INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Islam Makhachev defeated Renato Moicano via first-round submission in the main event of UFC 311 on Saturday night at the Intuit Dome ), defending his lightweight title.

After being knocked down briefly by a right hand in the round, Makhachev (27-1) put Moicano on his back. As the challenger scrambled, Makhachev grabbed Darcey's neck and quickly tightened his grip. With nowhere to go, Moicano was forced to withdraw at 4:05.

Moicano (20-6-1) was originally scheduled to face Beneil Dariush at UFC 311, but due to Arman Tsarukyan’s Thursday night bout A mid-back injury forced him into action, giving him a chance to compete for the world title a day earlier. He lost weight.

The situation is no stranger to Makhachev, who took on Alexander Volkanovski on 11 days' notice after Charles Oliveira pulled out of UFC 294 due to injury. The same goes for Moicano, who lost to Rafael dos Anjos on four days' notice in 2022 at 160 pounds.

Moicano was understandably considered the big-bet underdog against Makhachev, and the champion proved why he's the best boxer in the world.

"I'm not just talking," Makhachev said of his quick victory. "If my opponent gives me the ball, I'm going to end the night."

Makhachev's dominance during the fight in Dagestan ensured Khabib Nurmagomedov's Eagle MMA Gym became one of the top gyms in the sport.

Unfortunately, Khabib only took home one world title, as Omar Nurmagomedov failed to win UFC gold against Merab Dvalishvili in the co-main event . Still, there's another world champion in the gym in Usman Nurmagomedov, who will defend his Bellator lightweight title next weekend against Paul Hughes .

As things stand, the reigning UFC lightweight champion shows no signs of slowing down at age 33, despite facing a quality opponent on short notice.

"It doesn't matter to me who makes 155 pounds, as long as he walks into the cage and stands in front of me," Makhachev said.

With this victory, Makhachev extended his winning streak to 15 games, tying the longest winning streak in UFC history. His current reign at lightweight is 819 days, second only to his trainer Khabib Nurmagomedov and his 1,077 days as world champion. With each outing, the gap between students and teachers continues to shrink.

Makhachev's fifth title fight also breaks the four-way tie for the most in lightweight history with Benson Henderson, B.J. Penn and Nurmagomedov.

Although the champion has hinted at a move to welterweight, becoming a two-division champion, it appears Makhachev will remain at lightweight for the near future. With such a quick win, there's a chance the fight with Charukian could be rescheduled in the coming months.

But before confirming his next opponent, Makhachev said he welcomes anyone who challenges his world title.

"I love this belt," he said. "That's not my job. If anyone wants this belt, come to the cage."