Islam Makhachev Retains Belt In Five-Round Battle With Ian Machado Garry
In the headlining bout at UFC 330 from the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Islam Makhachev secured the first defense of his welterweight title over No. 2 contender Ian Machado Garry.
In addition to defending his belt in a unanimous decision on Saturday night over Garry, Makhachev also beat UFC Hall of Fame member Anderson Silva’s record for longest consecutive win streak by achieving a 17th straight victory. Silva held the record for the longest streak in UFC history since 2013, with very few even coming close to rivaling it until 13 years later.
It took less than a minute and a half for Makhachev to bring the fight to the ground successfully and put his wrestling prowess on display in the first round. But Garry established intelligent ground defense early in the fight, and managed to keep the champion from inflicting too much damage or advancing into a finishing position.
After controlling the first round, Makhachev showcased his striking in the second, connecting with a strong right hand off the clinch, followed by a left head kick that sent the Irishman to the canvas. Garry would go on to survive the round, but he was beginning to find himself in a situation in which he had lost complete control.
HEADKICK DROPS IAN@MAKHACHEVMMA is puttin’ on the pressure!! #UFC330 pic.twitter.com/d2eFTofRXE
— UFC (@ufc) August 16, 2026
The third round is where things took a positive turn for the challenger, as the gas tank of Makhachev was starting to show signs of depletion. The champion once again secured a takedown on his opponent, but this time Garry reversed the position well, forcing the fight back to the feet almost right away. This was a turning point for Garry, as not only did it show he had an effective way of countering the dominant wrestling, but also that his cardio was holding up better as the pair were heading into the championship rounds.
The final two rounds brought more of Makhachev controlling the bout from inside the clinch and fighting for takedowns, but failing to put Garry in any serious trouble until he was able to run out the clock. Despite the damage Garry could inflict with dirty boxing from in close, as well as some well-placed strikes to the body on a fatigued Makhachev, he was unable to do enough to secure the decision before the last bell rang.
TITLE DEFENDED 😤@MAKHACHEVMMA takes the Unanimous Decision over Ian Machado Garry at #UFC330! pic.twitter.com/8CR80dYuAM
— UFC (@ufc) August 16, 2026
While Makhachev did not mention any specifics on next steps following his first welterweight title defense, the camera panned to a shot of both Carlos Prates and Michael Morales, who are ranked No. 1 and No. 3 at 170-pounds. Neither Prates nor Morales currently has fights scheduled, so it seems they could be next for a shot at the belt.
Full UFC 330 Results
Main Card:
Islam Makhachev def. Ian Machado Garry via Decision (Unanimous) – Welterweight Title Match
Mackenzie Dern def. Gillian Robertson via Decision (Unanimous) – Strawweight Title Match
Jalin Turner def. Kau̻ Fernandes via Knockout (Left Hook) РRound 1, 0:39
Dustin Stoltzfus def. Mansur Abdul-Malik via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) – Round 2, 4:25
Esteban Ribovics def. Edson Barboza via TKO (Punches) – Round 2, 1:32
Prelimiary Card:
Chidi Njokuani def. Joel Alvarez via Decision (Unanimous)
Charles Johnson def. Eduardo Chapolin via Submission (Scottish Twister) – Round 3, 1:36
Donte Johnson def. Eric McConico via KO (Overhand Left) – Round 1, 1:38
Tresean Gore def. Vicente Luque via Decision (Unanimous)
Lucas Fernando def. Rafael Tobias via TKO (Knee) – Round 3, 1:10
Neil Magny def. Ramiz Brahimaj via TKO (Punches) Round 2, 3:20
Jeremiah Wells def. Myktybek Orolbai via Submission (Ninja Choke) Round 3, 1:24