Islam Makhachev reminded the MMA world that he's the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter for a reason. Makhachev dominated late replacement Renato Moicano in a first-round submission victory in the main event of UFC 311 on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, to defend his lightweight title. Can anyone beat Makhachev? He was a heavy favorite, per ESPN BET, and made it look easy. In the co-main event, bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili had a tough time against Umar Numagomedov but edged a decision win to retain his belt. What now for the champion? In another notable fight, Jiří Procházka stopped former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill in the third round and asked for a third fight with champion Alex Pereira. He's 0-2 against Pereira, can he get the fight and get the result this time around? What should be next for the former champion? Brett Okamoto, Andreas Hale and Jeff Wagenheim shares their thoughts on these fights.

The moment is never too big for Makhachev

It didn't matter who was standing across the cage from Islam Makhachev. Whether it was Renato Moicano challenging him in the main event or even if it had been his originally scheduled opponent, Makhachev was going to fight his fight and make Saturday night all his.

The lightweight champion had risen to the top of the sport on the strength of the same characteristic that once buoyed his friend and mentor, retired former champ Khabib Nurgamomedov: Unflappable discipline.

A late change in opponent -- Arman Tsarukyan withdrew on Friday with a back injury -- did not faze Makhachev. Neither did the disconcerting events of just a few minutes before, when his friend and teammate Umar Nurmagomedov suffered his first career defeat in an unsuccessful bid for the bantamweight title. Some fighters -- even very good ones, champions and stars -- might have been put off their game. Not Makhachev. He maintained his focus, as usual.

The easy-as-pie submission of Moicano gives Makhachev 15 consecutive victories, tying him with Kamaru Usman for the second-longest streak in UFC history, one behind Anderson Silva. He also bested some other all-time greats -- including Coach Khabib and BJ Penn -- with his fifth lightweight title fight win, the most ever in the UFC. But records do not tell the story of Makhachev.

The No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in ESPN's rankings has abundant skill, but it's a word that rhymes with skill that truly fuels him. It's his will. Not simply a will to win, but a will to be Islam Makhachev and nothing less, no matter the circumstances swirling around him.

Who or what can challenge this man? Whether Makhachev will continue to mow down lightweights or step up to welterweight to try to become a two-division champion is a question he and his team will tackle in due time. One thing we do know now: Whenever he next steps into the cage, and against whoever, the moment will not be too big for Makhachev. -- Wagenheim

It's Dvalishvili, Nurmagomedov and the rest of the division

Before their respective careers are done, we will see a trilogy between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov. They are clearly the best bantamweights in the world, for one. I don't discount the chances of Sean O'Malley, Cory Sandhagen or Petr Yan pulling off an upset, but it's not the most likely scenario. Right now, odds favor Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov over every other bantamweight in the world.

Saturday's fight was incredible. And it stands to reason, neither was at their best. Dvalishvili never wanted to fight on this timeline and hinted at not being 100 percent after suffering a cut on his right leg during training. He wanted to take a break to start 2025, but was thrown into camp early based on the UFC's desire to book this matchup in January.

Nurmagomedov apparently broke his hand in the opening round, and regardless of that, he will learn from this experience and grow as a result. Whichever of these two you'd pick to win a rematch, you can feel confident in saying they'll both be better the next time they fight. Their stocks also rose on Saturday, which is important. Even going into UFC 311, you wouldn't say either Dvalishvili or Nurmagomedov were the biggest names in the division. This fight showed them in a different light. It was super entertaining because they were evenly matched. Before this matchup, they were able to impose their will on opponents without as much resistance.

Dvalishvili isn't known as a super exciting bantamweight, but when you pit him against someone such as Nurmagomedov, who can defend his wrestling and force him every ounce out of his renowned gas tank, it's a much funner show. And his antics to the crowd, which can be off-putting if he's well ahead on the scorecards, have a much more positive effect when he's battling in there and looking to rile a crowd behind him. This could turn into one of the better rivalries the sport witnesses over the next two years. -- Okamoto

Procházka is a star and his performance at UFC 311 certified that

Although he's a notch below Alex Pereira in the light heavyweight pecking order, Jiří Procházka has proven to possess that "it" factor that fans gravitate to, and his performance on Saturday cemented his place in the hearts of fight fans.

