Islam Makhachev defeated Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision at UFC 330 in Philadelphia, retaining his welterweight title in a fight that tested him more than any of his recent title defenses.
The judges scored the bout 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 in Makhachev's favor. Two judges gave him the first, second, fourth and fifth rounds, while one judge scored the third and fourth for Garry.
The win pushed Makhachev's professional record to 29-1, matching the win total of his friend and coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov, the former UFC lightweight champion. It also stretched his UFC winning streak to 17 fights, surpassing the 16-fight run set by UFC legend Anderson Silva.
Build-up and trash talk
Makhachev entered the fight on a 16-fight UFC winning streak. In November 2025 he took the welterweight title from Australia's Jack Della Maddalena, moving up from lightweight, where he had defended his belt four times before vacating the division.
Garry came in as the underdog but with a genuine case: his only UFC loss had come against Shavkat Rakhmonov, and he had since beaten Carlos Prates and former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad. To prepare for a possible fight with Makhachev, the Irishman had worked extensively on his grappling, training with wrestlers and judokas in Georgia and refining his jiu-jitsu with former Brazilian fighter Demian Maia.
Garry spent the build-up drawing comparisons to fellow Irishman Conor McGregor. He said people often compared the two of them because they were both from Ireland, and recalled how McGregor had knocked out an opponent who had not lost in ten years and was ranked the world's best fighter, in just 13 seconds. Garry said his own opponent was the top-ranked fighter in the world and had not lost in years, and that beating him would leave no doubt he was a great fighter himself.
Makhachev fired back that Garry could not even remember the last time he had knocked anyone out, and dismissed his challenger as an "AliExpress copy of Conor."
A high kick nearly ends it early
The opening round showed immediately that Makhachev would not have an easy night. He shot for an early takedown, but Garry moved to the fence and defended, avoiding the sustained top control Makhachev's opponents usually struggle to escape. Makhachev took the round on pressure and clinch work, but every takedown already looked like it would have to be earned the hard way.
The second round brought the fight's most dramatic moment. Coming out of a clinch break, Makhachev landed a right hand followed by a left high kick that caught Garry flush on the jaw and dropped him. Makhachev rushed in to finish, then took Garry down with a hip throw, but the Irishman survived the round.
That reprieve let Garry reset, and he came out for the third round with renewed energy. His takedown defense grew increasingly effective as the fight went on, with his jiu-jitsu preventing Makhachev from settling into position and forcing him to restart his attacks repeatedly, visibly draining the champion's energy.
Garry makes Makhachev look tired
The third round worried Makhachev's corner. He took Garry down again, but the Irishman scrambled back to his feet quickly and then landed a high kick of his own. Makhachev slowed noticeably, throwing fewer combinations and conserving energy, and Garry took the round on the scorecards.
The fourth round continued as a grinding battle against the fence, with Makhachev closing distance and attempting leg trips and throws while Garry defended well, limiting the champion's control time even when his attempts succeeded. Before the round, Nurmagomedov reportedly told Makhachev he had to win it; two judges ultimately credited him with the round, one gave it to Garry.
It was in this stretch that the contrast with many of Makhachev's earlier title defenses became clearest. Past opponents had understood what was coming but could not stop it. Garry understood it and adjusted, defending takedowns, holding his own in the clinch, striking on exits and repeatedly threatening with high kicks.
A prag matic finish to the fifth round
Garry opened the fifth round aggressively, landing punches and forcing Makhachev back into a wrestling exchange. Makhachev's first takedown attempt failed, but he changed his approach, scored a trip from the clinch, took Garry's back and locked in a body triangle.
With the title on the line, Makhachev did not force a finish. He simply held the position and controlled Garry from behind almost to the final horn, securing the round and the fight without needing a dramatic submission.
Respect after the final bell
Little of the pre-fight trash talk remained once the fight ended. Makhachev said Garry was a great fighter and a good guy, that he respected him, that Garry had given him a good fight, and he thanked him for it.
Garry did not hide behind the judges' scorecards. He said he respected Makhachev and what he had done by moving up in weight, and that he believed he had been the better fighter, but Makhachev had won. He added that he had no excuses and no complaints. It was the second loss of Garry's professional career, but the performance showed how far he had improved in exactly the area many had expected to be his weakness.
A record-breaking, if imperfect, night
For Makhachev, the win meant far more than a successful title defense. It marked his first defense of the welterweight title and confirmed that his move up in weight and his second championship were no fluke.
It also showed a version of the champion opponents rarely get to see. Garry kept Makhachev from looking like his usual dominant self, made him visibly tired and at times dictated the pace of the fight. Even so, Makhachev found a way to win using the method that gave his opponent the fewest chances to turn things around.
After the fight, Makhachev said the guys at welterweight were stronger and harder to submit, but that his game still worked. He left the octagon in Philadelphia with a swollen face, his title still around his waist, and a winning streak that now belongs to him alone.
