.87 | 94.19% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Kyoji Horiguchi 205, Nkazimulo Zulu 93
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Welterweight (170)
[#5] Colby Covington (17-4-0, +212) vs. [#9] Joaquin Buckley (20-6-0, -264)
Colby Covington is the All-Time #8 ranked Welterweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Colby Covington (1-2-0)
2023-12-16: L vs. [#2WW/#10P4P] Leon Edwards (22-4-0) via UD (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
2022-03-05: W vs. [*] Jorge Masvidal (35-17-0) via UD (50-44, 50-45, 49-46)
2021-11-06: L vs. [#3WW] Kamaru Usman (20-4-0) via UD (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)
Last 3 Fights: Joaquin Buckley (3-0-0)
2024-10-05: W vs. [#19WW] Stephen Thompson (17-8-1) via KO (Punch) in 2:17 of round 3
2024-05-11: W vs. [#80WW] Nursulton Ruziboev (34-9-2) via UD (29-27, 30-27, 30-26)
2024-03-30: W vs. [#18WW] Vicente Luque (23-10-1) via TKO (Punches) in 3:17 of round 2
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Joaquin Buckley | -264 | 69.35% | |
| Elo K170 | Colby Covington | 2244.12 | +162.96 | 71.87% |
| Elo Modified | Colby Covington | 2179.50 | +135.34 | 68.55% |
| Glicko-1 | Colby Covington | 2244.79 | +92.60 | 63.02% |
| WHR | Colby Covington | 1960.38 | +28.86 | 54.14% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Colby Covington 364, Joaquin Buckley 70
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Featherweight (145)
[#40] Cub Swanson (30-14-0, +132) vs. [#44] Billy Quarantillo (18-6-0, -159)
Cub Swanson is the All-Time #20 ranked Featherweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Cub Swanson (1-2-0)
2024-06-29: L vs. [#39FW] Andre Fili (24-11-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2023-08-12: W vs. [*] Hakeem Dawodu (13-4-1) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2022-10-15: L vs. [#21BW] Jonathan Martinez (19-6-0) via TKO (Leg Kick) in 4:19 of round 2
Last 3 Fights: Billy Quarantillo (1-2-0)
2024-03-23: L vs. [#25FW] Youssef Zalal (16-5-1) via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in 1:50 of round 2
2023-08-05: W vs. [*] Damon Jackson (23-8-1) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2023-04-15: L vs. [#37FW] Edson Barboza (24-12-0) via KO (Knee) in 2:37 of round 1
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Billy Quarantillo | -159 | 58.75% | |
| Elo K170 | Cub Swanson | 1678.39 | +57.33 | 58.18% |
| Elo Modified | Cub Swanson | 1726.26 | +89.49 | 62.60% |
| Glicko-1 | Cub Swanson | 1764.50 | +100.94 | 64.13% |
| WHR | Cub Swanson | 1655.95 | +52.07 | 57.44% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Cub Swanson 168, Billy Quarantillo 266
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Flyweight (125)
[#13] Manel Kape (19-7-0, -302) vs. [#21] Bruno Silva (14-6-2, +239)
Manel Kape is the All-Time #34 ranked Flyweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Manel Kape (2-1-0)
2024-07-27: L vs. [#7FLY] Muhammad Mokaev (13-0-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
2023-09-09: W vs. [#98FLY] Felipe dos Santos (9-2-0) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
2022-12-17: W vs. [*] David Dvorak (20-6-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Last 3 Fights: Bruno Silva (3-0-0)
2024-07-20: W vs. [#38FLY] Cody Durden (17-7-1) via TKO (Punches) in 2:58 of round 2
2023-03-11: W vs. [#202BW] Tyson Nam (23-14-1) via Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in 1:23 of round 2
2021-05-22: W vs. [*] Victor Rodriguez (5-4-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:00 of round 1
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Manel Kape | -302 | 71.80% | |
| Elo K170 | Manel Kape | 1739.07 | +45.52 | 56.51% |
| Elo Modified | Manel Kape | 1748.75 | +64.63 | 59.20% |
| Glicko-1 | Manel Kape | 1810.78 | +61.47 | 58.75% |
| WHR | Manel Kape | 1735.25 | +34.18 | 54.90% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Manel Kape 140, Bruno Silva 147
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Manel Kape leads 1-0
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In the green so far….