Between his epic staredowns, samurai-influenced lifestyle and his exciting fighting style, Procházka is one-of-a-kind in the UFC. Add in the fact that he shaved his head in solidarity with Ashly McGarity, the fan who was diagnosed with cervical cancer last September, and you have a fighter that the UFC can get behind, with or without a world title.

UFC 311 was another display of the Czech Republic's star power as he engaged in a thrilling battle with Jamahal Hill before scoring a third-round knockout in another fantastic showdown. The crowd was firmly behind Prochazka throughout, and the finish punctuated his magnetic aura.

There is rarely a dull moment in a Procházka fight. His defense isn't much more than moving his head and he barely weaves his way out of danger while his unorthodox assault is difficult for his opponents to get a read on. Hill didn't have the reflexes to pick up on the movement and was eventually crushed by the former champion. Outside of Pereira, nobody has managed to fully figure out Procházka.

Will he be a world champion again? Maybe. But the UFC has needed stars that can draw outside of world title fights and Procházka fits the bill. A fight with Khalil Rountree should be next on the docket and could be worthy of the first BMF title fight in the light heavyweight division. -- Hale

Inter Miami CF began their preseason with a 2-2 draw against Club America in regular time on Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada before winning in penalties (3-2).

Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano made his managerial debut after being appointed to the role on Nov. 26, 2024, initiating a new chapter for the club. The Herons lined up in a 4-4-2 for the first time under the helm of the Barcelona figure, with star players Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez up top.

After retaining most of the possession, Club America opened up the scoring in the 31st minute of the match with a goal from Henry Martín. But the Liga MX giants failed to retain the early lead for long, as Messi found a way to connect with Suarez inside the box before heading the ball into the back of the net.

The Uruguay forward, who signed a new contract with Inter Miami to stay through the 2025 MLS season, volleyed the ball to Messi for the perfect header.

Inter Miami managed to keep the match at 1-1 well into the second half, but Israel Reyes and Club America proved stronger. A series of defensive errors from centre-back pairing Tomas "Toto" Aviles and Noah Allen left Reyes with the ball inside the box, inspiring the player to slide the ball past new Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo.

The Herons were able to find the tying goal once again, this time with a header from defender Aviles off of a corner kick from Julian Gressel in the final minutes of the match to send the game to penalties.

Club America will now return to Mexico City to resume the Liga MX tournament, while Inter Miami embark on the South and Central American portion of their 2025 preseason tour. The Herons are set to face Universitario at Estadio Monumental "U" in Peru on Jan. 29 before traveling to Panama to play against Sporting San Miguelito.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs again saw the shift in Travis Kelce as they began the postseason and the star tight end became what Mahomes called "Playoff Trav."

"This is what he lives for, is playing in these moments, having the chance to make big-time plays," Mahomes said Saturday after Kelce provided almost half of the Chiefs' receptions and more than half of their receiving yards in a 23-14 win over the Houston Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs.

"He goes out there and does that, and it seems like he does it in every single playoff game.

"He doesn't let the moment be bigger than what it is. He just goes out there and executes at a high level just like he does in a regular-season game. He just does that with a little bit higher intensity."

Kelce caught seven passes for 117 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown from Mahomes in the fourth quarter. It was his first 100-yard game of the season and the ninth of his playoff career, the latter setting an NFL record.

Kelce exceeded his regular-season average for yards per game in the playoffs every year since 2020. Against the Texans on Saturday, Kelce more than doubled his season average of 56 receiving yards per game.

Kelce said he had no explanation.

"I wish it was some type of switch or something like that that I just turned on in the playoffs," he said.

Kelce was one of several Chiefs players who until Saturday hadn't played since a Christmas Day win over the Pittsburgh Steelers clinched the AFC's top playoff seed. Kelce, 35, said he felt much more refreshed for having a break of more than three weeks heading into the playoffs, and Mahomes agreed.

"It helped Travis a ton just because he's an older guy and he plays a very, very tough position on the body," Mahomes said. "It's not like he's just sitting on the couch. He's working out and kind of just taking those reps off, so for him it's just been getting himself ready to go. We've been practicing, we've been working at practice and then we go out there and he plays fast and takes his game to a new level.''

Kelce's biggest play was a 49-yard catch that set up the Chiefs' first touchdown. On it, he had 36 yards after the catch, most coming after he ran around a defender who had a shot at him right after the reception.

"It just felt good to finally make a guy miss this year,'' Kelce said.

Kelce was finally brought down at the Houston 6. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy said that early in Kelce's career the tight end would have scored a touchdown on the play. Kelce said Worthy was correct.