Fights considered must satisfy all of the criteria below:
“The Underdog” bet/parlay
Flyweight Championship (125)
[#1/#3DD/#2P4P] Alexandre Pantoja (28-5-0, -270) vs. [#24BW] Kai Asakura (21-4-0, +218)
Alexandre Pantoja is the All-Time #4 ranked Flyweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Alexandre Pantoja (3-0-0)
2024-05-04: W vs. [#8FLY] Steve Erceg (12-3-0) via UD (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
2023-12-16: W vs. [#2FLY/#6DD] Brandon Royval (17-7-0) via UD (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)
2023-07-08: W vs. [#3FLY/#7DD] Brandon Moreno (22-8-2) via SD (46-49, 48-47, 48-47)
Last 3 Fights: Kai Asakura (2-1-0)
2023-12-31: W vs. [#74FW] Juan Archuleta (29-7-0) via TKO (Knee to the Body and Punches) in 3:20 of round 2
2023-05-06: W vs. [#83BW] Yuki Motoya (36-12-0) via KO (Knee to the Body) in 2:25 of round 3
2021-12-31: L vs. [#12FLY] Hiromasa Ougikubo (27-8-2) via UD ()
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Alexandre Pantoja | -270 | 69.88% | |
| Elo K170 | Alexandre Pantoja | 2142.99 | +112.56 | 65.66% |
| Elo Modified | Alexandre Pantoja | 2052.29 | +81.53 | 61.52% |
| Glicko-1 | Alexandre Pantoja | 2109.18 | +81.67 | 61.54% |
| WHR | Alexandre Pantoja | 1985.39 | +107.26 | 64.96% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Alexandre Pantoja 217, Kai Asakura 342
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 2 win(s) against common opposition.
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Welterweight (170)
[#5] Shavkat Rakhmonov (18-0-0, -378) vs. [#8] Ian Garry (15-0-0, +287)
Shavkat Rakhmonov is the All-Time #31 ranked Welterweight fighter.
Ian Garry is the All-Time #45 ranked Welterweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Shavkat Rakhmonov (3-0-0)
2023-12-16: W vs. [#19WW] Stephen Thompson (17-8-1) via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in 4:56 of round 2
2023-03-04: W vs. [#12WW] Geoff Neal (16-6-0) via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in 4:17 of round 3
2022-06-25: W vs. [#32WW] Neil Magny (29-13-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 4:58 of round 2
Last 3 Fights: Ian Garry (3-0-0)
2024-06-29: W vs. [#17WW] Michael Page (22-3-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2024-02-17: W vs. [#12WW] Geoff Neal (16-6-0) via SD (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
2023-08-19: W vs. [#32WW] Neil Magny (29-13-0) via UD (30-26, 30-24, 30-26)
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Shavkat Rakhmonov | -378 | 75.37% | |
| Elo K170 | Shavkat Rakhmonov | 2224.04 | +75.57 | 60.71% |
| Elo Modified | Shavkat Rakhmonov | 2181.75 | +101.44 | 64.20% |
| Glicko-1 | Shavkat Rakhmonov | 2296.22 | +192.57 | 75.19% |
| WHR | Shavkat Rakhmonov | 2181.58 | +211.63 | 77.18% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Shavkat Rakhmonov 357, Ian Garry 161
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 2 win(s) against common opposition.
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Heavyweight (265)
[*] Ciryl Gane (12-2-0, -324) vs. [#4] Alexander Volkov (38-10-0, +253)
Ciryl Gane is the All-Time #20 ranked Heavyweight fighter.
Alexander Volkov is the All-Time #27 ranked Heavyweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Ciryl Gane (2-1-0)
2023-09-02: W vs. [#7HW+] Serghei Spivac (17-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:44 of round 2
2023-03-04: L vs. [#1HW+/#8P4P] Jon Jones (28-1-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 2:04 of round 1
2022-09-03: W vs. [#16HW+] Tai Tuivasa (14-8-0) via KO (Punches) in 4:23 of round 3
Last 3 Fights: Alexander Volkov (3-0-0)
2024-06-22: W vs. [#6HW+] Sergei Pavlovich (18-3-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
2023-09-09: W vs. [#16HW+] Tai Tuivasa (14-8-0) via Submission (Ezekiel Choke) in 4:37 of round 2
2023-03-11: W vs. [#20HW+] Alexander Romanov (18-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:16 of round 1
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Ciryl Gane | -324 | 72.95% | |
| Elo K170 | Ciryl Gane | 2135.11 | +32.94 | 54.73% |
| Elo Modified | Ciryl Gane | 2129.33 | +21.62 | 53.11% |
| Glicko-1 | Ciryl Gane | 2218.49 | +14.14 | 52.03% |
| WHR | Alexander Volkov | 2062.31 | +0.80 | 50.12% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Ciryl Gane 462, Alexander Volkov 168
Previous Match-up Record: Ciryl Gane leads 1-0-0
Wins Against Common Opposition: Ciryl Gane leads 3-2
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