As far as making defenders miss, Mahomes said, "Those tacklers that tackle him in the regular season don't tackle him in the playoffs."

The Mahomes-to-Kelce touchdown pass gave the Chiefs a 20-12 lead. It was the 20th career playoff touchdown for the two, but few if any were this spectacular. Mahomes found Kelce as the quarterback was falling to the ground after being hit and seemingly about to be sacked.

Defensive tackle Chris Jones has been with the Chiefs for all of the 20 touchdown passes from Mahomes to Kelce and wasn't surprised at this one.

"Just when you think you've got them, you don't," Jones said.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. said he believes the referees were against his team in Saturday's 23-14 AFC divisional round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Texans' defense was flagged for two controversial penalties at separate points when it contacted Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Both extended Kansas City drives, leading to a crucial 10 points for the Chiefs.

"We knew it was going to be us versus the refs going into this game," Anderson said afterward.

Anderson was flagged for roughing the passer on a Mahomes incomplete pass to tight end Travis Kelce on third down during the Chiefs' second drive. Anderson appeared to hit Mahomes in the upper neck area shortly after he released the pass. That drive ended in a field goal to put the Chiefs up 6-3.

In the third quarter, Mahomes scrambled on a first down and slid while Texans defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi and linebacker Henry To'oTo'o collided with him, drawing an unnecessary roughness penalty. The Chiefs took advantage of the extra yards and capped the possession with a touchdown to put them up 20-12.

Fatukasi told ESPN he didn't remember the play for which he was flagged, and To'oTo'o said, "It is what it is."

When Houston coach DeMeco Ryans was asked about the controversial calls, he made a subtle remark. But Ryans acknowledged the "self-inflicted mistakes" sunk the Texans' chances of advancing to the AFC Championship Game for the first time in franchise history.

"We knew going into this game, man, it was us versus everybody. And when I say everybody, it's everybody," Ryans said. "Knowing that going into this game, what we were up against, we can't make the mistakes that we made. Whether it's special teams not converting our kicks. Defensively, not being where we're supposed to be in coverage. Offensively, not protecting our quarterback and keeping him clean. You married that on top of everything else that we have to deal with, it's just going to be a really tough uphill battle."

And the Texans made several mistakes. That is why even though Houston reached the divisional round for consecutive seasons, Ryans said he was "discouraged" about Saturday's outcome.

"This one hurts, because I know we're a better football team than what we showed today," Ryans said. "To go back and still have to talk about mistakes that we made in this moment, it's discouraging. Because we got to be over that at this point in the playoffs."

The Texans' special teams made critical miscues that kept them at a disadvantage for most of the contest. On the game's opening kickoff, Houston gave up a 63-yard return to Chiefs wideout Nikko Remigio, who fumbled when defensive back Kris Boyd tackled him before Kansas City running back Samaje Perine recovered the loose ball.

However, before the recovery, Boyd sprinted off in a celebratory fashion and threw off his helmet before reaching the sideline. He drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty that had the Chiefs' offense starting on Houston's 13-yard line. The defense didn't allow a touchdown, but Kansas City took advantage of the field position and nailed a field goal.

The Texans opened the second half with running back Joe Mixon scoring a touchdown. But kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn missed the extra point try that would have tied the score at 13. Fairbairn also missed a field goal attempt in the second quarter.

Beyond the special team blunders, the Texans failed to protect quarterback C.J. Stroud, who was pressured on a career-high 23 dropbacks and sacked eight times, tying a career high from Week 9 against the New York Jets.

Stroud's pressure rate of 56% is the second highest in an NFL playoff game since ESPN began tracking pressure in 2009, trailing only former Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (63%) in 2011.

"In the playoffs, you have to win your one-on-ones," Ryans said. "That's what the game always comes down to. You have to man up and own your one-on-one. You have to have some pride in who you're blocking to get it done, to give the quarterback a chance to throw the football."

Stroud was able to use his legs to survive some of the pressure, as he rushed for 42 yards and converted on a couple of third downs.

"Just being a competitor, trying to put my team in positions to win," Stroud said. "There's times where I probably shouldn't have done that and just throw the ball away. So, it's a balance, and I think I tried my best to do that today, and I think I made a lot of plays in general today."

Still, whenever Kansas City blitzed, the Texans struggled to find answers. Stroud was blitzed on 10 of his 18 fourth-quarter dropbacks (56%), including a stretch of seven consecutive ones. Stroud was 3-of-8 for 41 yards with two sacks in the fourth quarter when blitzed.

The gaffes the Texans made were too much to overcome, as they became the first team to outgain their opponent by 100-plus yards (336-212) while not turning the ball over and lose a postseason game. Previous such teams were 49-0 in the playoffs, according to ESPN Research.

"Can't continue to shoot ourselves in the foot and then not overcome it and expect to win," Stroud said.

DETROIT -- The Washington Commanders no longer are just a feel-good story. They're now a threat to win a title in one of the most unlikely seasons in franchise history.

The Commanders earned a spot in the NFC Championship Game with a 45-31 victory over the Detroit Lions on Saturday. Washington (14-5) will play the winner of Sunday's game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams (3 p.m. ET, NBC).

It's the first time the organization has reached the NFC Championship Game since the 1991 season. Last week, it won its first playoff game since the 2005 season.

The Commanders did it with an offense that punted only once and gained 482 total yards against a team that had gone 15-2 in the regular season.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels, once more, starred. He threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 52 yards. The offense scored 38 points and received another seven thanks to a pick-six by safety Quan Martin.

The Commanders accomplished this feat one year after going 4-13 and making massive changes to its front office, coaching staff and roster. From 1992 -- the year after Washington won its last Super Bowl -- until 2023, the organization posted the NFL's fourth-worst winning percentage.

Before this season, the franchise had not posted a winning record since 2016. But the Commanders have exorcised one ghost after another.

Here are the most important things to know from Saturday night for both teams:

Washington Commanders (14-5)

QB breakdown: Rookie or not, Daniels does not get flustered. Playing in his most hostile environment as a pro, and facing numerous blitzes, he stayed composed -- as he has all season. Daniels threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns. His best work came under pressure. In the first half, Daniels threw for 160 yards against the blitz, completing 7-of-9 throws. His season high in a game vs. the blitz was 177 yards against the Eagles in a Week 16 win. On Saturday, Daniels also completed two passes on fourth down for 19 yards and two first downs.

Surprising performance: Washington's defense. The Commanders allowed 31 points and 521 yards, but they made plays on defense. Washington intercepted four passes and had a strip-sack that led to a touchdown. Safety Quan Martin had a pick-six in the first half while corner Mike Sainristil intercepted a pass in the end zone late in the first half with Detroit in field goal range.

Promising trend: Receiver Dyami Brown has been huge in the postseason. On Saturday, Brown caught six passes for 98 yards after catching five passes for 89 yards and a touchdown in the wild-card win over Tampa Bay. His speed mattered Saturday as he caught passes for 42 and 38 yards to set up scores. During the regular season, Brown caught 30 passes for 308 yards and a touchdown. -- John Keim

Next game: NFC Championship Game vs. Eagles or Rams (3 p.m. ET, Sunday, Jan. 26)

Detroit Lions (15-3)

Fans at Ford Field were stunned after a season with such great promise ended with a five-turnover performance in the loss to Washington. The teams combined for 52 points at halftime, which matched the highest-scoring first half of any game since the 2019 divisional playoffs between the Chiefs and Texans, per ESPN Research. But that number largely reflected on Detroit's defense, which struggled badly to contain rookie Daniels and the Washington offense all game.

Detroit starting cornerback Amik Robertson suffered an elbow injury on the defense's second play of the game and didn't return, compounding the unit's issues.

QB breakdown: Jared Goff threw three interceptions, including his first pick-six this season, and lost a fumble. He also briefly exited the game in the second quarter to be evaluated for a concussion after absorbing a big hit during Martin's interception return for a TD. Goff finished 23-for-40 for 313 yards with a touchdown, 3 interceptions and the fumble.

Silver lining: Second-year running back Jahmyr Gibbs continued his ascent into NFL superstardom. He finished with 14 carries for 105 rushing yards as well as six catches for 70 receiving yards. He scored two touchdowns and flashed the moves and burst that made Commanders defenders miss throughout the game. He set franchise marks with five career postseason TDs and 22 total this season.

Describe the game in two words: Big letdown. After a record-setting regular season in which they set a franchise mark for wins (15) and secured the 1-seed, the Lions got outplayed by Washington. Injuries to key defensive players finally appeared to catch up to them. The Lions couldn't seem to overcome the losses of CB Carlton Davis, DT Alim McNeill, DE Aidan Hutchinson and LB Malcolm Rodriguez -- all starters -- against Washington's high-powered offense. -- Eric Woodyard

The first UFC pay-per-view event of the year will be headlined by ESPN's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, as Islam Makhachev puts the UFC lightweight title on the line in a rematch against Renato Moicano at UFC 311 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

Makhachev has been nearly perfect in the Octagon, winning 15 of his 16 UFC fights. His lone loss was against Adriano Martins at UFC 192 in October 2015. Most recently, Makhachev beat Dustin Poirier by fifth-round submission to retain the belt at UFC 302 last June.

Moicano took the fight on late notice, after Arman Tsarukyan withdrew due to injury.

In the co-main event Umar Nurmagomedov, Makhachev's training partner, challenges Merab Dvalishvili for the men's bantamweight title.

Also on the card, former light heavyweight champions Jiří Procházka and Jamahal Hill faceoff in what could be No. 1 contender fight and Kevin Holland squares off with former One Championship title holder Reinier de Ridder.

Brett Okamoto, Andreas Hale, Jeff Wagenheim, and Dre Waters highlight everything happening in and around the UFC pay-per-view event.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Golden State Warriors stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green both limped off the floor in a 122-114 win over Washington, and Green's status is in doubt moving forward as he will undergo an MRI on Sunday.

Curry suffered a left ankle injury in the final 1:05 and left the game to head back to the locker room before the final buzzer sounded. Curry, who had 26 points, says he plans on playing against the Boston Celtics on Monday.

"Feels great," Curry said of his ankle in the locker room. "See you on Monday."

Green's status for Monday appears doubtful. He left the game just three minutes into the first quarter and was shortly ruled out for the game after that with left calf tightness. He would return to the bench but could be seen walking with a noticeable limp.

Coach Steve Kerr said Green will undergo an MRI to see the severity of the injury.

"Steph told me he doesn't think it's serious," Kerr said. "They will both be day-to-day for now.

"We don't really know [with Green]. We will have to wait and see what the MRI shows tomorrow. Just kind of assess him the next couple of days and figure out what's next."

The Warriors (21-20) have been banged up. Curry has been playing with an injured thumb on his shooting hand and has had to manage pain in his knees for much of the season.

Green just returned from a three-game absence due to illness and a back issue and now could be looking at missing more time. Green, the team's defensive leader and connector on offense, averaged 8.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists entering Saturday's game.

Golden State is already without Jonathan Kuminga, who has been out with an ankle injury since Jan. 4. Guard Brandin Podziemski has been out with an abdominal injury and Kyle Anderson did not play on Saturday with a glute injury as well.

Since opening the season with a 12-3 start, the Warriors have been in a slump. Saturday's win was their second in a row but only their ninth victory in the last 26 games.

The Warriors face Boston on Monday afternoon before playing at Sacramento on Wednesday. They return home to face the Bulls on Thursday and the Lakers on Saturday.

BOSTON -- Dyson Daniels hit a short jumper in the lane with just over a minute left in overtime and Onyeka Okongwu made two free throws with 11 seconds left, lifting the Atlanta Hawks to a 119-115 victory over the Boston Celtics on Saturday night.

Trae Young led Atlanta with 28 points and 12 assists, and Daniels finished with 23 points. Jaylen Brown had 24 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for Boston, who was missing centers Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis.

The Celtics had a 90.3% chance to win, per ESPN Analytics, when they were leading 103-100 with 20.1 seconds to go after a technical free throw from Jayson Tatum. But a Jrue Holiday turnover followed by a pair of costly fouls on Young helped send the game to overtime.

After the game, Holiday took responsibility for the loss, saying his "execution needs to be better."

In the extra frame, things got heated between the two teams after Tatum and De'Andre Hunter got into a tussle going for a rebound. The pair had to be separated. Officials didn't issue any technicals, which was important because Tatum had received one in the second quarter.

Tatum finished with 23 points after coming into the game listed as questionable with a left shoulder strain. He shot 7 of 21 overall and missed two shots late in regulation and overtime.

The shooting struggles extended to the entire team, as Boston finished 15 of 52 on 3-pointers. The Celtics are 1-7 in their last eight games when shooting 30% or worse on 3-pointers; four of those games have come in January.

The Hawks, meanwhile, improved to 4-1 against the Celtics and Cavaliers this season.

The Associated Press and ESPN Research contributed to this story.